'Real high'—Kiran Rao on 'Laapataa Ladies' surpassing 'Animal' on Netflix
What's the story
Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies recently beat the viewership of Ranbir Kapoor's Animal on Netflix, a major feat for the director.
Speaking to ANI, Rao shared her excitement over this surprise success, calling it a "real high."
She said, "We beat their numbers. That was a real high because, honestly, it was such a big film. It had done such huge business."
"Our film broke a lot of those records on OTT, which we could not do in theaters."
Film details
'Laapataa Ladies' plot and cast: A departure from Bollywood norms
Laapataa Ladies is set in rural India in 2001 and follows how two young brides get separated on a train.
The film stars fresh faces like Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, and Sparsh Shrivastava.
Despite being made on a modest budget and not having big stars, the film picked up through excellent word-of-mouth and critical acclaim, even getting a standing ovation at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Success factors
Rao credits authenticity for 'Laapataa Ladies' success
Rao admitted that making a film without major names was challenging, but credited the authenticity of the movie for its success.
She said, "We stayed within a realistic budget and achieved what we needed at the box office."
Produced under Aamir Khan Productions and Kindling Productions, Laapataa Ladies was supported by Jio Studios.
The script was by Biplab Goswami, with Sneha Desai handling the screenplay and dialogues, and Divyanidhi Sharma contributing additional lines.