Kiran Rao: Between the World & Me

Life can never be separated into black and white; it has to be a fervent mix of hues— sometimes, contrasting and sometimes, tone-on-tone, just how we styled and captured the talented filmmaker Kiran Rao. Her own life is dappled, just like an artist’s colour palette. Being married to Aamir Khan, has its share of obstacles and opportunities. Nevertheless, Rao has only proven her mettle, and emerged the shooting star that shines in its own light! We bring to you, a whirlpool of talent, a believer, a woman who emerges stronger after a storm, quirky and utterly stylish in her self-defined realm of fashion.

On several occasions, things have a peculiar habit of confounding and contorting themselves. Perhaps, ‘All is NOT well’ even now in Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan’s immediate spheres, after an "innocent" statement that was misconstrued and snowballed into a big controversy replete with innuendos. The ‘intolerance’ debate was the spark to the tinderbox of public opinion that free-spilled itself over on the media, social networks and on-the-street, public shaming. Rao unfortunately was the eye of the storm! While she was humane enough to be affected, but as a consequence her voice of reason neither became cryptic, or diplomatic. Anyone else would have crumbled, but Rao effortlessly established that the fabric of self-belief and integrity is difficult to tatter. Eventually, the versatile filmmaker silently demonstrated a spirit, whose flame was difficult to douse.

L’Officiel India DigitalRead L’Officiel India in the digital libraryEvery issue and every cover story, on TCG Media.Read now

As a filmmaker, in her chosen amphitheatre of art and action, her virtuosity sometimes collides with the mundane to delve into uncharted territories. The outcome is perhaps not always as desired, but the deviations in her art, do quench the thirst of cerebral cine-goers. While an array of exemplary filmmaking contours the identity of Rao, there is also an invisible and invincible tag that she carries, ‘Mrs Aamir Khan’. And the way she has dealt with its pleasure and pressures, is conspicuous by the fact that she is not someone who would fade under the shadow of a megastar, but shine with indefatigable poise, and an individuality and personality all of her own!

We caught up with the filmmaker, in a freewheeling chat about herself; her childhood and formative experiences; her association with music; her take on movies, motherhood; her life as Mrs Aamir Khan and the equations thereof; her sense of style and chic; and her perspectives on larger issues such as social prejudices and biases, and a responsible relationship with our terra firma. The simplicity and uncomplicatedness of her manner, her elegance, thought and character is overwhelming and far-reaching. We are therefore not surprised with the brilliance she brings forth into her art.

Much like our social fabric, the Indian film industry is polarised—favouring men. There have been only a few women, who have made a mark in the industry. In the last decade or so, we have seen women like you and Zoya Akhtar, breaking away from the hackneyed premises of filmmaking. Do you think that equality between the sexes is getting ahead in a stereotype, male dominion?

I differ in viewpoint, as far as this question (that only a few women have made a mark in the film industry) is concerned. Women have played a major role in the film industry from its very early days—be it as directors like Jaddanbai (Jaddanbai Hussain) and Fatma Begum, actors, singers, technicians and producers. Our cinema history would not be the same, if we didn’t have strong and talented women being an unforgettable part of our films. For instance, cinema in this country owes a lot to Dadasaheb Phalke’s wife Saraswati, who was his active collaborator and producer, selling her jewellery and household possessions to finance his films. But, as in all other walks of life, we also need to see more women to participate in filmmaking, and being given opportunities and encouragement, because I think, screen narratives and culture would benefit greatly from having many more womens’ voices.

We know Kiran Rao to be Kiran Rao. How enabling or confining is ‘Mrs Aamir Khan’ in your life?

It has been a bit of both–enabling in the fact that I get to pick Aamir’s truly unique mind about anything I want to! He is funny and wise, a wonderful collaborator on any project, and I value his perspective on things greatly. On the other hand, it is sometimes confining, being part of a huge star’s life, having to take on all the media glare, the social commitments, constant public scrutiny, and the generally crazy pace of life!

What has been the influence of Aamir Khan as a professional and as an individual in your life?

He has made me much more aware of my social responsibilities, and the way he demands the best of himself is something I always keep learning from.

You went through a tough time trying to become a mother. How has motherhood changed you as a person?

Having Azad was life-changing. There is nothing that I value more than my time with him. Motherhood has made me appreciate the lovely, simple things in life, and I think, it has taken away some of the everyday stress and anxiety I felt earlier. It has somehow made me stop looking for a purpose in life, or asking that ‘who am I’ question, I often asked myself before.

What influence from your formative years (that of a humble background), have been key in establishing and shaping you in life? What values would you want to pass on to your son, Azad?

I grew up in the great city of Kolkata, where there was a lot of value attached to the arts and not as much value attached to money. Living in a world, where money seems to be valued above all else, I hope, I will also be able to pass on, this way of thinking to Azad.

Satyamev Jayate has brought to the fore, many topics and taboos that were not discussed openly, earlier. Going forward, would you want to produce something on similar lines, or are you now also open to move to more commercial themes as well?

At Aamir Khan Productions (AKP), we try to do work that we believe in, whether it’s a film or a television series; and we don’t believe that being commercially successful and doing meaningful work, needs to be mutually exclusive. We hope that whatever we make, however big or small, we are able to communicate our ideas to the audience, and we always try to make our content commercially viable.

How do you balance, the perfectionist Kiran Rao (with a love for proper cinema) versus connecting to the multiplex audiences, and making returns over investment from your movies?

I don’t believe in labels, and I think all of us wear many hats. As a producer, I try to think what would be the best for the director, and I believe that the director is the fulcrum of any project. At the same time, as producers and directors, we should make sure that whoever has invested in a film, also makes their money back, so that the industry as a whole all the way down the chain–benefits.

You chose Argentinian musician, film composer and producer, Gustavo Santaolalla for the soundtrack of your directorial debut, Dhobi Ghat (a.k.a Mumbai Diaries). How was your experience working with him?

It was wonderful to work with Gustavo, especially as a first-time director. It was my good fortune that he was excited to work on my film, and I hope we get a chance to work together again in the future.

Mumbai, its raw imageries and nuances shows through in Dhobi Ghat. Will there be a significant second and a possible third in the series with Kolkata and Delhi–two other cities, you have spent your time in?

I have always wanted to make films in these two cities, and hopefully the opportunity will arise soon.

Taare Zameen Par depicted a challenging childhood; Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na was a breezy rom-com; Peepli Live was a social satire; Dhobi Ghat portrayed Mumbai city; Delhi Belly, a wacky comedy; Talaash explored another dimension; Ship of Theseus investigated philosophical planes; Lagaan is now a case study in B-Schools and Swades is about forging the identity of India. Is this by design, or has it been a serendipitous trail?

Some films, I worked on quite by chance, like Lagaan, and honestly a lot of the work I have done with Aamir Khan Productions has been because of projects that Aamir has chosen–like Taare Zameen Par, Peepli Live and Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, so the credit for the choice of those goes to Aamir. I feel both Aamir and I, have a certain sensibility that we share, and we choose projects, that we both feel strongly about. We rely on each other for advice and perspective on things, and try to react to stories instinctively. Aamir then makes sense of the business side of things, as he is much better at that than me. I actually enjoy getting into the production side of setting a film up, from scratch.

From your love for classical music to your piano lessons and concert hopping, there’s a fair bit of music that defines you. When is your love for music going to manifest itself into a movie?

Good question! I really hope to do something which really uses music well. And the idea of it sometimes overwhelms me because I listen to a whole range of music like you said, and unfortunately, a feature film can only have a certain kind and amount of it. So I hope to make many films that can then each become about a particular sound-scape and music. That way I won’t have to choose!

This discussion is preceded by an unsavoury controversy. Has it been traumatising for you and your family? How do such controversies impact the individual and the nation as a whole?

Well, I cannot deny that it is disturbing and sad to hear so many hateful things being said about us, especially about Aamir, who I feel has really spent his entire life trying to do meaningful work, and contribute positively to society. But, I am of the firm belief that the majority of people in this country are balanced and evolved people. Unfortunately the hate-mongers, though in a minority, shout the loudest. Perhaps our effort should be to reduce the distance between people with opposing ideas, and encourage ways of working together in a positive way with people who have completely opposing ideologies and perspectives.

Our understanding of Kiran Rao is that you are vegan. So what are your views on the ongoing debate of meat and beef ban in the country?

I am vegan, but I do not believe the State should have a say in what people eat, as long as there are rules for the ethical treatment of animals being reared and killed for food. I strongly condemn the completely unethical way we are farming our oceans, especially killing endangered fish like whales and dolphins, and how our wildlife is threatened by poaching and reducing habitats. I believe we have to think about our planet when we eat, and must think of ourselves as part of its natural life cycle, rather than just as consumers which the earth has to endlessly supply to.

How do you define your style?

I wear what I feel comfortable in, and a variety of styles and silhouettes appeal to me, depending on my mood and the occasion. So I really don’t think I fall into any one box. I guess I’m also beginning to understand what works for me, and I don’t go by fashion trends which determine what’s in and what's out.

What is your take on the fashion scene in India?

I love the variety of what’s happening in the fashion scene in India, and I mostly wear Indian designers, whether it’s the red carpet or daily wear. Sabyasachi was the first designer, whose work I connected with, and I have always loved his aesthetic. My list of favourite designers include Bodice, Péro, Raw Mango, Eka, Savio Jon, Rashmi Varma and Anavila.

Rapid Fire

Mumbai, Delhi or Kolkata... Mumbai.

Satyajit Ray or Akira Kurosawa? Satyajit Ray.

Lagaan or Swades... Lagaan.

Your favourite designer or brand… Raw Mango.

Farhan Akhtar or Vishal Bhardwaj… Farhan Akhtar.

Favourite all-time actor? Giulietta Masina.

Last thing you do before you go to sleep... Set my alarm for the next morning.

Favourite authors and books? Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends (since I mostly read children’s books now).

Have a fetish for… Aubergine and Dr Hauschka products.

Who amongst the current crop of directors is someone you are ready to produce for? Nagraj Manjule who made the wonderful film Fandry.

Photographs by Anushka Menon. Styling by Sarah Ishtiyaque. Fashion assistant: Zenia Barretto. Hair by Avan Contractor. Makeup by Michael Salmen of Anima Creative Management.

From the January 2016 issue of L’Officiel India.