Entertainment
'Laapataa Ladies': Kiran Rao triumphs with delightful, nuanced comedy! IANS Rating: ***1/2
New Delhi, March 1 (IANS) Women-centric movies often end up highlighting stereotypes and essentialising people who belong to different gender communities.
But if, as protagonists in a narrative, women get to focus on or are oriented towards issues that confine them to pigeonholes, and also underline their experiences, perspectives and needs, it can truly be called a gynocentric film.
After wowing cinephiles with her directorial debut in ‘Dhobi Ghaat’, Kiran Rao tells a story in ‘Laapata Ladies’ that does not necessarily define feminism, or deal with it, but it sure delights both men and women with nuggets that describe a variety of facets of our lives, including policies, media, art, and organisations that prioritise the voices and concerns of women.
Set in 2001, somewhere in rural India in a fictional place named Nirmal Pradesh (though shot in Madhya Pradesh), ‘Laapata Ladies’ (Lost Ladies) is about Phool (Nitanshi Goel) and Jaya (Pratibha Ranta), who are two new brides travelling to their in-laws’ place after their wedding in the same city.
It is sheer coincidence that they also share the same crammed coach of the Indian Railways. Phool has been instructed by her mother to keep looking at her feet. The veil, her mother warns, is the reason for the wearer to be the obedient duty-bound wife, forever looking down and being quiet. It is her modesty that will be her husband’s strength.
Wearing identical sarees and bridal veils that hide their faces entirely, the two can barely be recognised by their respective spouses. Quite naturally, Phool’s husband Deepak (Sparsh Shrivastava) mistakenly wakes up Jaya in the night and takes her to his home in his village, while Phool is shepherded by Jaya’s husband, only to be deserted at a railway station.
What follows is a holy mess as the young women have no idea how to deal with a situation when the truth dawns on them and subsequently on the families of their in-laws.
Revealing how it all happens will lead to spoilers. Though largely it is all about the two brides, it is how the two men feel and, more importantly, behave, bring to light the much-maligned and naive small-town young men, unassuming and humble, who are more embarrassed than the young brides.
The identical-in-height young brides, though shaken initially, take it upon themselves to regard the sudden quirks of fate as a challenge. And then begins the journey of self-discovery for the two.
Phool, on being helped by an affable good Samaritan tea vendor at the station (Chhaya Kadam), adjusts to seek pleasure in a new setting, and resigns herself to her fate, though in her heart of hearts, she is hopeful of getting reunited with her husband, Deepak.
Jaya, who is more educated, begins to make plans to get out of the chaos. She even adjusts to and endears herself in the new home and uses her education to help her in-laws, who were working with outdated farming techniques, to deal with the damage inflicted to their crops by doves. .
Adapted from a story by Biplab Goswami, the screenplay and dialogue are by Sneha Desai. Kiran Rao constructs a typical North Indian village as the backdrop and adds her touch of humanism, warmth and love. She gets superbly assisted by production designer Vikram Singh, who makes sure every outfit worn by the characters — from sarees to sweaters — and every other part of their daily lives, from the bedsheets to the cots, to the open courtyards, to the bare minimum lower middle-class necessities in each house, looking both liveable and believable.
Thanks to the odd situationship but the utterly believable plot and natural settings, the delightful adventures of two young brides who get swapped and the resulting subsequent chaos they have to grapple with become all the more endearing to the viewers. There are other amusing and colourful characters who are as funny and provide the well-timed humour. Be it the parents of the girls, or their in-laws, all contribute to making the two-hour film a wonderfully heartwarming experience.
Both Jaya and Phool live through occurrences that go on to help them realise their own potential and their passage to independence and womanhood. Their characters are well-written and they get enmeshed in the cultural fabric of the times and background they are set in. And they contribute to the ongoing conversation about gender equality.
As rank newcomers they both impress as actors too. Their screen presence and talent are bound to attract full-house audiences and win them critical accolades too. Both NItanshi Goel as Phool and Pratibha Ranta as Jaya live their respective roles and leave an indelible mark.
Rao’s execution reminds one of Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Nauka Doobi’ written way back in 1906 when it raised many questions of head and heart and the validity or otherwise of social conventions. Barring the similarity about two newly married wives getting changed, Rao’s film has nothing in common with the Nobel Laureate’s story.
Rao adds her touch of feminism and her view of the age-old conventions and beliefs that continue to abound across the country. She uses patriarchal norms to her advantage to narrate her story. And while doing so, she does not need to be self-righteous or morally correct. She uses Phool’s naivete and Jaya’s defiance and quick learning skills to laud women’s emancipation subtly. And she uses the technique of humour to tell her story.
There’s a cop Manohar (Ravi KIshan ) who seemingly is all out to have his way with Jaya when he discovers her plight. But his hard-as-a-nail demeanor makes one do a double take when he uses his position and good-natured attitude to deliver justice to the beleaguered Jaya. Chewing paan throughout, he adds more fascination than intrigue to the case with his one-liners. By not only allowing but facilitating the ultimate victories of the two young women, Manohar empowers the brides undeniably, that too on their own terms.
The four principal characters — Jaya, Phool, Deepak and Manohar — get exposed along the way. Through them Rao sheds light on their bittersweet journeys of deep thought and self-exploration.
For Deepak, his dreams are shattered when his wife goes missing. As an actor he looks thoroughly convincing as the do-gooder husband who has to support his so-called wife Jaya. The innocent Phool is oblivious to the danger of being lost; Jaya utilises the situation to her advantage; and, Manohar, though a wily and corrupt cop, has compunctions and gives up the idea of greed.
Kiran Rao’s strength is doing justice to each character’s trajectory. The storyline moves in a fast-paced tempo while all along edited smoothly to incorporate other stories too.
Music by Ram Sampath is another strength of the film and a couple of songs in the background add the rural and rusty touch to the proceedings. Vikash Nowlakha’s cinematography captures the countryside mood in his lens with the right mix of light and shade. Don’t miss it!
Film: Laapataa Ladies (Running in Theatres) Duration: 120 minutes
Cast: Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Srivastava and Ravi Kishan
Director: Kiran Rao Cinematography: Vikash Nowlakha
IANS Rating: ***1/2
–IANS
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Mumbai, July 31 (IANS) Actress Trisha Krishnan, who is gearing up for her upcoming film ‘Brinda’, has shared what intrigued her about the project and made her choose it as her OTT series debut.
In ‘Brinda’, she essays the role of a cop, which is a first for her.
She shared that she rummaged through the pages of the script on a flight.
She said, “Surya had sent me his script to read and when I was on flight I picked it up and decided to read a few pages. I was drawn into the story from the very first chapter and now the rest as we say is history.”
The series, which also stars Indrajith Sukumaran, Jaya Prakash, Aamani, Ravindra Vijay, Anand Sami, Rakendu Mouli and others in pivotal roles, weaves together elements of drama, crime, and mystery, delivering an enthralling viewing experience.
The screenplay of the series is penned by Surya Manoj Vangala and Padmavathi Malladi, with music by Shakthikanth Karthik, and Avinash Kolla as the production designer.
Talking about her character, the actress said, “The fact that I’m playing a police officer for the first time was a major draw. Any character is a fun challenge when you have a director with 100 per cent clarity on how he wants to portray his lead actor. We did a few readings and had extensive discussions about the body language and character sketch for Brinda. Readings, rehearsals, and brainstorming with the team make a world of difference. Sitting together and working with the entire cast before we start rolling makes life so much simpler on set.”
Written and directed by Surya Manoj Vangala and produced by Ashish Kolla under the banner Adding Advertising LLP, ‘Brinda’ is set to stream from August 2 in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, and Hindi on Sony LIV.
–IANS
aa/khz
Entertainment
Kumaoni raita, hemp paneer, jakhiya rice: Shamita Shetty's thali is loaded with flavours
Mumbai, July 31 (IANS) Actress Shamita Shetty, who was last seen in the film’The Tenant’, is relishing the local cuisine of Uttarakhand.
The actress recently took to her Instagram, and shared a video of herself in a hotel room trying the flavours of the northern state.
In the video, she can be seen sitting on a couch with a big thaali spread out in front of her.
She said in the video, “My most favourite part (of a trip) is trying local cuisine. I’m Dehradun, and the chef has made this delectable thaali with a lot of love.”
The actress could be seen indulging in jakhiya rice, hemp paneer, kumaoni raita, kheer made from red rice, and rotis made from ragi.
She told her followers in the video, “I can tell you how simple and tasty this is. I don’t eat mutton but I can surely try the gravy. The food is not oily and doesn’t have a lot of spices yet it is filled with flavours.”
She wrote in the caption, “Indulging in the delectable flavours of a traditional thali. Thank you Chef Kadir for preparing this feast.”
Shamita, who made her debut with the romantic drama, ‘Mohabbatein’, is the younger sister of actress Shilpa Shetty.
She also participated in the reality show ‘Bigg Boss 15’, and finished at fourth place.
Her recent film ‘The Tenant’ saw her essaying the titular role of an attractive and bold woman, Meera, moves into a middle-class housing society.
–IANS
aa/khz
Mumbai, July 31 (IANS) Actor Shahid Kapoor’s wife Mira Rajput Kapoor, who is holidaying in Europe with her family, has shared another glimpse from her vacation diary.
Taking to Instagram Stories, Mira, who has 4.8 million followers on the photo sharing application, dropped a picture of herself resting by the beachside.
The selfie features her wearing a purple bikini, a beach hat, and oval framed sunglasses.
She captioned it as: “Don’t wanna leave the beach.”
On July 30, Mira had shared a video attending the musical concert of American singer Taylor Swift, along with her daughter Misha, in Munich, Germany.
Mira and Shahid had tied the knot in July 2015.
The couple have two kids — daughter Misha, and son Zain.
On the professional front, Shahid made his debut with 2003 romantic comedy film ‘Ishq Vishk’, directed by Ken Ghosh.
The film also starred Amrita Rao and Shenaz Treasurywala.
He then went on to star in movies like ‘Fida’, ‘Dil Maange More’, ’36 China Town’, ‘Vivah’, ‘Jab We Met’, ‘Kismat Konnection’, ‘Kaminey’, ‘Phata Poster Nikhla Hero’, ‘Haider’, ‘Padmaavat’, ‘Kabir Singh’, ‘Jersey’, among others.
The handsome hunk was last seen in the science fiction romantic comedy ‘Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya’.
Shahid will be next seen as a police officer in the upcoming adrenaline-pumping action thriller, ‘Deva’.
The movie also features Pooja Hegde and Pavail Gulati.
‘Deva’ is directed by Rosshan Andrrews, and produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, the film promises an action-packed roller-coaster ride full of thrills and drama.
It is set to release on February 14, 2025.
–IANS
sp/khz
Los Angeles, July 31 (IANS) Hollywood star Hugh Jackman shared that he started giving out “Scratchy’s” so that the cool kids would like him or just to make sure he said hello to everyone working tirelessly to make films.
Dressed in his Wolverine costume, Jackman shared a reel video, where he is seen scratching a card with two million pounds written on it.
For the caption, he wrote: “I can’t remember the exact reason why I started giving out Scratchy’s on Fridays. Maybe it’s because I wanted the cool kids to like me … or maybe it’s because I wanted to make sure I said hello to each and every one of the people that work tirelessly to make the films.”
“All of the humans whose names you see during the credit roll … they are the unsung heroes of film-making. And to this day, Scrathy Fridays continue. I love it. I love all of these people. I love the whole of us. #deadpoolandwolverine,” he added.
On July 30, Jackman posted a glimpse of one of the ‘greatest times’ of his life.
He took to Instagram and shared a collection of images and videos from the shoots of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’.
Jackman’s latest release “Deadpool & Wolverine” is based on Marvel Comics and marks the 34th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The film is a sequel to 2016’s “Deadpool” and 2018’s “Deadpool 2”.
The film humourously traces the story of the quirky superhero Deadpool, who is pulled from his quiet life by the Time Variance Authority and joins forces with a reluctant Wolverine to save his universe.
–IANS
dc/khz
Entertainment
Sidharth Malhotra wishes his 'love' Kiara on her b'day: 'You're the kindest soul I know'
Mumbai, July 31 (IANS) Actor Sidharth Malhotra has penned a romantic note for his wife and actress Kiara Advani, who is celebrating her 33rd birthday on Wednesday, calling her the ‘kindest soul’.
The ‘Student of the Year’ actor took to Instagram, and shared a happy picture of the birthday girl. The photo features Kiara, who is wearing a white dress, and is standing close to balloon decorations, which reads: “We love you.”
Sidharth wrote in the caption: “Happy birthday love, the pic says it all. You’re the kindest soul I know, here is to many more memories together.”
He gave the music of the track ‘Ranjha’ sung by B Praak, Jasleen Royal, and Romy to his post.
The song is from the 2021 biographical war film ‘Shershaah’, which was based on the life of Vikram Batra. The film features Sidharth in the lead, with Kiara as his lover Dimple Cheema.
The lovebirds tied the knot on February 7, 2023, in Jaisalmer in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony.
Kiara, who began her acting career in 2014 with the comedy film ‘Fugly’, was later seen portraying the real-life role of Sakshi Singh Dhoni in the sports biopic ‘M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story’, directed and co-written by Neeraj Pandey.
She has featured in movies like ‘Bharat Ane Nenu’, ‘Lust Stories’, ‘Good Newwz’, ‘Guilty’, ‘Laxmii’, ‘Shershaah’, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’, ‘Jugjugg Jeeyo’, and most recently ‘Satyaprem Ki Katha’.
Kiara next has Telugu political action thriller ‘Game Changer’, directed by S. Shankar and produced by Sri Venkateswara Creations. The film stars Ram Charan in a triple role.
She also has ‘War 2’ in the kitty.
On the other hand, Sidharth was last seen in the action thriller ‘Yodha’, directed by Sagar Ambre and Pushkar Ojha.
He also starred in the action thriller series ‘Indian Police Force’, created and directed by Rohit Shetty and Sushwanth Prakash.
–IANS
sp/kvd
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