Kiran Rao talks to Anamika Mukharji about the city — the fifth character in Dhobi Ghat — and directing Aamir Khan
Mumbai is the fifth character in my film and I wanted to portrait (sic) it in all its vibrancy and complexity. And so Dhobi Ghat was shot entirely on real locations... no sets, a few lights, a 16-mm camera, my actors and crew, the Mumbai monsoon, and me.”
It’s a directorial debut. New faces on screen and behind the scenes. But a topic as old as the movies. “Zara hatke zara bachke, yeh hai Bombay meri jaan...”. The immediate, unkind conclusion is that it’s a tried and tested theme, that the director thought it a safe bet, and that audiences would come to the theatres out of curiosity to see this latest interpretation of Mumbai. The last is probably true. But through these lines, handwritten on the back of postcards inviting people to see the film, Kiran Rao’s love for Mumbai shines through — a tug at the heart most Mumbaikars understand. A smart marketing strategy, it contains a kernel of sincerity nonetheless.
Rao rushes in for the interview, absolutely on time, and gives me a delighted smile. Having asked for chai, “with shakkar please”, she turns her attention to my first question. Doesn’t she feel there’s already too much said about Mumbai — in books, films and plays — without her making a film about it? She answers thoughtfully, “The Mumbai I know is not the same as the Mumbai you know. We live in these separate worlds, but they collide and intersect from time to time, and it’s this reality I wanted to show, my perspective of Mumbai. We are all living our own dreams and lives, but we are held together by the energy of this city.”
Made on a modest budget (Rs 5 crore), Dhobi Ghat is an Aamir Khan Productions film. It’s easy to presume that as Aamir Khan’s wife, Rao had his backing from the word go. Wrong. Apparently, till he heard the script, Khan was afraid he would not like the story and have to decline to produce it. She, on the other hand, confesses, “I wanted him to like it, because I value his opinion, but at the same time I knew I would make the film regardless of his views.” As it turned out, Khan loved the script, and set about convincing Rao to cast him in it.
Revolving around the lives of four people, the film introduces actors Kriti Malhotra and Monica Dogra, casting Prateik Babbar in his second film. For the fourth character, too, Rao initially auditioned newcomers, avoiding Khan as she wanted a low profile while shooting on real locations, impossible with a star. But I ask if her bigger fear wasn’t that he would overshadow the others. “I’ve closely watched his performances in other films, and I did not worry on that account. I was more worried the tone of the performances should be consistent,” she says, as all characters are equally important in the film. Given Khan’s reputation for taking over the direction of films with which he is involved, was Rao nervous about holding her own as a first-time director? She puts it tactfully, “If he trusts you, he’ll back you a hundred per cent. My film benefited from his immense experience. And I learnt not to be over-protective about my film and to accept suggestions for improvement." But there must have been creative differences? “Oh yes, of course, but that’s perfectly natural when people work together,” she smiles.
Did Rao always want to make a film? “I never watched much cinema while growing up, especially not Indian cinema. But I was always into theatre and while at Jamia Millia (enrolled in the Mass Communications programme), I recognised my interest in ‘performance’, that telling stories interested me. That's when the penny dropped.” Next step, Mumbai. “With the optimism of youth, I thought I would make a film in two years. Only when I began to learn did I realise there was a long way to go.” Working with ad guru Prasoon Joshi, and then with Ashutosh Gowariker on Lagaan, Rao says she learnt everything, not just about direction, but about dealing with actors as well: “As third assistant director for Lagaan, I was the one waking up actors each morning to start the day's shoot, bringing them tea, and so on!”
Though Rao began Dhobi Ghat in 2005, she got sidetracked by her work as associate producer for Taare Zameen Par till 2007. Only after that could she focus on her film. She is finally ready to share it with the world. The earnest writing on the postcards and the teasing promos are sure to bring people to theatres. Let’s see what happens when Kiran’s Mumbai collides with ours.
Dhobi Ghat releases in theatres on January 21