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Kiran Rao, known for her critically acclaimed debut film Dhobi Ghat (2010), recently returned to the director’s chair with her latest project, Laapataa Ladies. Despite her return to filmmaking after 14 years, the movie did not perform well in cinemas when it was released in March. However, it gained traction and was well-received once it dropped on Netflix India eight weeks later. In a candid interview with Faye D’Souza, Kiran Rao opened up about the film’s box office performance and her feelings about its initial reception.
Rao admitted that Laapataa Ladies did not meet box office expectations. She compared its performance to Dhobi Ghat, noting, “In some ways, both these films haven’t done great at the box office. Dhobi Ghat did some big business for its time. Ten-15 years later, Laapataa Ladies didn’t do that much more than Dhobi Ghat.” She expressed a sense of failure, acknowledging that by traditional metrics, the film was not a success. “We didn’t do hundreds of crores, or even ₹30, 40, 50 crore. Failure is the way to put it. I do feel responsible that the film didn’t do that well at the box office,” she said.
Kiran Rao Reflects on the Notion of Failure
Kiran Rao delved deeper into her thoughts on failure, both in terms of box office results and her personal creative journey. She shared, “I think failure in the sense that I felt that everyday failure. In 10 years, I’ve been working relentlessly. I’ve had really busy days continuously. After my first film, I thought my second film would come soon. But that soon just didn’t come.”
Rao spoke about the challenges she faced during the 14-year gap between her films. She described the struggle of dealing with an empty page and the inability to complete her projects. “It got me on a daily basis. The empty page, the inability to put that full stop and say ‘the end.’ It was something I really struggled with in these 10 years. I’m sure most creative people have to face that sense of failure a lot when they don’t achieve something soon enough or they don’t achieve it at all,” she added.
Despite the initial box office disappointment, Laapataa Ladies eventually found its audience through Netflix India. This highlights the evolving landscape of film distribution and the growing importance of streaming platforms in reaching viewers. Rao’s openness about her experiences provides valuable insight into the pressures and challenges faced by filmmakers in the industry.