Kiran Rao’s “Laapataa Ladies” is a social satire that offers entertainment as well as empowerment. The movie humorously portrays the grave realities of a patriarchal society with the help of a simple story and background.
As the name and the trailer suggested, it revolves around two newly married brides who get lost on the way to their in-laws’ home. While Jaya, whom Deepak accidentally brings home instead of his wife Phool, seizes this opportunity to follow her dream, Phool undergoes profound personal growth during the time. This period shows multiple women discovering themselves. Some learn to do things that they love for themselves while others learn to explore and embrace their talents.
Even though Jaya and Phool are two contradictory characters, they are both equally victims of patriarchal conditioning. While Jaya is ready to break and act against all the norms of society from the very beginning by uttering the name of her husband to everyone’s disbelief, Phool learns to do this towards the end on her journey of unlearning. Jaya is the driving force of the movie, and her story prompts us to consider all the women in our country who are denied the right to pursue one simple dream while these opportunities effortlessly fall into the laps of others. Phool’s transition from the naive, orthodox village girl to realising the absolute potential of a woman is a delight to witness.
Apart from questioning the gender roles in the society, Kiran Rao also mocks the political parties and law enforcements that twist every news item in favour of their agenda as well as the dowry system and related crimes in a witty and engaging manner. Without being didactic, Rao presents her political commentary subtly in this layered movie ,making it definitely worth watching.
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