Explained & Spoilers: Triptii Dimri’s Laila Majnu

Laila Majnu was released in August 2018. It stars Triptii Dimri and Avinash Tiwary in the lead roles. The film is based on the classic folklore of Laila Majnu and received critical acclaim for its performances. Recently, the makers re-released the movie following Triptii’s success with roles in Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal and the newly released Bad Newz. This has sparked curiosity among new viewers about the film’s ending.

In the tragic ending of Laila Majnu, Qais Bhatt (Majnu) descends into madness, wandering aimlessly. During an incident, a villager hits him on the head with a stone, worsening his mental turmoil. He begins to constantly converse with an imaginary Laila. Learning of Qais’ deteriorated state, Laila, with her brothers, desperately searches for him. She even confronts the villagers to find out who harmed him and curses her parents for preventing their marriage.

Eventually, Laila finds Qais in a terrible condition. He doesn’t recognize the real Laila, remaining devoted to the illusionary version he believes is with him. Heartbroken, Laila’s eyes fill with tears, and she dies from sorrow. Upon learning of Laila’s death, Qais rushes to her grave, where he collapses, bleeding from his wound.

The film begins with Laila, from a respectable family, enjoying the attention from various boys while searching for true love. One night, at a spring with her friend Ambreen, they encounter a group of boys, including Qais, who retrieves Laila’s lost torch.

Following this encounter, Qais starts following Laila’s daily routine. She soon learns about his actions and develops an interest in him. When Laila confronts Qais about his behavior, he humorously claims he was returning her torch. That night, he leaves a note stating he won’t pursue her unless she desires it.

The next day, Laila and Qais meet at a wedding, and she gives him her phone number. They begin talking frequently and gradually fall in love. Laila often sneaks away to spend time with Qais in his car. Their romance is discovered by Ibban, Laila’s father’s political advisor, who informs her father, Masood Ahmed.

That night, Masood catches Laila and Qais together. Qais confidently assures Laila he will speak to her father for their marriage. However, due to a family land dispute, Masood vehemently opposes their union. Qais’ father tries to talk to Masood about the marriage, but is insulted. Masood arranges for Laila to marry Ibban instead.

Laila is initially unwilling to marry Ibban, but on the wedding day, she sees Qais torment her father. Misinterpreting the situation, she tells Qais to leave and reluctantly marries Ibban.

After Laila’s refusal, Qais goes abroad, and the story jumps forward four years. During this time, Qais’ father is attacked and dies. Hearing this, Qais returns home. After his father’s funeral, Qais and his friends visit a café, where he unexpectedly sees Laila again, reigniting his unresolved feelings.

Laila decides to meet Qais upon learning of his return. Meanwhile, her husband, Ibban, now an MLA, exerts immense pressure on Laila and her family. After learning about Laila and Qais’ meeting, Ibban violently slaps her. This prompts Laila to plan an elopement with Qais.

Ibban, influenced by drugs, plots to kill Laila and Qais, but his car meets with an accident, resulting in his death. Ready to elope, Laila asks Qais to wait until the end of her Iddat. Hearing this, Qais, who has been waiting long to marry her, starts laughing hysterically as his mental state deteriorates.

As time passes, Qais’ condition worsens. He begins living with an imaginary Laila, seeing her everywhere and becoming increasingly detached from reality. Laila, upon discovering Qais’ state, is heartbroken by his refusal to recognize her. Overwhelmed with guilt and sorrow, she takes her own life, blaming herself for Qais’ condition.

In the conclusion, it is revealed that the prince of Laila’s dreams was indeed Qais, the very man she saw in her dreams daily. The tragic ending underscores the depth of their love and the devastating consequences of their separation.

Source: Times of India, Hindustan Times