Kiran Rao Reveals Advertising Job Helped Her Afford A Living In Mumbai

"I bought my car from my dad," said Kiran Rao

Before entering the world of films, director Kiran Rao took on numerous projects, one of which was Aamir Khan's iconic film Lagaan. During an episode of the podcast Cyrus Says, Kiran Rao disclosed that it was her earning from working in advertising that provided her with the financial stability she needed. “I was essentially a gig worker. I'd take on jobs as they came, working as long as they paid, then I'd scramble to find the next, all while stressing about whether my savings would last and if I could cover my rent.” When the host mentioned her involvement in Lagaan and suggested it should have been financially rewarding, she explained, “Feature films didn't pay. It was advertising that paid me the money to live in Mumbai. With Lagaan, the first AD system kind of started coming in.”

Kiran also recounted buying her first car from her father for Rs 1 lakh, saying, “I bought my car from my dad. He sold it to me for Rs 1 lakh. Have you ever heard of that? My father was like, ‘This is the only way you will save money.' We drove it from Bangalore to Mumbai on the newly minted expressway.”

In a recent interview with NDTV earlier this year, Kiran Rao talked about her decision to publicly announce her divorce from Aamir Khan. Speaking to NDTV, she said, "It was a conscious decision because in some ways, we do realise that...You know you are in the public gaze. You are living your life very publicly. What we were doing was completely legal, morally and ethically fine. It's better to be upfront about it and not let people guess about it."