Laapata Ladies, directed by Kiran Rao, was released in theatres on March 1. The film is getting love and support from critics and audiences alike.\u00a0Salman Khan is also a fan.\u00a0Speaking candidly\u00a0with RJ Stutee\u00a0on HT Smartcast\u2019s The Super Womaniya Show, the screenwriter and director spoke about not only her latest release, but also how she created a space for herself despite coming from \u2018a very regular family\u2019.
\n\u2018I felt like I was losing my identity\u2019
\nKiran Rao\u00a0said, \u201cBeyond a point, as an artist, you get accustomed to the idea that whatever you do will provoke people. In some ways, that\u2019s your job…You need to create a space for that and step away from it a little bit. I\u2019ve learned to do that because I came from a very regular family and suddenly, I was in this media glare. But I knew the media was interested in me only through the\u00a0lens of being Aamir Khan\u2019s wife. They did not know me. It was difficult in the beginning because I felt like I was losing my identity.\u201d
\nKiran also discussed the daily struggles of both working and non-working women, the expectations society holds for them, and the fight for freedom that is fought in every aspect of their lives. Highlighting why it took over 10 years for her to direct her second film \u2013 Kiran\u2019s debut film as a director\u00a0Dhobi Ghat\u00a0came out in 2011 \u2013 she said, \u201cI had been writing since Dhobi Ghat, but I wasn\u2019t very happy with the scripts. So, while the search was on, Aamir came across this script when he was judging a competition in 2018. He told me about the story in a line. Once I got it, I too was impressed by it.\u201d
\nKiran added that though the film was out of her \u2018creative zone\u2019 owing to its mass-appeal nature and rural setting, she took it up as an exciting challenge.
\nOn her growing up years
\nTalking about her entry into and experiences in the film industry, she spoke about her childhood and how her parents laid the foundation for her independence as an individual.
\n\u201cI grew up in Calcutta until I was 18 years old. My parents\u2019 constant support and upbringing gave me confidence for life… In school, I had a liberal, wonderful, in some ways, communist upbringing. I think that prepared me for life as I didn\u2019t place so much emphasis on money, standing, and privilege. And I placed importance on everybody being equal instead.\u201d Kiara added, \u201cIt was during college and my Masters in Jamia that I got a broader perspective and understood what women\u2019s struggles had been.\u201d
\nLeaving a message for all Indian women, Kiran said, \u201cYou as an individual have rights and a voice. Find that voice, assert yourself, and there will always be people who will accept you and who will want to hear that voice. Go and fight for your dreams.\u201d
\nAbout Laapataa Ladies
\nThe film stars newcomers Pratibha Ratna, Sparsh Shrivastav, and Nitanshi Goel.\u00a0Laapataa Ladies\u00a0also stars Ravi Kishan and Chhaya Kadam.
\nThe film is presented by Jio Studios and produced by Aamir Khan Productions and Kiran Rao\u2019s Kindling Productions. The film is based on an award-winning story by Biplab Goswami.
\nThe film is a comic take on two brides in rural India. Set in a fictitious state called Nirmal Pradesh in 2001, Laapataa Ladies is a story of the brides Phool and Pushpa. They accidentally get swapped during a train journey. While one is taken home by another\u2019s groom, the other is left stranded at a railway station. A police officer, Kishan, takes it upon himself to probe the case.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Laapata Ladies, directed by Kiran Rao, was released in theatres on March 1. The film is getting love and support from critics and audiences alike.\u00a0Salman Khan is also a fan.\u00a0Speaking candidly\u00a0with RJ Stutee\u00a0on HT Smartcast\u2019s The Super Womaniya Show, the screenwriter and director spoke about not only her latest release, but also how she created […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":98534,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,42,12],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n