In Bed With… Kiran Rao

 Kiran Rao is admirable for many reasons. As an independent filmmaker, producer and storyteller, she questions the status quo; in her personal life, she embraces her role as mother to Azad and wife to Aamir Khan. Our fascination, not in the least, is with how she makes it all seem effortless.

As she lazes about in her Bandra home, cast in its gentle light and beauty, Kiran is candid with us about the pleasures of rest, motherhood, and bedtime reading…

Your version of counting sheep?
Making mental to-do lists of all the jobs that need to be done!

Objects on your bedside table
Water, phone charger, homeopathic medicines, ear plugs.

Objects on husband Aamir and son Azad’s bedside table:
Aamir has water and a book. Azad has homeopathic medicines and water.

Azad’s favourite bedtime stories
Azad brings books back from the library, and bedtime stories are an important time together. Our favourites are Asterix and Obelix and Tintin, but we like to read all kinds of stuff.

“Rest is all-important. I’m not so sure about what one defines as success, but overall, wellbeing is certainly dependent on rest.”

Nighttime routine
Brush my teeth, sometimes moisturise my face, take my homeopathic medicine, plug my ears, and turn out the lights.

“Success and rest go hand in hand.” Thoughts?
Rest is all-important. I’m not so sure about what one defines as success, but overall, wellbeing is certainly dependent on rest.

What gets you out of bed every morning?
Knowing that I’ll be seeing my son – sometimes waking him up if he isn’t up first. On most mornings, we get an hour together before school, and that’s precious.

 Everyday breakfast

Our daily breakfast needs to keep changing, because I can’t eat the same thing every day. It varies from baked beans, avocado and toast to stuff made withmung dal to granola with fruit and almond milk.

A typical Sunday morning comprises…

Making and eating breakfast with Azad, reading lots of newspapers, sometimes going to the beach or visiting Equal Streets with Azad to cycle, skateboard or play football.

The do’s and don’ts of making your bed

I prefer plain (not patterned) linen that is clean and doesn’t have too much detergent fragrance.

Bed covers versus the slept in look?

I use a bed cover.

Best tip for a good night’s sleep?

Try not to go on Instagram or start watching a show when you’re in your pajamas and ready for bed… I have done that many times and paid the steep price of sleep deprivation!