Kiran Rao says it is ‘low’ for people to credit ex-husband Aamir Khan for her success: ‘Lot of women are accustomed to that’

Kiran Rao’s second directorial, Laapataa Ladies, not only won over Indian audiences but was also selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars. The film, co-produced by her ex-husband Aamir Khan, has sparked conversations about Kiran’s journey as a filmmaker. In a recent conversation, Kiran shared her views on Aamir often being credited for her success, which she finds unfair.

In an interaction with Kareena Kapoor on her talk show What Women Want, Kiran expressed how she thinks it is ‘low’ for people to credit Aamir khan for her success. She remarked, “It is natural. He has been known to do such quality work. Personally, I attribute a lot of success in life to having a very supportive and bright partner who intellectually matches me and supports everything I do. He has played a big role in my life, but for others to attribute my accomplishments solely to him is a… and I think a lot of women are accustomed to that happen to them.”

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Before Laapataa Ladies, Kiran Rao made her directorial debut with Dhobi Ghat, released in 2011. Although it performed modestly at the box office, the film received widespread critical acclaim. Kiran has also co-produced numerous celebrated projects with Aamir, including Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na, Peepli Live, Delhi Belly, Talaash, Dangal, and more.

On the talk show, Kiran also shared her candid thoughts on how she occasionally finds Aamir Khan’s lengthy lectures challenging, humorously describing them as bordering on “mansplaining”. She said, “I would like to say… he can go off and lecture. Like he will give certain lamba lectures about things sometimes and those, I don’t like. I mean, it’s not quite mansplaining, but coming close.”

Aamir and Kiran were married for 16 years and continue to co-parent their son, Azad.