Plagiarism row: ‘Registered Laapataa Ladies script well before Burqa City was made’
Times of India | 8 April 2025
123456 Kolkata: Biplab Goswami, an alumnus of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) and scriptwriter of Kiran Rao's ‘Laapataa Ladies' (LL), was recently embroiled in a plagiarism controversy. His script is allegedly copied from Fabrice Bracq's 2019 Arabic film ‘Burqa City'.
However, Goswami claimed that he registered the film's detailed synopsis, outlining the entire story with the working title ‘Two Brides', with the Screenwriters Association on July 3, 2014, well before ‘Burqa City' was made. This incident sparked a debate on what scriptwriting students must learn to avoid such plagiarism accusations.
Goswami insists that no writer should get demotivated by what happened to him. "We need good writers in Indian cinema." He told TOI that since he registered his script in April 2014, he could well have levelled accusations of plagiarism against ‘Burqa City' (2019).
"I could have said that there is a syndicate working against us that didn't reach out to anyone in ‘LL' before spreading these rumours. They should publicly issue an apology to us for casting aspersions on our integrity. The allegations are against two scenes. The world knows that ‘LL' was not made with just those two scenes. It's bizarre that those attacking us never understood that," Goswami said.
He also emphasised that two persons in two different continents can have similar ideas. "As a sensitive writer, I know some expressions are universal. After years of observing the anguish of women living behind a veil, I wrote this script of ‘LL' with profound empathy. Another empathetic writer, living in another continent, might also write a script after observing women behind a burqa. We should respect the empathy of artists instead of hurling allegations at them," Goswami said.
According to Anirban Datta, who heads SRFTI's direction and screenplay writing department, there is little clarity about copyright norms in India. The need for increasing awareness is important. "After a writer is sure that a work is original, it should be documented at every stage of writing. For instance, if there is a synopsis, it is important to send it to the Screenwriters Association (SWA) and get it registered. If it is being published at any pitching workshop or residency, it also becomes your copyrighted material. One can always backtrack and prove that. Anyone can level a charge. One has to give proof of it being registered and show proof of it being published in any catalogue of a pitching forum."
Goswami advises proficient writers to register the written word. "The charges are nominal. For instance, SWA charges Rs 40 for the first page of the script and Rs 3 for every additional page. Aspiring writers with financial constraints should consider borrowing money for registering their work to avoid any harassment," he said Goswami said.
Kamil Saif, an SRFTI student discussed this issue with his batchmates. "The only legitimate way to authenticate your idea is to register it with SWA or any such agency as soon as you write it. You don't have to fear if you are honest and the idea is genuinely yours."