Laapata Ladies copied from Arabic film? Kiran Rao's movie under fire as netizens point to plot overlap with Burqa City

Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies, India’s official entry for Oscar 2025, is under fire after several Reddit and social media users accused the film of lifting its core premise from the 2019 French-Arabic short Burqa City.

The 20-minute comedy, directed by Fabrice Bracq, revolves around a young man who mistakenly brings home the wrong burqa-clad woman after a fight with his wife—an idea critics claim closely mirrors Rao’s widely acclaimed feature.

The Hindi film, produced by Aamir Khan Productions, has been praised for its sensitive take on patriarchy, gender roles, and identity. But with users pointing out striking similarities—right down to thematic elements and specific scenes—its originality is now being questioned.

The IMDb trivia section of Burqa City even mentions the Bollywood film by name: “A very successful Indian film Laapataa Ladies (2024) is inspired from the concept of this film.”

Social media split on originality

While some users called the alleged similarities “shameful,” others were quick to point out that swapped-bride stories aren’t new. “That’s inspired by Tagore’s Naukadubi,” one user said.

Another joked, “The main credit for this goes to Ekta Kapoor… brides with ghoonghat getting swapped in the mandap in K-Serials back in the day.”

Familiar controversy for India’s Oscar picks

India’s Oscar selections have often faced allegations of plagiarism. Barfi!—India’s official entry in 2013—was accused of copying scenes from multiple global classics, including Charlie Chaplin films, The Notebook, and City Lights. Composer Pritam also came under fire for allegedly lifting music from the French film Amelie.