KIRAN RAO

Filmmaker and producer Kiran Rao has mastered the art of mainstreaming social commentary, as seen in her early films like Dhobi Ghat and more recently in Laapataa Ladies and Humans in the Loop.

- Preetha Banerjee

In 2016, Rao co-founded Paani Foundation, a nonprofit focused on helping Maharashtra’s drought-stricken farmers become climate-resilient. In an interview with Preetha Banerjee, Rao shares how her journey has deepened her understanding of nature and how it has influenced her creative work:

What first sparked your awareness of environmental and social issues, and how has that awareness evolved over the years?

My awareness has developed slowly and organically over the years. As a child, I always felt most alive when I was outdoors—around trees, rain, rivers—especially during our family holidays in the Himalayas. I did not have the language to express it then, but as I grew older, I learnt how deeply we are nurtured by and connected to nature. Later, as I began travelling through rural India, especially after we started Paani Foundation, I saw how everything is interconnected. Trees, water and the care we give to our natural resources are directly tied to our survival, family security, and even our happiness.

Through our work on mitigating drought and improving farmer livelihoods, I saw firsthand how climate change is not an abstract idea. It is tangible—visible in the lives of farmers, in parched wells and in the loss of forests. That experience deepened my understanding. I realised that environmental consciousness is not just a personal feeling; it is a social and collective responsibility.

Practising sustainability is not easy. What challenges do you face while making these choices?