Kiran Rao, speaking to Subhash K Jha, delves into the incredible global success of her outstanding Laapataa Ladies and also hints at what is coming next.
Congratulations on the slew of Filmfare Awards! Did you ever think Laapataa Ladies would have such long legs?
Thank you! Honestly, no one can ever predict the life of a film. We knew we had a story that was warm, funny, and rooted in something real, and who doesn’t wish for their film to be met with love? I’m grateful that we managed to make something that got to travel this far and stay in people’s hearts. In India the film ran for around 100 days, in Japan for over 5 months, so it’s definitely heartening.
Like Dhobi Ghat, Laapataa Ladies too must have sounded unfilmable on paper. Why do you choose to film the seemingly impossible?
I don’t find either impossible at all. On both films there was a clear idea of what we were creatively hoping to achieve. Both the films came from a place of curiosity and wanting to tell an important story. I think as long as the filmmaker knows what they are setting out to make and why, the rest is based on trust and the team’s effort. I am grateful to the teams I had on both the films.
Have you thought of what those characters must be up to now? Wouldn’t you like to make a sequel?
Oh, I’ve been asked that – and have thought about it a lot! Phool, Deepak, Pushpa, Manju – all feel very alive to me. I imagine Phool would be running a small business somewhere, Pushpa maybe standing for local elections or becoming a unicorn entrepreneur, and Deepak still trying to catch up emotionally with these amazing women! A sequel would be fun, but only if there’s a story worth telling. Maybe a story of how these characters have found themselves and are successful in their own right. But for now I am focussing on my next.
Looking at the kind of cinema that’s doing well, how do you explain the commercial success of Laapataa Ladies?
I think audiences are hungry for authenticity. I don’t think there is anyone who can pin point and say this film will work and this will not, and if so for what reasons. You give it your heart and hope the audiences connect with it and fall in love with the world and the characters. Like I said, I am genuinely grateful for the love the film received and continues to receive.
What are you making next?
Just yesterday a journalist friend called me Halley’s Comet! But I’ve promised not to be one! I’m developing a couple of scripts, but more keen on my next being a fantastical genre film. Apart from that I’ve been reading a lot of films that some writers and producers have been sending over for me to consider, so let’s see. I’ve realized that films find their own rhythm. I just want to make a story that excites me and I have fun telling.
