Is this a shot at patriarchy under the classic tale of mistaken identities? Or a humorous coming-of-age feminist tale as seen in last year’s Barbie, wonders Mayur Sanap.

The creative forces of Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan come together in their new feature, Laapataa Ladies, which marks Kiran’s return to directing 13 years after Dhobi Ghat.

After making waves at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, there’s excitement already what the film is all about.

 

 

Set in rural India, Laapataa Ladies explores a comedy of errors that unfolds when two young brides get swapped in a train.

The little over two minute trailer opens with an amusing scene where a young bride, whose face is concealed with ghoongat, arrives at her husband’s home, only to shock her in-laws that she is not their bahu.

‘Chachi ki badli ho gayi (Aunty has changed),’ a kid screams, which sets the tone for this rib-tickling tale.

The hapless husband, played by Jamtar fame Sparsh Shrivastava, reaches out to Ravi Kishan’s local inspector, who is equally puzzled and curious about this bizarre fiasco.

What is instantly likable about the trailer is its lightweight premise and characters that are played perfectly by a relatively unknown cast.

The most recognisable face here is Bhojpuri star Ravi Kishan, whom we haven’t seen in a Hindi film in a long time. He looks at ease playing a fun character and takes the cake with his comic one-liners.

 

Kiran showcases the texture of rural hinterland with zany humour, and the regional language that we hear in the trailer adds to the authenticity.

The trailer definitely gives us a feeling there’s more to this story than meets the eye.

Is this a shot at patriarchy under the classic tale of mistaken identities? Or a humorous coming-of-age feminist tale as seen in last year’s Barbie?

We will have to wait until the actual film comes out.

For now, the young cast looks promising. The coming-of-age story feels fresh!

With Kiran-Aamir’s creative brains at work, there is no doubt that this will be a perfect feel-good treat.

Laapataa Ladies to be found in cinemas on March 1.



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