From 'Charulata' to 'Parasite': Kiran Rao Recommends Must-Watch Films

A filmmaker, writer and producer, Kiran Rao is the force behind some of modern Hindi cinema’s most defining moments. An illustrious career that began with her being an assistant director on films like Lagaan (2001), it wasn’t long before she stepped into her own directorial voice, with Dhobi Ghat (2010). Rao is also behind genre-defying films such as Peepli Live (2010) and Delhi Belly (2011), championing new voices with a social conscience.

In 2023, she returned to the director’s chair with Laapataa Ladies, a warm, feminist satire that reaffirmed her love for nuanced, character-driven cinema — one that also happened to be India’s official submission for the 2025 Oscars.

“I was surprised when we were chosen — delighted and really honoured,” Rao said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India. “We had no hand in it, so we were really happy that we were chosen. It must have been a difficult choice because there were such good films — Payal’s [All We Imagine As Light] was one; Aattam, I heard great things about.”

Through it all, Rao has remained an ardent cinephile. And so, in conversation with THR India, she shares a curated list of movies that have shaped her own journey, exploring social inequalities through a humanistic lens.

Charulata (1964)

Based on Rabindranath Tagore’s novella Nastanirh (The Broken Nest), Satyajit Ray’s Charulata is a study of isolation and unspoken desire. Set in late-19th-century Bengal, the film follows Charulata, a sensitive, intelligent woman trapped in a stifling marriage. When her husband’s charming younger cousin enters their home, Charulata realises he shares her love for literature and finally gives her the attention she craves. Ray captures her emotional awakening with minimal dialogue and critiques the patriarchy and a woman’s lack of agency, along with the emotional cost of neglect.

Akira (1988)

Directed by Katshiro Otomo, Akira is an animated cyberpunk film, hailed as the holy grail of anime. Like many anime films, it reveals a dytopian reality juxtaposing humanity with modern technology. With a budget of nine million dollars, it was the most expensive Japanese anime film to be made at the time. Otomo also co-wrote the film, and the dialogue was recorded before the animation process was completed, a feat quite rare in the anime world. The story follows the leader of a local biker gang, Shotaro Kaneda, whose friend is captured by the government and develops strange powers in the process. Treading the line between fantasy and fiction, it's a film truly deserving of its cult status.

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983)

Directed by Kundan Shah and produced by the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC), Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro remains one of Indian cinema’s most iconic political satires. The film follows two idealistic photographers, Vinod Chopra (Naseeruddin Shah) and Sudhir Mishra (Ravi Baswani), who unwittingly uncover an issue involving builders, bureaucrats, politicians and the media. Featuring an ensemble cast that includes Om Puri, Satish Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Neena Gupta and Bhakti Barve, the film uses slapstick comedy to expose societal hypocrisy. Beneath its comedic surface lies a poignant critique of systemic decay, making it eerily relevant even 40 years later.

Withnail and I (1987)

Set in 1969 London, Withnail and I follows two out-of-work actors — the entirely chaotic Withnail, and more cautious Marwood — as they flee their tiny Camden flat for the countryside. What begins as an impromptu escape quickly unravels into a misadventure. Think freezing weather, food shortages, eccentric locals and the unwanted arrival of Withnail’s creepy uncle, Monty. The film ends with Marwood’s quiet departure and Withnail’s descent into loneliness, quoting Shakespeare to the animals in Regent’s Park. A cult classic, Bruce Robinson’s darkly comic tale explores despair, of course through his biting wit and emphatic melancholy.

Parasite (2019)

Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar-winning film is a genre-defying thriller that begins as an almost comedic tale of deception and transforms into a chilling social satire. The story follows the impoverished Kim family as they infiltrate the lives of the wealthy Park family by posing as unrelated, highly qualified workers. What starts as a clever con, spirals into chaos when a secret in the Park home is revealed, triggering a violent power struggle. At its core, Parasite is a critique of class inequality. The film exposes how economic divisions dehumanise, isolate and ultimately pit the underprivileged against each other, all while the rich remain untouched in their mansions.

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