'Our Story, Characters And Dialogues Are 100% Original': Laapataa Ladies Writer Biplab Goswami Reacts To Allegations Of His Film Being Copied From Burqa City

A few days ago, on social media, netizens started posting that Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies is copied from an Arabic short film titled Burqa City. They started comparing some scenes which were very similar. Now, the writer of Laapataa Ladies, Biplab Goswami, has reacted to the allegations of his film being copied from Burqa City. He has shared a statement as well as documents of his script registration.

In his statement, Goswami wrote, “The screenplay for Laapataa Ladies was developed extensively over many years. I first registered the film's detailed synopsis, outlining the entire story with the working title ‘Two Brides', with the Screenwriters Association on July 3, 2014. Even within this registered synopsis, there is a scene that clearly describes the groom bringing home the wrong bride and being shocked and stricken upon realising his mistake because of the veil, along with the rest of his family. This is where the story takes off. I had also clearly written about the scene of the worried groom going to the police station and showing the only photograph he had of his missing bride to the police officer, but the bride's face was covered with a veil, resulting in a comedic moment.”

The writer further revealed that he registered the feature-length script 'Two Brides' with the SWA on June 30, 2018. In the same year, the script won the runner-up award at the Cinestaan Storytellers Competition.

Allegations Of Plagiarism Are Completely Untrue

Goswami further in his statement wrote, “The concept of veils and disguises resulting in mistaken identities is a classical form of storytelling used for centuries by writers such as William Shakespeare, Alexandre Dumas and Rabindranath Tagore, among many others. Laapataa Ladies uses this mistaken identity form with entirely original and unique characters, setting, narrative journey, and social impact. The story, the dialogues, the characters, and the scenes – all stem from years of research and honest reflection. I was deeply invested in understanding the nuances of gender discrimination and inequality, rural power dynamics, and male chauvinism across both Indian and global contexts. Our story, characters, and dialogues are 100% original. Any allegations of plagiarism are completely untrue. These allegations not just undermine my efforts as a writer, but also the tireless efforts of the entire filmmaking team. Thank You.”

Laapataa Ladies Awards

A couple of weeks ago, at IIFA 2025, Laapataa Ladies won multiple awards including Best Story (Original). So, people on social media had started questioning that how a movie, which is copied, can receive that award. However, we are sure with Goswami’s statement and documents proof everything is now clear.