The Mumbai Diarist
Dhobi Ghat, Kiran Rao’s first film was an affectionate tribute to Mumbai. Thirty-six year old Rao grew up in Kolkata and studied film in Delhi but Mumbai is where she came to follow her cinema dreams. After a few gigs as an assistant director in some major films she moved to ad filmmaking but the scriptwriting always continued on the backburner. Her 2011 writing and directorial debut, a film about four lonely people in Mumbai, was praised for its delicate style and soulful storytelling. Rao is a curious observer of the unwavering constants of Bollywood. She believes the proliferating micro-regional film industries in India will satisfy the very diverse cultures and cinematic thirsts of the country in a way the broad strokes of Bollywood cannot.
Rao lives in Mumbai with her husband, actor Aamir Khan.
