Mumbai: Superstar Aamir Khan and his former wife, filmmaker Kiran Rao, recently had a meaningful conversation with Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, after showing their film Laapataa Ladies at the Supreme Court. The special screening was part of a program to raise awareness about gender issues and was attended by several top judges.
During the discussion, Aamir shared that his decision to produce Laapataa Ladies came from both “fear and desire.” He reflected on his career and said,
“During COVID, at the age of 56, I realised this is the last leg of my career. I might have 15 more years of active work left, and I wanted to give back. The industry, society, and country have given me so much. I thought I could do one film a year, but as a producer, I can back multiple stories that I feel strongly about.”
Aamir, known for backing films that address social issues, stressed his commitment to helping new filmmakers. He said, “Through producing, I can provide a platform for new writers, directors, and everyone involved in the process. Laapataa Ladies is the first step in that direction. I want to promote this kind of talent and hope to produce four to five films a year so that we can see more such movies,”
Chief Justice Chandrachud asked about the inspiration for the film, and Kiran Rao explained that it started with an original script by Biplab Goswami. Aamir found the script during a Screen Writers Association competition in 2020, and they decided to buy the rights. “We added more humor to the story,” Kiran said, noting that making the film was challenging due to changes in the movie industry.
Even though they were advised to release the film directly on streaming platforms, they chose to show it in theaters first. “The film has received a lot of love from the audience, and I’m glad we took it to the big screen,” Kiran said.
Laapataa Ladies is about two newlywed brides who get mixed up during a train ride to their husbands’ homes. The film did okay in theaters but became a bigger hit on Netflix, where it broke several viewership records.
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