Laapata Ladies: Content, Comedy, feminism intertwined- the ultimate hit of 2024?

Through her movie Laapata Ladies, Kiran Rao lifts the veil from deep seated patriarchy in our society. Set in the fictitious Nirmal Pradesh, Laapata Ladies is set to break the prevailing misogynist barriers with brilliance. On the predicament of two newlyweds who got swapped during the train journey to their “sasuraal”, in-laws home, the movie elaborates upon how this patriarchal society has abscissed the dreams of hundreds of women, put a chain on their voice.

Source- Times of India

Characters of Laapata Ladies

Each of the characters portrayed in the movie has it’s unique significance when describing the burden of misogyny in a society, the characters are stated below:

Deepak Kumar (Sparsh Shrivastav): Deepak is a farmer from the fictional Nirmal Pradesh. He is traveling back to his village with his new bride, Phool. Unfortunately, during a crowded train ride, he accidentally disembarks with the wrong bride, leaving Phool behind. Deepak becomes frantic and searches for Phool throughout the film.

Deepak portrays how familial pressure often create a burden on men to get married when they are not ready to take responsibility. However, unlike Pradeep the guy who marrier Jaya(elaborated upon later), Deepak wasn’t a dominant and misogynist guy, he had immense respect for women, he loved his wife.

Phool Kumari (Nitanshi Goel): Phool is the bride left behind on the train. She hides at the station, fearing the mix-up. With the help of Manju Mai, who runs a tea stand, Phool learns to be independent and develops her own identity. Phool is the epitome of “finding ourselves”, from not taking her husband’s name to saying it aloud in a crowded station, Phool overcame the false values inculcated in her.

Jaya (Pratibha Ranta): The bride mistakenly taken by Deepak. She provides false information about herself to Deepak’s family. Jaya becomes friendly with Deepak’s family and shows surprising knowledge regarding organic farming. Jaya in this film portrays how this society often undermines a woman’s dream. Jaya was married off unwillingly by her own mother but she knew how to fight, she didn’t give up on her dreams irrespective of the circumstances.

Manju Mai: A disillusioned but helpful woman at the station. She assists Phool and plays a significant role in the film. Even though not a big role the character of Manju Mai has left a mark in the hearts of the audiences, Manju Mai is a strong rebellious female figure, she’s fierce and independent. Like many other women she was also a victim of domestic violence, she kicked her husband and son out of her house. Manju Mai was the stroke of serendipity in Phool’s life. She taught her the value of individuality in a woman’s life which often gets buried in this misogynist society.

Chottu: A lovable chai-serving kid at the station working for Manju Mai.

SI Shyam Manohar: A somewhat corrupt police officer who follows Jaya, suspecting her to be a thief ended up being the one to save Jaya from her abusive husband. This portrays how a strong legal system is significant for upholding ethics in the society.

Each and every character in this movie was played brilliantly by the actors. Laapata ladies, finding themselves in the movie is our favourite genre. This movie covers all the aspects of a patriarchial society including how women are also brainwashed into inculcating meaningless values, women also deny changing certain things due to “tradition.”

Source- scroll.in

The film “Laapata Ladies” isn’t simply about women disappearing everyday, it encompasses a “lost identity” of our mothers, our sisters and how many sacrifices they make for us. In this male chauvinist society Women are made to sacrifice their dreams, their aspirations to hold together their family. Kiran Rao’s film encompasses all the aspects of being a woman. Indeed a brilliant work!https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=89763cc5096cec0bJmltdHM9MTcxNDk1MzYwMCZpZ3VpZD0yMTc5NDIzNy1iZWM3LTY2YTktMWFjZS01MTEyYmY2YTY3MjkmaW5zaWQ9NTU5Nw&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=3&fclid=21794237-bec7-66a9-1ace-5112bf6a6729&u=a1L3ZpZGVvcy9yaXZlcnZpZXcvcmVsYXRlZHZpZGVvP3E9bGFhcGF0YStsYWRpZXMmbWlkPTFBRTdGQjA4RTBCNTBDN0I0M0MyMUFFN0ZCMDhFMEI1MEM3QjQzQzImRk9STT1WSVJF&ntb=1