My First: Kiran Rao On Dhobi Ghat, Laapataa Ladies And Learning To Trust Her Instincts

As Robb Report India turns a year old and we raise a toast to our many firsts, we also take a walk down memory lane with game changers from the worlds of film, fashion, art, culture and lifestyle.

Filmmaker, screenwriter and producer Kiran Rao is one of those distinct voices whose directorial lens explores socially conscious, slice-of-life cinema. From her debut feature Dhobi Ghat in 2011 to Laapataa Ladies in 2024 and now Lust Stories 3, Rao’s work explores the mundanity of human existence, vulnerability and relationships, often with a touch of humour.

Kiran speaks to us about her journey from Dhobi Ghat to Laapata Ladies and the one thing that remains constant even as things change is the desire to learn something new.

Robb Report India (RR): What is that special first you still remember, and why? Or what was your first professional win and what did it mean to you?

Kiran Rao (KR): My special first was Dhobi Ghat which was in cinemas in January 2011, and it feels quite extraordinary to look back and realise how much has changed since then. It was my first film as a director, so seeing it finally reach an audience was a very special feeling. I don’t think anything can ever replace that feeling, it’s something that I will always hold dear.

RR: How do you celebrate your firsts?

KR: It’s something of a tradition to party with the cast and crew around or after a release, to celebrate the journey we’ve had together. Then I usually just get back to work — writing, dreaming, developing — and the process begins again. I have realised that getting back to work is a wonderful way to keep at it and not let the success and failures bog you down.

RR: What professional or personal first are you still waiting to happen?

KR: Most things I do are a first for me because I love trying new genres and narrative styles with every film. Getting to experiment with the kind of stories I tell is a celebration in itself for me. So, when Ashi and Pashan offered me Lust Stories I was very excited, because this would be my first short film (after my diploma project in film school). I have learned to never say never and push myself to try new things.

RR: What first lesson did this special first teach you?

KR: Making Dhobi Ghat taught me that you have to trust your instincts. You can listen to everyone around you, and you should, but ultimately you have to find the courage to make the choices that feel right to you. Nothing like listening to your gut instinct. I also learned that good, bad or ugly, the mistakes you make are yours alone and it’s important to be able to own up to them, it makes you stronger.

RR: Who was the one to believe in you when you achieved this first? Or who was the first person to open a professional door for you and how did it change your life?

KR: There were several people who believed in me, but making Dhobi Ghat itself was a huge opportunity. I have to thank Aamir for that. I was given the freedom to make the film I wanted to make, and that changed my life. It gave me invaluable experience and, importantly, the confidence to continue finding my own voice as a filmmaker.

RR: What were the first challenges and how did you overcome them?

KR: There were many, particularly because Dhobi Ghat was a very unconventional film. I was certain of what I wanted to make, but as a first there are always moments when you question yourself. My entire team stood by me and I’m grateful for that. I think for any filmmaker it is most important to stay curious, stay open to ideas and, most importantly, continue to work. That’s something that definitely my first taught me.

RR: Do you remember your first big failure, and what did it teach you?

KR: I don’t think of failure as one particular moment. There have been films, ideas and decisions that haven’t worked the way I imagined they would. They’ve taught me not to become too attached to an outcome and to keep learning from the process. I’ve learned to pick myself up and move on.

RR: What is that one professional first you would want to experience again, and why?

KR: I would love to experience the first time I saw Dhobi Ghat with an audience again. There was something incredibly exciting about sitting in a theatre and hearing people react to something that had existed only in my head for so long.

RR: Which first changed you the most?

KR: Making Laapataa Ladies, without a doubt. It was the first time I was doing comedy, on big scale compared to Dhobi Ghat, and that too during COVID. I had the responsibility of making a film about a subject I cared a lot about, and making it fun and accessible to a mainstream audience. It was a lot of firsts, and that experience changed the way I looked at filmmaking and at myself.

RR: What was the first time you surprised yourself?

KR: You can spend a lot of time imagining whether you’re capable of doing something, but the real surprise comes when you actually do it. Laapataa Ladies gave me that feeling.