The film “Missing Ladies”, produced by Aamir Khan and directed by Kiran Rao, was released in theaters in 2024. The audience appreciated its story, and the film was also selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars. However, it was eliminated in the first round itself.
Now this film is embroiled in a new controversy. “Missing Ladies” has been accused of copying the story of a foreign film. Some social media users claim that the film is similar to the Arabic short film “Burka City”.
Has the story of “Missing Ladies” been copied?
On social media platforms, especially Reddit and X (formerly Twitter), some users have pointed out the similarities between “Missing Ladies” and “Burka City”.
The 19-minute short film “Burka City” released in 2019 depicts the story of the Middle East, where a man’s new bride is mistakenly replaced by another woman, as both of them are wearing a burqa. The film was a satire comedy and its message satirized the status of women in society.
The story of “Laapata Ladies” is also similar. In the film, two brides are mistakenly replaced as both of them were wearing a veil. Seeing this similarity, people are calling it a copy of “Burka City”.
Story and controversy of the film
The story of “Laapata Ladies” is based on a fictitious state called Nirmal Pradesh in 2001. The film shows that two brides are replaced while traveling in a train. A groom mistakenly takes the other bride to his house, while the real bride gets stuck at the railway station.
After this incident, police officer Kishan, played by Ravi Kishan, comes forward to solve this mystery. The film was produced by Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao and Jyoti Deshpande.
Waiting for the response of the makers
So far, there has been no official statement on this allegation from the makers of the film or Kiran Rao.
It remains to be seen whether this controversy is just a coincidence or the story of the film is really inspired.