Kiran Rao

Kiran Rao (born 7 November 1973) is an Indian filmmaker who works in Hindi cinema. She has directed the films Dhobi Ghat and Laapataa Ladies (2024). In 2016, Rao co-founded Paani Foundation, a non-profit organisation.

Early life Kiran Rao was born on 7 November 1973 in Bengaluru, daughter of retired army officer C R Rao and Uma Rao. She grew up in Calcutta, where she attended Loreto House & La Martinière for Girls. In 1992, her parents decided to leave Calcutta for Bangalore so she moved to Mumbai for undergraduate studies. She graduated with an economics major from the Sophia College for Women in 1995. She attended the Social Communications Media course at the Sophia Polytechnic for two months, but then quit and left for Delhi. She got her master's degree at AJK Mass Communication Research Centre at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.

Actress Aditi Rao Hydari is Rao's first cousin. Rao's paternal and Hydari's maternal grandfather, J. Rameshwar Rao, was the Raja of Wanaparthy, a large estate under the Nizam of Hyderabad.

Career Rao started her career as the assistant director in the epic film Lagaan directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, whom she also assisted later on Swades: We, the People. Lagaan was nominated for 74th Academy Awards in the foreign language film category. Aamir Khan produced and starred in the same film. Before Lagaan, she has also done minute role of supporting actress in Dil Chahta Hai. She also worked as second assistant director with Academy Award-nominated director Mira Nair on the indie hit Monsoon Wedding.

She scripted and directed the film Dhobi Ghat, which was released in January 2011 under Aamir Khan Productions. She has started writing her next film which had roots in Kolkata. She also sang a Marathi song 'Toofan Aalaya', the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup Anthem.

In 2024, her film Laapataa Ladies was selected as the Indian entry for the Best International Feature Film for the 97th Academy Awards.

Personal life

Rao married actor Aamir Khan in December 2005, after Khan divorced his former wife Reena Dutta in 2002. They met on the sets of Lagaan. Rao was one of the film's assistant directors. They were living in Bandra, a Mumbai suburb. The couple have a son, Azad Rao Khan, born in December 2011 (through a surrogate mother) who has been named after Abul Kalam Azad.

Rao has been a vegan, and she had influenced her then-husband, Aamir Khan, to turn vegan as well. After discussing the issue, both of them decided to turn vegan.

On 3 July 2021, Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan announced their decision to divorce after 15 years of marriage via a joint statement where they thanked their family and friends for their continuous support in this matter. They stated that they would continue to raise their son as co-parents.

Filmography

Director

Producer

Presenter

Singer YearTitle2017 Toofan Aalaya (Satyamev Jayate Water Cup anthem)