French Director Fabrice Bracq Reacts to Laapataa Ladies: 'Too Similar to My Film'
After Kiran Rao’s 'Laapataa Ladies' gained widespread acclaim, a controversy erupted over its resemblance to the 2019 Arabic short film 'Burqa City', directed by French filmmaker Fabrice Bracq.
After Kiran Rao’s 'Laapataa Ladies' gained widespread acclaim, a controversy erupted over its resemblance to the 2019 Arabic short film 'Burqa City', directed by French filmmaker Fabrice Bracq. The issue gained traction when a side-by-side comparison video of scenes from both films went viral on social media, leading many to question whether 'Laapataa Ladies' had crossed the line into plagiarism.
Bracq responds to controversy
Bracq addressed the controversy in multiple interviews with Indian publications. Speaking to India Film Project, the filmmaker revealed he discovered the film’s existence on April 3. "I received an email about Burqa City—yours—and a message from Omar, my actor, who had been contacted on Instagram about the topic,” he shared.
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Expressing his shock, Bracq said, “I was both shocked and saddened, especially since I understood that the film has been a huge success in India and was even shortlisted for the Oscars. As for me, I had hopes and was in discussions to adapt Burqa City into a feature film. But is that even possible now?”
In a conversation with India Today, he elaborated on the similarities: “Even before watching the film, I was surprised by how closely the pitch matched my short. After watching it, I noticed several striking parallels.” Bracq pointed out similarities in character archetypes, including a kind and naive husband contrasted with an abusive one, and a corrupt policeman with comedic sidekicks.
He also referenced specific scenes—such as the husband searching for his wife with a veiled photo, and a woman choosing to leave her abusive marriage—as key similarities to Burqa City.
'Laapataa Ladies' writer Biplab Goswami issues statement
On the other hand, 'Laapataa Ladies' writer Biplab Goswami has firmly denied the allegations. In an official statement, he shared documents proving the originality of the film's story, characters, and dialogues.
“The screenplay for 'aapataa Ladies' was developed extensively over many years. I first registered the film’s detailed synopsis, outlining the entire story under the working title Two Brides, with the Screenwriters Association on July 3, 2014,” his statement read.
He further added that the registered synopsis included specific scenes such as the groom mistakenly bringing home the wrong bride due to the veil, and visiting a police station with a photograph of the veiled bride, which results in a comedic situation.
The writer emphasized that the script was later registered as a full-length feature titled Two Brides in 2018. Goswami maintains that the film is an original creation, developed long before the release of Burqa City.
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