'Lagaan' to 'Dangal': A look at the professional association of Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao

Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao had tied the knot in 2005

Bollywood star Aamir Khan has parted ways with his wife and filmmaker Kiran Rao. The two issued a statement on Saturday, confirming that they have decided to 'formalise' their divorce, bringing their 15-year-old marriage to an end. They, however, clarified that will continue being associated with each other as co-parents to their son Azad Khan, who was born in 2011, nearly seven years after they tied the knot. Aamir and Kiran produced several films under the banner Aamir Khan Productions, which established them as an important part of Bollywood. Here is a look at their professional journey

Also Read | Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao announce divorce after 15 years of marriage

The beginnings

Kiran served as an assistant director on the sets of Aamir's magnum opus Lagaan, which hit the screens in 2001 and emerged as a big hit. It was directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and became the third Indian movie to be nominated in the 'Best International Feature Film' category after Salaam Bombay and the Nargis-starrer Mother India.

Kiran joins AKP

Kiran subsequently served as associate producer for the critically- acclaimed Taare Zameen Par and the 2008 release Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na, which featured Aamir's nephew and actor Imran Khan in the lead. The romantic comedy emerged as a big hit, receiving rave reviews from the younger crowd.

Dhobi Ghat

Aamir essayed a key role in Kiran's maiden directorial venture Dhobi Ghat, which hit the screens in 2011 and received rave reviews from cinephiles. It made a decent impact at the box office despite the lack of commercial elements. It had an impressive cast that included Prateik Babbar, Kriti Malhotra and Kitu Gidwani.

Peepli Live, Delhi Belly and more

They subsequently produced films such as Peepli Live, Delhi Belly, Secret Superstar and Talaash, which became reasonably popular. Delhi Belly, in particular, enjoys a strong following even today because of its dark humour. It was directed by Abhinay Deo and had an impressive cast that included Imran, Vir Das and Kunaal Roy Kapur. Peepli Live too became popular with most critics describing it as an engaging satirical comedy. It featured Omkar Das Manikpuri, who later acted alongside 'Megastar' Mammootty in the Malayalam movie Unda, in the central role and helped him garner a fair deal of attention.

Dangal and the road ahead

It is, however, Dangal that is considered to be their finest work together. It featured 'Mr Perfectionist' in the role of a caring but a strict father who teaches his daughters the art of wrestling to fulfill his quest for Olympic Gold. It was directed by Nitesh Tiwari and received praise for dealing with women's empowerment in a commercially engaging manner. The eagerly-awaited movie Laal Singh Chaddha, featuring Aamir in a new avatar, too has been produced by AKP.
They are expected to collaborate on more projects in the near future.