Kiran Rao returns to direction after 13 years with ‘Laapataa Ladies'. The film will be released in theatres on 1 March.
'Laapataa Ladies' marks the second directorial of Kiran Rao. (X)
Film personality and screenwriter Kiran Rao, who started her career as an assistant director with Lagaan (2001) returns to direction with Laapataa Ladies.
The film will hit the screens on 1 March.
It is bankrolled by Kiran Rao’s Kindling Pictures, Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan’s Aamir Khan Productions, and Jio Studios.
The Hindi film talks about women’s empowerment, education, and basic rights — all laced with humour.
In an exclusive interview with South First, Kiran Rao opened up about her return to direction after a gap of 13 years, the making of Laapataa Ladies, collaborating with her ex-husband Aamir Khan, today’s audience, and much more.
Director-producer Kiran Rao. (Screengrab)
Kiran Rao’s last directorial Dhobi Ghat (2011) was released Internationally as Mumbai Diaries.
It was a critically acclaimed venture. After that, Rao had been looking for an apt script to return to direct her second movie.
“It has been a bit of an adventure for me, especially since it’s been 13 long years since my directorial debut. I had been looking for the right kind of script to direct. This was when Aamir Khan told me about a script he came across in a scriptwriting competition. I liked it because it raises important issues like women empowerment, education, freedom of speech, and basic facilities for women,” she explained.
The filmmaker added that though the film talks about women’s rights, it is a coming-of-age flick and appeals to audiences of all ages.
“Considering the long gap, Laapataa Ladies is like late blooming for me. Along with the two girls (the female leads), returning to the mainstream has been a wonderful adventure,” Rao shared.
The director-producer revealed that Laapata Ladies took off during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Consequently, we experienced a delay in the making. So, the script was redefined. Even the release date was rescheduled,” Kiran Rao recalled.
The core of Laapataa Ladies largely talks about women’s rights. It is set in 2001 against a rural backdrop.
But is the story relevant, given the time when India witnessed a sea of changes in women’s rights and their participation in our society?
Kiran Rao felt that though the subject should ideally termed redundant, it is still valuable because there are still several such places in our country where women do not even have basic rights.
“India is culturally so diverse, and we have made so much progress. But there are still so many places where the changes are slower when compared to other places,” she observed.
Tune into romance as @arijitsingh‘s #Sajni from #LaapataaLadies is out now!🎉
Listen now – https://t.co/ENrukAgc2S…@nitanshi_goel @PratibhaRanta #SparshShrivastava @chhaya_kadam @ravikishann #Aamirkhan #KiranRao #JyotiDeshpande @KindlingIndia @jiostudios @TSeries @bookmyshow… pic.twitter.com/eakyLU26we
— Aamir Khan Productions (@AKPPL_Official) February 12, 2024
Though Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan announced their divorce in 2021, they continued to share a good friendship and collaboration at work.
“It’s always great to work with Aamir Khan. Ever since Lagaan, where I started as an assistant director, I have learnt a lot from him. Aamir, as a producer, has a keen sense of story. More importantly, he designs the project in a risk-free affair,” Kiran Rao said.
She hastened to add, “Aamir always backs filmmakers. He has been a rock of support for me, both professionally and personally.”
Reminiscing the making of Laapataa Ladies, the filmmaker revealed that they planned to shoot all the train and railway station scenes at the beginning of the film.
“But our director of photography was down with COVID. This was when I found a temporary replacement for him. We had extras (background actors) in the hundreds for the train sequence. But the team managed to do a great job including the safety of everyone involved in the making of the sequences,” Kiran Rao recollected.
The entire film has been shot in real locations in parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Though the makers initially thought of releasing Lapataa Ladies in multiple languages, they decided to release it only in Hindi owing to budgetary constraints.
“Also, the cultural interest of the original language in which it has been made plays a significant role, too. Contextually, the film can always be remade in another language. But we want to test the film in the original language. The OTT release will certainly have dubbed versions,” Kiran Rao added.
#LaapataaLadies ko khojte-khojte hum aa pahuche Bhopal mein, jald hi milte hai aap se 1st March ko cinemas mein ✨@nitanshi_goel @PratibhaRanta #SparshShrivastava @chhaya_kadam @ravikishann #Aamirkhan #KiranRao #JyotiDeshpande @AKPPL_Official @KindlingIndia @jiostudios @TSeries… pic.twitter.com/o8fujBVTjD
— Jio Studios (@jiostudios) February 10, 2024
Team ‘Laapataa Ladies’ at the special premiere in Bhopal. (X)
About making the audience visit the theatres, the producer-director notes that it is a challenging task in present times.
“Presently, audiences are exposed to different platforms and kinds of media for entertainment. In such circumstances, making a film without involving a big star cast and expecting to do wonders at the box office is not an easy task. Well, audiences do need a good reason to go to the cinema,” Kiran Rao said.
She added: “Seeking audiences’ attention and piquing their curiosity to a degree is challenging. Having said that, audiences are always waiting for good content to experience it in cinemas. It is up to the filmmakers as to how one achieves it. Audiences not only want action, thrills, and dance, but they look for entertainment and good humour. I still have hopes as the audience always appreciates and supports good works.”
When asked what makes her feel gratified when it comes to her work of art, she replied that it’s when people watch her films because they bring a smile to their faces.
“It is gratifying to me when the audience feels the same kind of emotions as I experience while making the film. At the end of the day, it is to make the audience enjoy and help them take something back from it is what I thrive for. Nothing is more satisfying for me if I can succeed in doing so,” Kiran Rao signed off.
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