Review: Lapata Ladies

 

After impressing cinema lovers with her directorial debut in ‘Dhobi Ghat’, Kiran Rao in ‘Missing Ladies’ tells a story that may not necessarily define, or tackle feminism, but it will surely please both men and women, as it describes various aspects of our lives, including policies, media, art and organisations, that prioritise women’s voices and concerns.

Women-centric films often highlight stereotypes and essentialise people belonging to different gender communities. But if a story has women as the main characters and focuses on issues that limit them, and also highlights their experiences, perspectives and needs, then it can truly be called a woman-centric film.

Review: Lapata Ladies

Movie: Missing Ladies (playing in theaters)

Duration: 120 minutes

Cast: Nitanshi Goyal, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava and Ravi Kishan

Director: Kiran Rao

Cinematography: Vikash Naulakha

Rating: *** 1/2

Set in a fictitious location in rural India, Nirmal Pradesh (though filmed in Madhya Pradesh) in the year 2001, ‘Laapata Ladies’ is about Phool (Nitanshi Goyal) and Jaya (Pratibha Ranta), two new brides moving to their in-laws’ house after their marriage in the same town.

It is mere coincidence that they travel in the same crowded compartment of the Indian Railways. Phool is instructed by her mother to keep looking at her feet. Her mother warns that a woman wearing a veil is bound to be an obedient dutiful wife who always looks down and remains silent. It is her humility that will be her husband’s strength.

Wearing identical saris and bridal veils that completely hide their faces, the two are hardly recognised by their respective spouses. Naturally, Phool’s husband Deepak (Sparsh Shrivastav) accidentally wakes Jaya up in the night and takes her to his home in the village, while Phool is made a shepherd by Jaya’s husband, but is abandoned at the railway station.

What follows is a huge confusion as the young women do not know how to deal with the situation when the truth is revealed to them and subsequently to their in-laws’ families.

Revealing how all this happens would reveal a lot about the story. Though it is primarily about the two brides, it is also the way the two men feel and, most importantly, behave that brings out the much-maligned and naïve small-town young men who are polite and modest, who are more embarrassed than the young brides.

Both the brides, who have the same height, though initially shaken, take this sudden change of fortune as a challenge. And then begins a journey of self-discovery for both of them.

With the help of a friendly tea vendor (Chhaya Kadam) at the station, Phool adjusts to finding happiness in a new surrounding, and accepts her fate, though deep in her heart, she hopes to be reunited with her husband Deepak.

Jaya, who is more educated, begins to plan a way out of the chaos. She adjusts to the new home and begins to love it and uses her education to help her in-laws, who were working with old farming techniques, deal with the damage caused to their crops by pigeons.

Adapted from a story by Biplab Goswami, the screenplay and dialogues are written by Sneha Desai. Kiran Rao has created a typical north Indian village as the backdrop and added a touch of humanity, warmth and love to it. She is superbly assisted by production designer Vikram Singh, who ensures that every outfit worn by the characters – from saris to sweaters – and every other part of their daily lives, from bed sheets to cots, from open courtyards to the minimum lower middle class needs in each house, look both liveable and believable.

Due to the bizarre circumstances but a completely believable plot and natural setting, the exchange of two young brides and the chaos that follows makes for an even more thrilling experience for the audience. There are other entertaining and colourful characters who are equally funny and provide timely humour. Whether it is the girls’ parents or their in-laws, everyone has contributed to making this two-hour film a wonderfully heartwarming experience.

Both Jaya and Phool go through events that help them realize their potential and grow toward independence and womanhood. Their characters are well-written and entrenched in the cultural fabric of the time and background in which they are set. And they contribute to the ongoing conversation about gender equality.

Even as newcomers, they both impress. Their screen presence and talent will win over the audience as well as critical acclaim. Nitanshi Goyal as Phool and Pratibha Ranta as Jaya have both brought their respective roles to life and left a lasting impression.

Rao’s execution is reminiscent of Rabindranath Tagore’s 1906 novel ‘Nauka Doobi’, which raised many questions of the mind and the heart and the validity or not of social conventions. Apart from the similarity of the transformation of two newlywed wives, Rao’s film has no resemblance to the Nobel laureate’s story.

Rao has added a touch of feminism and expressed her views about the age-old traditions and beliefs prevalent across the country. She uses patriarchal norms to her advantage to tell her story. And while doing so, she doesn’t have to be self-righteous or morally correct. She uses Phool’s naivety and Jaya’s defiance and quick learning skills to subtly praise women’s liberation. And she uses the technique of humor to tell her story.

There is a cop named Manohar (Ravi Kishan) who tries his best to win over Jaya when he learns of her plight. But his callous behaviour shocks you when he uses his position and good nature to get the distressed Jaya justice. Chewing paan all the while, he adds more thrill than intrigue to the case with his one-liners. By not only allowing the two young women’s ultimate victory but also facilitating it, Manohar undeniably empowers the brides, that too on their own terms.

The four main characters – Jaya, Phool, Deepak and Manohar – emerge throughout the story. Through them, Rao has shed light on their deep thoughts and the sweet-bitter journey of self-discovery.

For Deepak, his dreams are shattered when his wife goes missing. As an actor he is completely convincing as a good-hearted husband who has to support his so-called wife Jaya. The innocent Phool is oblivious to the danger of getting lost; Jaya uses the situation to her advantage; and Manohar, though a cunning and corrupt cop, has remorse and gives up the idea of ​​greed.

Kiran Rao’s strength is in doing justice to every character. The pace of the story is very fast and it is smoothly edited to include other stories as well.

Ram Sampath’s music is another strength of the film and a few songs in the background add a rural and wild touch. Vikash Naulakha’s cinematography has captured the rural mood in its lens with the perfect blend of light and shadow.