Cover Story: A Filmmaker on Her Own Terms
Filmmaker KIRAN RAO, creator of the acclaimed Laapataa Ladies—India's official entry for the Oscars 2025—gets candid about her creative process, modern feminism, and finding humor in sharp social critique.
Kiran Rao, the filmmaker, writer, and producer, has carved out a niche in Indian cinema for her intelligent, humane, and socially conscious storytelling. Best known for Dhobi Ghat (2011) and Laapataa Ladies (2024), India’s official entry to the 97th Academy Awards, Rao brings both an artistic and ethical lens to every story she touches.
Stills from Laapataa Ladies.
When Laapataa Ladies was chosen as India’s official submission to the 97th Academy Awards, it signaled more than a nod to Rao’s comeback: it underscored how stories about women—told with subtlety and humor—do have a place in Indian cinema that is often dominated by big banner films with male leads. Modestly successful at the box office, it became the most-streamed Indian film on Netflix, trending at number one for several days. Its plot, centered around “an amusing bridal switcheroo,” echoes Shakespearean farce while also packing a powerful punch of social commentary on feminism.
Charming and spunky
When I met Kiran Rao at the South Asian Literary Association’s annual gathering in San Francisco, she exuded warmth and unpretentious charm. Dressed in an emerald-green silk shirt and a bold gold pendant, she radiated ease and quiet confidence. To break the ice, I teased, “Kiran, who are you wearing?” “Moral Science,” she quipped, laughing, and asked a nearby volunteer to read the label aloud to confirm. That spontaneous moment captured her essence—humble, witty, and completely at ease in her skin.
Born in Bengaluru, raised in Kolkata, and educated in Mumbai, Rao earned her master’s in mass com-munication from Jamia Millia Islamia. Her cinematic journey began as an assistant director on Lagaan, a film that stirred national pride and foreshadowed her interest in meaningful, grounded cinema. Despite being the spouse of superstar Aamir Khan for several years (they are now divorced), Rao charted out her own path in Bollywood. She went on to contribute to Swades, Monsoon Wedding, Dil Chahta Hai, and Taare Zameen Par, before stepping into direction herself.
The making of a storyteller
Was she always drawn to filmmaking? “Not really,” she said. “As a child, I loved music, poetry, and literature. We didn’t watch a lot of movies growing up—my parents were particular about what was appropriate. It wasn’t until after my master’s degree that I began to think seriously about film. I was passionate about theatre and acting first; film came later.”
When asked how her stories begin—with characters or themes—Rao paused, then reflected, “Sometimes they come unbidden. Later, when you look back, you realize you’ve been drawn to certain themes all along. I’m very interested in the inner lives of women—and in the worlds we’ve built around class, caste, and the divisions we create.”
[Right] A film poster of Dhobi Ghat.
Her two films couldn’t be more different in tone—Dhobi Ghat is meditative and haunting, while Laapataa Ladies is a sharp yet tender comedy of errors. Still, both are rooted in empathy and observation. “There’s always a comic element in your work,” I noted. “I’m glad you think so,” she said. “Comedy is a great tool—it helps critique without alienating. I was the class clown growing up, always playing the fool. I think it came from a need to be liked. But humor is also a way to connect people. When we laugh together, we drop our guards. That’s when it becomes easier to say something difficult.”
Feminism without fanfare
Rao’s storytelling hits the spot because, unlike the escapism offered in typical Bollywood, she draws her audience in with immersive and believable characters and settings. She began developing Laapataa Ladies as early as 2005, though motherhood and other creative projects delayed its fruition. One of her biggest challenges was avoiding stereotypes of rural India. Her solution? Inventing the fictional state of “Nirmal Pradesh,” which nevertheless depicted North Indian life with uncanny relatability. “We didn’t want to caricature any community or make a Fab India–style village. Rural India has changed—mud huts are rare now. We wanted textures that were earthy and real, where people live in poverty but with dignity.” She credits writers Divyanidhi Sharma and Sneha Desai for capturing the local rhythm of speech: “They have a great ear for colloquial language. It was their idea that Phool Kumari, one of the protagonists, learns to make kalakand—a tiny detail that becomes crucial to her journey.”
Women are juggling home and work, but I was lucky—my family valued education. My grandmother went to college; my father insisted I be financially independent.” Those generational legacies, she said, inform characters like Manju Maai, the strong, independent matriarchal figure in Laapataa Ladies who runs a food stall at a railway station, and becomes a guide for the film's protagonist, Phool. “She’s complete in herself— not defined by being a wife or mother. That’s powerful.”
Rao reflected on the symbolism of veils in her film and in real life. On tour in Delhi, she met a woman who refused to remove her ghunghat even for a photo. “She said her family wouldn’t approve,” Kiran recalled. “And yet, somehow, women like her rule the roost from behind their ghungats.”
Despite her success, Rao remains clear-eyed about the gender imbalance in Indian cinema. “Films with male stars still drive the box office,” she said. “Even Crew, with three strong female leads, drew audiences partly because men want to see such movies. We’re still a patriarchal society.
[Left] Kiran Rao poses with her Filmfare 2025 Awards for Best Director and Best Film for Laapataa Ladies. (Photo: Instagram/@raodyness)
The road ahead
Rao’s creative curiosity is leading her into new terrain: a fantasy-horror-fairytale hybrid. “It’s a genre I’ve never tried before,” she said, eyes lighting up. “It’s exciting!”
Kiran Rao isn’t chasing trophies, but her recognition feels inevitable. With every film, she reminds us that humor, humility, and heart can coexist—and that cinema, at its best, reveals the humanity beneath all our disguises.
Monita Soni, MD, is a pathologist who diagnoses cancer in her day job. An impassioned film buff, she frequently reviews movies and interviews filmmakers and actors.
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