Kiran Rao says advertising, not feature films, helped her sustain in Mumbai: ‘Was worried if I could pay rent’

Laapataa Ladies director Kiran Rao recently revealed that despite working on several feature films as an assistant director, she didn't earn enough money to sustain herself in Mumbai.

By: Entertainment Desk

Chennai | Updated: June 2, 2024 07:11 PM IST

3 min read

Kiran Rao recalled her initial days in the film industry. (Pic: Instagram/raodyness)

Before becoming a successful filmmaker, Kiran Rao worked as an assistant director on various projects, including Aamir Khan’s iconic film Lagaan. In a recent interaction, Kiran revealed that despite working on several feature films as an AD, she didn’t earn enough money to sustain herself in Mumbai. Advertising work came to her rescue, the Laapataa Ladies director said, providing her with the financial support needed to live in the city.

Speaking on the podcast Cyrus Says, she said, “I used to be a gig economy worker. I would get a job, work as long as it paid, and then look for another job, worrying whether my savings would last and if I could pay rent.” When the host pointed out that she worked on Lagaan, suggesting that it should have paid well, she responded, “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.” She also revealed that it was through advertising gigs that she was able to afford “super expensive things” like a computer and a car.

Also read | Kiran Rao recalls her first meeting with Aamir Khan, reveals how the shoot of Rang De Basanti gave her time to write Dhobi Ghat

During the interaction, Kiran also shared that she bought her first car from her father for Rs 1 lakh. She said, “I bought my car from my dad. He sold it to me for Rs 1 lakh. Have you ever heard of that? My father was like, ‘This is the only way you will save money.’ We drove it from Bangalore to Mumbai on the newly minted expressway.”

In the same podcast, she recounted her challenging experience working as an AD on Lagaan. She said, “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.”

From the homepage