Aamir Khan explains why he decided to produce ‘Laapataa Ladies’

NEW DELHI: Actor Aamir Khan and director Kiran Rao attended the screening of their film ‘Laapataa Ladies’ at the Supreme Court on Friday evening.

During the event, Aamir Khan shared his motivation for producing the film, explaining that he wanted to give back to society by providing a platform for new talent. He reflected on his time during the Covid-19 pandemic, when he decided to use his remaining active years to contribute more significantly to the film industry.

“During Covid, I had a lot of free time and used to keep thinking. I realised that I might have 15 more years of active work left…uske baad zindagi kisne dekhi hai….I wanted to give back to people whatever I have learned in the past so many years. The industry, society, and country have given me so much. I thought that I could do one film a year as an actor, but as a producer, I can produce many more films. I want to give platform to new talents. I can provide a platform for new writers, directors, and everyone involved in the process”, Aamir Khan explained during an interaction with Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud.

“‘Laapataa Ladies’ is the first project in that sense. I want to promote this kind of talent and hopefully, I can produce four to five films a year. I want to be the shoulder for talent”, he said.

CJI Chandrachud also interacted with Khan and Rao after the film screening, which was part of a gender sensitisation programme. He recalled their first meeting years ago when he was a young judge at the Bombay High Court.

“Years ago, when I was a young judge of the Bombay High Court, I was participating in an intellectual property seminar and Mr Aamir Khan came and participated and spoke at the seminar. He was in his blue jeans, a white shirt and he came and joined us in the audience and he said that well, you know. I feel out of place being with the judges and lawyers. But he spoke from his heart and what he said was so profound on the challenges confronting filmmakers and producers in today’s age of technology. So it’s been a very interesting first meeting with him”, the CJI said.

The screening, held to commemorate the 75th year of the Supreme Court of India, was attended by the judges of the apex court, their spouses, and members of the registry.

CJI Chandrachud humorously remarked, “I don’t want a stampede in the court, but we welcome Aamir Khan who is here for the screening of the film”, Attorney General R Venkataramani added, “It’s a star-studded court today.”

Kiran Rao, who also reached the court ahead of the screening, expressed her honor at the event. “I am deeply honored and privileged that our film is being screened as part of the 75th-anniversary celebrations of the Supreme Court of India”, she said.

Laapataa Ladies, which focuses on gender equality, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September 2023 and received a standing ovation. The film stars Ravi Kishan, Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ratna, and Sparsh Shrivastav in pivotal roles. (ANI)