Laapataa Ladies Review: Kiran Rao’s film is delightful and profound

Laapataa Ladies

Director: Kiran Rao

Writers: Biplab Goswami, Sneha Desai, Divyanidhi Sharma

Cast: Pratibha Ranta, Nitanshi Goel, Sparsh Shrivastava, Ravi Kishan

How often do you get to watch a film that is based on a social issue but does not preach? Seldom, right? That’s why director Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies makes for a delightful watch. Advocating the right to education for women, Laapataa Ladies takes you on a breezy trip between two fictional towns where the two leading ladies of the film get swapped and lost (laapataa).

The reason for them to get lost is the ghunghat (veil) with which they cover their head/face i.e. their identity as one character correctly puts it in the film (the paradox of that character is a hilarious payoff that is for you to discover). This subtle wordplay of laapataa (lost) and symbolizing it with the veil is clever. Subtle is the best way to describe Rao’s storytelling. This is only her second feature after the even-subtler debut Dhobi Ghat fourteen years ago. That film required you to discover things on your own rather than simply spoon-feed you.

In Laapataa Ladies, Rao keeps things playful and light. The narrative never becomes preachy. It keeps you smiling, invested, curious, and thinking. Rao achieves all of this with a solid script – a gripping screenplay and lovely dialogue. The written material is ably uplifted by brilliant performances by the actors. Pratibha Ranta who plays Jaya aka Pushpa Rani is astonishing. She’s the most intriguing character in the film. From the word go, you know that she’s up to something but you don’t doubt her to be deceitful. You simply can’t take your eyes off when she’s on screen.

Also read: Dange Review: Bejoy Nambiar’s film is a technical knockout supported by good performances!

Sparsh Shrivastava as Deepak is remarkably natural. And so is Nitanshi Goel as the naïve Phool. The ever-dependable Chaya Kadam as the stall vendor at a railway station shines in her brief role. But it is Ravi Kishan as a cop who gives an absolute riot of a performance. His role is not just a comic relief but also pivots the narrative at regular intervals.

Although the undercurrent in this satire is the right to education for women, Rao emphasizes the story of the two lost brides. The film is not crying or shouting out loud for a change in society. Also, cinema can’t change society. Rao simply just tells a story. And in this simplicity, she shines. Technically too, the story is told with simplicity. The camera doesn’t move unnecessarily, it simply captures its subjects intimately. The sound design, costume design, and production design are as realistic as they could get.

A story like this could have easily become slapstick or dramatic. But Rao with her writers infuses humour and makes the satire more palatable and accessible to the audience. There are no big villains in the film. Only one character is dark grey. Others are mostly lighter shades of grey. The film focuses on the goodness in people. It is extremely difficult to make a film like this. Of course, with Aamir Khan backing it, the film will have a wider reach. It was shown to journalists and the public alike much before its release. What’s the harm in using superstar power in promoting good cinema?

There are many delightful and profound finds in the story of two lost brides. Go check out Laapataa Ladies in theatres.