Kiran Rao, the acclaimed filmmaker, recently opened up about her co-parenting experiences with Aamir Khan, an endeavor that has seen substantial smoothening over the years. This revelation came during Rao’s appearance on Kareena Kapoor’s renowned chat show, What Women Want. Since their separation in 2021, Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan have been diligently working on co-parenting their son Azad, an arrangement that posed initial challenges but is getting progressively easier.
During her discussion with Kareena Kapoor, Kiran candidly shared insights about their current parenting setup. “It’s tricky,” she admitted. Kiran took the opportunity to elaborate on how she has often been the primary parent even during her marriage to Aamir. “Honestly, even when we were married, I was doing a lot of the actual primary parenting,” she revealed. Following their separation, Aamir realized he needed to factor in parenting duties more consciously into his life, a shift that required substantial adjustment on his part. “Once we got separated and then divorced, I think Aamir also sort of realized how much of that he will have to factor into his life,” Kiran stated, drawing attention to the complexities born out of living separately yet co-parenting efficiently.
The couple is currently practicing co-parenting from relative proximity, as they live upstairs and downstairs in the same building, a situation that provides Aamir and Azad more quality time together. “Now, it’s much smoother, and Aamir is more involved in it,” Kiran remarked, delineating how the spatial arrangement benefits their co-parenting dynamic. The arrangement has led to Azad enjoying his time with his father in ways he couldn’t before. “It has reached a place where it is really nice. I feel like I can relax and leave Azad with Aamir,” she noted with satisfaction, affirming that Aamir’s increased involvement has fortified their parenting effort.
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However, one area where Aamir prefers to maintain a distance is school-related activities. Kiran humorously pointed out this tendency, which she feels is common among many fathers. “Only Aamir knows nothing about school. I think it’s a majority of the dads’ problem. They are always like, ‘Don’t get us involved in school-related activities; we will take up other things,'” Kiran quipped, highlighting the often-universal nature of this issue within parenting dynamics.
Besides discussing her parenting journey, Kiran Rao also seized the opportunity to shed light on her latest professional endeavor during her visit to the London School of Economics (LSE). Kiran’s film, ‘Laapataa Ladies,’ has been selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars, a recognition that speaks volumes of her directorial acumen. In an engaging conversation with Professor Shakuntala Banaji, a luminary in Media, Culture, and Social Change, and Sanam Arora, Founder and Chairperson of the National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK (NISAU), Kiran shared invaluable insights on how she strives to push the boundaries of storytelling within Indian cinema, reinforcing her commitment to catalyzing social change through her films.
Through her films, Kiran Rao aims to tackle various social issues, using cinema as a powerful medium to invoke dialogue and provoke introspection among the masses. The dialogue at LSE provided an ideal platform to discuss these aspirations, lending her voice and perspective to the ongoing conversation about the role of cinema in societal development. This commitment to not only her craft but also her societal contributions underscores Kiran’s multifaceted profile as both a filmmaker and a parent.
In a world where co-parenting dynamics fluctuate and personalities strive to find a solid footing after separation, Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan’s evolving journey offers an insightful perspective on adaptability and shared responsibilities. This journey undeniably requires resolve, understanding, and, most importantly, effective communication. As Kiran and Aamir continue to refine their parenting approach, their story becomes a beacon for others traversing similar paths, illustrating that while challenges may abound, steadfast cooperation bears the potential to turn complexity into harmony.
