Life is “quite exciting and super hectic” says debutante director Kiran Rao as she heads from a dubbing session to a photo shoot. Her film ‘Dhobi Ghat’, produced by and starring her husband Aamir Khan, releases in January 2010, but the buzz has started. Her years of experience as an assistant director of ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Swades’ and as an associate producer of ‘Taare Zameen Par’ and ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’ will be put to the ultimate test with ‘Dhobi Ghat’, starring Khan, Prateik Babbar and several newcomers. The director gets talking about her tribute to Mumbai, and an industry she calls a ‘complex beast:’
Did you always want to make films?
We didn’t watch a lot of films while growing up in Kolkata. But when I went to Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi, I started seriously watching films. I saw a lot of classic and great European, Japanese and documentary films. I had done theatre in school and college and I knew I wanted to do something within the arts. Film combined writing, photography, storytelling etc. Funnily, now I don’t get to watch a lot of films but when I do, I like experimental, avant garde, European and world cinema. That is the language of cinema I am drawn towards.
Did you set out to make an art-house film?
I didn’t set out to make ‘Dhobi Ghat’ an art-house film. Art-house just happens to be the influence. It’s a small movie in that it is very real in tone and texture, without compromise. We had a small budget so we could not even afford to pay Aamir (he just owns the film). I would call it an indie and a small film with a big star. That changes the perception of the audience so I was keen that people know it is art house. The presence of Aamir does open it up to a larger audience.
You grew up in Kolkata. What brought you to Mumbai?
I studied economics at Sophia College in Mumbai and then did my Masters in Mass Communication at Jamia in New Delhi. I returned to Mumbai to work in films. I thought it would be so easy, but I spent a lot of time working on commercials and learning what it was like to be on a set. Then my friend Reema Kagti, who was also my senior in college, called and asked if I would like to be an assistant director of ‘Lagaan’. That was a great way to start life in films. ‘Swades’, ‘Monsoon Wedding’ and some other films followed till I started working as an associate producer at Aamir Khan Productions. When I went to Jamia, I thought I wanted to be a cinematographer or photographer because I liked telling stories in pictures, but my teachers explained that telling your own story is a director’s job.
Why this ode to Mumbai?
The city has made me who I am in some ways. I came here to study and then to work in films and I found love here. I have lived most of my adult life here and consider it home. It’s more than a home — it’s a friend, a living person. When I was single, I connected with Mumbai at an intimate level. It gets tougher and tougher as time goes on but I am lucky — I live in a nice part of town with trees and birds.
You set out to make ‘Dhobi Ghat’ guerrilla style. Wouldn’t that have been difficult with a star like Aamir Khan in the cast?
Initially, I wanted to do everything, including shoot the film myself on 16mm and mixed formats and to use the model or non-actor. I wanted to go under the radar. But as the idea grew and once Aamir was cast, we knew that the number of crew would have to grow a little and that I would not be able to do everything myself. However, I did manage to use different formats to capture the texture of Mumbai city to portray it the way different people see it. It’s an emotional story with the power to connect in subtle, quiet ways.
How do you stay grounded now that you are a star wife?
Aamir is also very down to earth and has not changed much since he was a teenager. He is not starry at all. We share the same ideology and the same passion for cinema. We love a lot of the same things so my lifestyle did not change much when we got married, except that I had to take care of a much larger house. My life is about getting up and going to work, and figuring out the next music concert I can go to. Aamir does not go out that much, and he’s also very comfortable with who I am. His loving me for who I am has made a huge difference. I did not feel the need to change or become a star wife, though I am a star’s wife. I want to be known for my work.
Have you thought of your next project?
I am working on something but I don’t know how it will develop. Indian classical music is a passion and I have been researching the time of singer Gauhar Jaan. I wanted to make a period film on those performing women. Music plays a very important part of the structure of a film. It adds an emotional layer and heft to ‘Dhobi Ghat’.
Most filmmakers worry about finding a producer. You are married to one. Doesn’t that take the pressure off you?
I am very lucky to have the opportunities that I have. I am in a privileged position compared to many talented filmmakers out there. But I don’t think Aamir would make a film if he didn’t think it was worth it. Hopefully he will think my next one is worth it too. It would be great if he likes it. I don’t know if any other producer would have made ‘Dhobi Ghat’. I had decided that if Aamir didn’t produce it, I would borrow money from him to make it, keep it small and get sales agents from festivals to sell it.
What’s more important to you: commercial success or critical acclaim?
When I started out, I thought money didn’t matter and critical acclaim was enough. But now, 10 years later, I have seen the effort that goes into making a film and I think commercial success is important just to keep cinema going and to justify why you made the film. It is important to at least earn the money spent. Of course I would be thrilled with commercial success. It would mean a vote of confidence.