Who is Aamir's love, anyway?

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-style:="" italic=""><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script></span><br /><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Aamir Khan has reportedly married Kiran Rao and is vacationing with her in Europe. But who is Kiran Rao? </span><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">TOI </span><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">investigates...</span><br /><br /></div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" center=""><img src="/photo/836952.cms" alt="/photo/836952.cms" border="0" /></div> <div class="Normal">* <span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Bubbly & vivacious, that''s her</span>: These are two words that crop up each time the conversation centres around Kiran Rao, assistant director of <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Lagaan</span> and <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Swades</span>.Described as a "chatterbox" by an acquaintance who used to "party with her on and off," Kiran is a short, slender young woman with curly hair. "She''s like a pixie... cute and adorable," adds a colleague.<br /><br />* <span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Hot bod she ain''t</span>: "Kiran''s not a hot, sexy chick," says a colleague of hers. She''s the girl next door who''s sweet, loves a good laugh."<br /><br />* <span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">No airs for Ms Simple</span>: Kiran is described as "child-like" by one of her friends. "She''s guileless -- that makes her very popular." Though she''s not a party animal, Kiran loves to let her hair down as much as the next person. "Her tastes in music are very eclectic. She loves electro-funk," reveals a friend.<br /><br />* <span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Cinema-Cinema</span>: In her late 20s, Kiran is credited with a vivid mind and a passion for cinema. "She can talk about films for hours. One can tell that she''s passionate about the medium and is determined to leave a mark," says the friend.<br /><br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><br /><span style="" font-style:="" italic=""><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script></span>* <span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">A bright student</span>: Hailing from Bangalore, Kiran studied at Sophiya College, Mumbai, before heading to the Capital to pursue a course at the Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Milia Islamia. Her professors there remember her as "A very intelligent young woman. She conceptualised her work in a very different manner. Each angle would be unique and even the most mundane things would take on an interesting hue under her. She would make her work strike a chord with the viewer and this is what set her apart."<br /><br />* <span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Focussed go-getter</span>: Kiran''s classmates remember her as "a very fun-loving, yet extremely focussed young woman who knew where she was headed." Perhaps this is why she headed for Mumbai after wrapping up her course in Delhi. "She dabbled in advertising and had ideas for a project of her own. It was then that she took a shot at being an assistant director (with <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Lagaan</span>, where she reportedly met Aamir). That part of her history is well-documented," says an acquaintance of Kiran.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">KIRAN RAO VITAL STATS</span><br /><br /></div> <div class="Normal" style="" margin-left:11pt="" text-indent:-11pt="">â–ª From Bangalore, she studied at Sophiya (Mumbai), Jamia (Delhi).</div> <div class="Normal" style="" margin-left:11pt="" text-indent:-11pt="">â–ª Assistant director for <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Lagaan</span> and <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Swades</span>.</div> <div class="Normal" style="" margin-left:11pt="" text-indent:-11pt="">â–ª Dabbled in advertising before Bollywood tryst.</div> <div class="Normal" style="" margin-left:11pt="" text-indent:-11pt="">â–ª Short, slender, curly hair -- pixie-like.</div> <div class="Normal" style="" margin-left:11pt="" text-indent:-11pt="">â–ª Childlike, guileless, loves a good laugh.</div> <div class="Normal" style="" margin-left:11pt="" text-indent:-11pt="">â–ª Not into partying but enjoys letting her hair down.</div> <div class="Normal" style="" margin-left:11pt="" text-indent:-11pt="">â–ª Passionate about cinema, loves electro-funk music.</div> <div class="Normal"><br /></div> </div>