I would be doing an injustice if I failed to write something very positive about the recent Hindi movie I watched after a couple of two-line positive comments from my friends. I was completely blank about the story, actors, and direction. The film is ‘Laapata Ladies.’ (Netflix)

Set in a village called Nirmal Pradesh a simple wedding takes place and the very young bride and the groom leave the place with the bride’s face covered with ghunghat. They commute by all modes of travel from cycles, rikshaw to bus and reach the railway station and catch a train to go to the husband’s village. I was irritated and shocked to note the compartment was almost crowded with three or four brides covering their faces with typical red color veils apart from the squeezing passengers. 

So, when the station comes, the bridegroom pulls her partner with the veil supposed to be his wife realizes after reaching home that she is not the girl he married. She is someone else who has a different name ‘Pushpa’ and not ‘Phool’ (aren’t they the same with different terminology?) which is the name of the real bride. 

A series of events follow which makes one really annoyed initially by the illiteracy or idiocy of the village folk but slowly their innocence and good nature set on the viewer as the story unfolds. For Pushpa it is an escape from her marriage and for Phool it is a life lesson to be bold. The conversations of a host of characters made me smile in many places and I got invested into the story as it progressed. The police officer with a greasy palm takes the cake in the final scenes. Positively, an entertainer with a message. After watching I loved every character (I didn’t know any of the actors)  in the movie. All are new to me. 

Do watch it if you are a Hindi film aficionado. 

Important Post Script: The producer of the movie is Aamir Khan, written by Sneha Desai and directed by Kiran Rao.