Aamir Khan reveals why Kiran Rao took 10 years to make Laapataa Ladies after Dhobi Ghat: 'Her first instinct was Azad'

Aamir Khan recently opened up about the long gap between Kiran Rao’s directorial debut Dhobi Ghat (2011) and her second film Laapataa Ladies (2024). In a recent interview, the actor-producer explained that the 10-year wait was largely because of their son, Azad Rao Khan.

When asked why he backed Kiran’s second directorial despite Dhobi Ghat not being a big commercial hit, Aamir clarified that he never saw the film as mainstream in the first place. “Actually Kiran's film Dhobi Ghat is not a mainstream film so I don't see it as a mainstream film. It is a niche film and it is for people with a particular sensibility. For people with that sensibility, the film that Kiran was making, she was honest to that. She didn’t try and make it mainstream, she made it with her honesty,” he told Komal Nahta on his YouTube channel Game Changers, adding that the film still earned some money.

Why the 10-year gap after Dhobi Ghat

Aamir shared that he had always believed Kiran had a “commercial quality” she was not letting out. “I told her immediately after Dhobi Ghat that you are such a good director, you understand performances, you understand emotions, spread it a little, pick a subject that is more mainstream,” he recalled.

However, the decade-long gap came down to Kiran’s maternal instinct. “She didn’t make it because we had Azad and I realized that, as a woman, her first instinct was Azad. No matter how much she tried as a creative person, she used to come back after a while. She knew that if she starts a film, she will leave it. So as a mother’s instinct, she never got into it until Azad got to a particular age when she knew that now I can make a film. That is when Laapataa Ladies happened,” Aamir explained.

Kiran Rao’s strength lies in honesty

Interestingly, the script for Laapataa Ladies came through a competition. “When I read the script, I found it very commercial, it’s very bang on. It has a very dramatic plot and the emotions are very good. I told Kiran that I found it for you — the one I was looking for,” Aamir revealed, saying Kiran immediately connected with it as well.



Reflecting on Kiran’s strengths as a filmmaker, Aamir added, “See if you see Dhobi Ghat again, it’s the character of Yasmeen who makes her videos. It’s such an emotional track and it’s such an exciting track, you feel like you want to see what happens next in the next video. These are all small things which tell you the ability of a director. Her strength is her honesty and in Laapataa Ladies I felt the more honest you are, the more the drama increases.”