Storyline of ‘Laapataa Ladies’?
Released in 2023, Laapataa Ladies (known internationally as Lost Ladies) has made its entry into the Oscars 2025 in the Foreign Film category. The Laapataa Ladies storyline follows the chaos and confusion that takes place when two brides accidentally get swapped during a train journey. What happens next will take you on a roller coaster ride filled with laughter and important life lessons, making you fall in love with every character as they rediscover themselves, and find true freedom and independence.
The Laapataa Ladies movie is set in the fictional land of Nirmal Pradesh in the year 2001, long before mobile phones were an inseparable part of our lives, so there was no way you could search for someone you lost.
Laapataa Ladies Full Story
The film begins with the groom, Deepak, travelling back to his village with his newly-wed bride, Phool Kumari. They get into a crowded train along with many other newlywed couples. The brides all wear the same bridal attire with their faces covered behind a veil, as is the tradition. Day turns into night – Deepak dozes off; then wakes up suddenly and realises that his station has arrived. In the semi-darkness and the rush to leave, he gets off with the wrong bride and Phool is left behind on the train with Pradeep, the other groom.
In the village, they are welcomed by Deepak’s family only to be shocked when they realise it is the wrong bride. The bride gives them a false name of Pushpa Rani and lies about where she is from.
On the other hand, at a different station, Phool realises what has happened. However, since she does not know the name of Deepak’s village, the station master is unable to help her. She even refuses to go back home, not wanting to bring shame to her family. She decides to stay at the station in case Deepak comes looking for her. There she is helped by Manju Mai, who runs a tea stall on the platform.
Desperately looking for Phool, Deepak files a report with Police Inspector Shyam Manohar. Manohar, thinking that Pushpa belongs to a gang of thieves, arrests her. Later, he learns that her real name is Jaya. Jaya reveals that she wanted to pursue a course on organic farming in Dehradun, but was forcefully married to Pradeep by her family. She said that Pradeep was abusive towards her, so she does not want to return.
When Pradeep arrives at the police station, he slaps Jaya in front of the cops and threatens her to recover the full dowry. Manohar states that his actions constitute an offence and that Jaya cannot be forced to go with anyone since she is an adult. He frees Jaya, warning Pradeep that if he lays his hands on Jaya again, he will arrest him for domestic violence and also for allegedly burning his previous wife to death.
Jaya had asked Deepak’s sister-in-law to make a sketch of Phool for her to make posters out of. She then stuck them all around public places along with contact details. In this way, Phool was finally able to reunite with Deepak while Jaya left for Dehradun to pursue her dream.
