Kiran Rao shares how advertising aided her in affording life in Mumbai: 'Was worried about paying rent'

Kiran Rao's path to filmmaking success began with roles as an assistant director, including on Aamir Khan's 'Lagaan.' Despite her experience, she found her earnings inadequate until she ventured into advertising, which provided the financial stability she sought.

During an episode of the podcast Cyrus Says, Kiran shared, ‘I was essentially a gig worker. I’d take on jobs as they came, working as long as they paid, then I’d scramble to find the next, all while stressing about whether my savings would last and if I could cover my rent.’

When the host mentioned her involvement in ‘Lagaan’ and suggested it should have been financially rewarding, she explained, ‘Feature films didn’t pay. It was advertising that paid me the money to live in Mumbai. With Lagaan, the first AD system kind of started coming in.’

Through her advertising jobs, she managed to purchase ‘super expensive things’ like a computer and a car.

Kiran Rao shared an anecdote about buying her first car from her father for Rs 1 lakh, a unique arrangement that helped her save money. She fondly recalled driving it from Bangalore to Mumbai on the newly constructed expressway.

Reflecting on her challenging times as an AD on ‘Lagaan’, she added, ‘I used to get coffee, get shouted at if anything went wrong. I was constantly being yelled at. Reema Kagti was a tough secondary AD; she would constantly be on my case. She did all the running around. We were just four ADs running around on a giant set. The film was shot with live sound, one of the first big films to do so. It was all outdoors, and we were far away from everything.’

Kiran Rao's film ‘Laapataa Ladies’ received critical acclaim. Set in the fictional state of Nirmal Pradesh in 2001, it follows the story of brides Phool and Pushpa, whose paths cross during a train journey. Produced by Aamir Khan Productions and Kiran Rao’s Kindling Productions, the film recently completed a successful 50-day run at the box office and was screened at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

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