‘Laapataa Ladies’ maximises feminism with mistaken identity

Set in the fictional Nirmal Pradesh in India, "Laapataa Ladies'" premise follows Deepak (Sparsh Srivastav), a farmer, who mistakenly ends up with Jaya (Pratibha Ranta), another bride, instead of his newlywed wife Phool (Nitanshi Goel). The film however reveals itself as more than just a case of swapped identities on a train. It is a story about defying expectations and finding freedom, wrapped in a cloak of apt humour. Since returning to the director's seat after 13 years, Kiran Rao thus weaves a hilarious tale of these two exchanged brides. The highlight of the film lies beneath the comedic chaos in powerful messages that point to the threads of patriarchy binding women in our society. 

The initial reveal, where Deepak discovers that the veiled bride he brought home was Jaya instead of Phool, is still laugh-out-loud funny. The veil, meant to be a form of respect, depicts both literal and metaphorical manifestations in that segment. Rao cleverly uses this comedic situation to explore a deeper theme. In a later scene, a Muslim shopkeeper is seen preaching about the loss of identity due to the veil that real women maintain for their "respectability", only to be greeted by his wife in a niqab serving him tea. 

That moment is precisely one of the points the film tries to make, while also using humour to disarm the audience. We find it easy to laugh with the characters in the film, and then a well-placed line or a knowing glance makes us pause to consider the deeper meaning. The film is further strengthened by the brilliant characters, portrayed by the talented ensemble cast. 

Regarding the male characters, while Deepak is progressive in his thoughts and actions, Jaya's husband Pradeep (Bhaskar Jha) is rooted in medieval values. There is a scene where someone cracks a dowry joke and Deepak simply rolls his eyes. This is the moment we know we would be cheering for him as a valuable modern man in a world clinging to the past. Pradeep, on the other hand, is the embodiment of everything that is immoral. When he finally appears after the police find him the missing wife he reported about, he regards Jaya as the dowry he felt he had lost. He represents the very stifling traditions that "Laapataa Ladies" narratively dismantles.