Kiran Rao recalls 'nightmare experience' as AD for Aamir Khan’s Lagaan; ‘I’d be arranging toasts at 4.30 am’

In a recent interview, Kiran Rao recalled her days as an assistant director on the sets of Aamir Khan's movie Lagaan and called it as a nightmare experience. Check out here!

Updated on Mar 15, 2024  |  04:12 PM IST |  51.8K
Kiran Rao
Picture Courtesy: Kiran Rao/Instagram

Kiran Rao recently recalled her time working on Aamir Khan's acclaimed film Lagaan, where she served as one of the assistant directors. Reflecting on her experience, she disclosed her responsibility of overseeing the actors' hair and make-up preparations on set. Kiran revealed the challenge of ensuring they were in their vanity vans by 4:30, describing it as a 'nightmare experience.' Her candid revelations offer a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes dynamics of the production. 

Kiran Rao used to wake up at 4 am

In a recent interview with Lallantop Kiran Rao revealed, "My job was to somehow get all the actors from makeup, hair, wardrobe to set. And in Lagaan, we had two cricket teams, plus everybody had beards, the women wore dresses. It was a nightmare. Before reaching set at 4-4:30 am, I’d be on my walkie telling them to put the toaster on. The actor who played Elizabeth (Rachel Shelley) wanted toast first thing in the morning". 

She further added, "I would be sitting in the makeup room and wondering what I was doing with my Masters in Mass Communication from Jamia. But finally, everybody has to put in their hours in all these places. But you hope that one day you leave the makeup room and find a spot near the monitor. Unfortunately, I didn’t even get to see much of the shoot, I spent most of my time in the makeup room."

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Kiran Rao reminisced about the initial cut being four hours long, even excluding the cricket scenes. She said, "We didn’t know how they’d cut it down. We thought that this would easily be a six-hour film," she recalled. Despite this, Lagaan was released with a runtime of 3 hours and 44 minutes, becoming a hit and earning a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards. 

Kiran Rao on the work front

Kiran made her debut with Dhobi Ghat in 2010, followed by her recent release Laapataa Ladies. Set in rural India in 2001, the film follows the story of two young brides who get separated from their husbands during a train journey. When Ravi Kishan's character, a police officer, takes charge of the investigation, the plot unfolds with unexpected twists. The film hit Indian screens on March 1, captivating audiences with its gripping storyline and stellar performances.

ALSO READ: Laapataa Ladies: Salman Khan reviews Kiran Rao's film; asks 'Kab kaam karogi mere saath?'

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Drenched in the vibrant hues of Bollywood, Rajni Singh is an entertainment journalist with 3 years of experience in the

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