November 8, 2024: Actor-director Ananth Mahadevan has spoken out again regarding his allegations of plagiarism against the film Laapataa Ladies, directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Aamir Khan. Mahadevan claims that the film’s premise closely resembles his 1999 directorial debut, Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol. Despite raising these concerns, he clarified that he does not believe either Rao or Aamir Khan were aware of any alleged copying.
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In a recent chat with filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri on the YouTube channel I Am Buddha, Mahadevan elaborated, “A story about brides getting mixed up at a railway station is not a typical premise. It’s hard to believe it’s just a coincidence.” He added, “I found it amusing because we’re all colleagues here — Aamir, Kiran, and myself. I was also flattered that they thought this storyline was worth exploring.”
While Laapataa Ladies starts with a similar premise, Mahadevan acknowledged that it diverges later to address themes of women’s freedom and their fight for rights. “For all you know, Aamir and Kiran didn’t even know about this. Maybe this information was kept from them,” he suggested. However, he noted that when Laapataa Ladies’ writer was questioned about the similarities, he dismissed the allegations, calling it an original story.
Mahadevan reminisced about how he first conceived the story of Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol. The inspiration came from a humorous anecdote shared by veteran actor Satyen Kappu during a break on the sets of Chamatkar. “Kappu saab shared how he lost sight of his veiled wife at a bus station, mistaking her for another person,” Mahadevan recalled. This anecdote, he said, sparked the idea for his film, and with the encouragement of actor Farooq Sheikh, he developed it into a full-fledged story.
Mahadevan shared that although he laughed off the situation, he would have appreciated acknowledgment if Laapataa Ladies did indeed draw inspiration from his film. After Laapataa Ladies was screened at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival, he posted about Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol on Instagram, highlighting the plot and expressing mild amusement at the parallels.
In his post, Mahadevan wrote, “My very first feature Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol was a delightful story of two brides mixed up on a train, ending up with the wrong husbands. It challenges tradition and redefines marriage. I’m amused and humbled to see that it has inspired a similar film this year.”
The incident has sparked discussions in the industry about intellectual property and the importance of acknowledging creative inspirations, especially within Bollywood’s tightly-knit community.
