Did Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies Copy Burqa City? Viral Clip Raises Questions

Laapataa Ladies is facing accusations of copying the 2019 Arabic movie Burqa City. A video from Burqa City recently went viral, making people question whether Laapataa Ladies is truly original.

Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies Accused of Copying Burqa City, Sparks Online Debate

The clip shows a similar storyline where a newlywed man searches for his wife after she is mistakenly replaced by another woman in a burqa. After the video surfaced, social media users reacted strongly. One person commented, “Nothing that Bollywood produces seems to be an original work of art.

They are all brazenly copy pasted from somewhere else, “shamelessly billed as original work.” Another wrote, “Plagiarism in India. Not a new concept.”

A third user expressed disappointment, saying, “Abhi kuch nahi ho sakta..I was under the impression that it was original..good that this movie gave one beautiful song Sajni re by Arijit.”

Earlier, Anant Mahadevan had claimed that the film Laapataa Ladies has been inspired by his 1999 film
Ghoonghat Ke Pat Khol.

Kiran Rao's Lapata Ladies, India's official entry to the Oscars and projected as an original work, actually seems heavily inspired by a 2019 short film titled Burqa City.

Set in Middle East, the 19 min film follows a newlywed man whose wife gets exchanged due to identical… pic.twitter.com/b7GcHN2MmI

— THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) March 31, 2025

Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies released in theatres on March 1, 2024. Set in rural India in 2001, the film follows two brides who get exchanged during a train journey, leading to a chaotic search by their husbands.

Starring Sparsh Shrivastava, Pratibha Ranta, Nitanshi Goel, and Ravi Kishan, it marked Rao’s directorial comeback after Dhobi Ghat. The film premiered at TIFF 2023, it received a standing ovation and later became India’s official entry for the 2025 Oscars in the International Feature Film category.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Dupahiya Director Sonam Nair REACTS To Kartik Aaryan Winning Award For Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 Over Laapataa Ladies’ Sparsh Shrivastava

Manisha Karki

Manisha has established a reputation for insightful and engaging storytelling with over six years of expertise in the industry. With a deep passion for cinema, she brings a unique perspective to her coverage, making it a trusted voice in the entertainment world.