{"id":53097,"date":"2018-05-25T21:27:42","date_gmt":"2018-05-26T04:27:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/?p=53097"},"modified":"2018-05-25T21:27:42","modified_gmt":"2018-05-26T04:27:42","slug":"constantly-swimming-against-the-tide-aamir-khan-on-early-film-choices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/constantly-swimming-against-the-tide-aamir-khan-on-early-film-choices\/","title":{"rendered":"Constantly Swimming Against the Tide: Aamir Khan on Early Film Choices"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aamir Khan with his wife Kiran Rao at Mehboob Studios during the promotion of film ‘Veere Di Wedding,’ in Mumbai, May 24. (Press Trust of India)<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

His box office credentials are unmatched today but Aamir Khan says despite facing an initial sceptic industry, he has always been someone who believed in experimenting with film roles. Aamir Khan said he was offered the role of Sunil Dutt in the Sanjay Dutt biopic but he was more keen to play the lead role, which was already in Ranbir Kapoor’s kitty.<\/p>\n

\n

Aamir Khan, who has completed 30 years in Bollywood, walked down the memory lane to reflect on the film choices that set him apart from the crowd and made him feel like a \u201clone ranger.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I came into the industry, I was a minority, I was a lone ranger, who was trying to do films that I believed in, but the market did not believe in it and a host of people also did not believe in it,\u201d Aamir said in a group interview in Mumbai.<\/p>\n

With hits such as \u201cQayamat Se Qayamat Tak,\u201d \u201cJo Jeeta Wohi Sikander,\u201d \u201cBaazi,\u201d \u201cEarth,\u201d \u201cSarfarosh,\u201d \u201cLagaan\u201d and \u201cDangal,\u201d Aamir has come to be known as one of the most bankable stars in cinema today but the actor said it has not been an easy ride to stardom.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was constantly swimming against the tide to do the films I believed in. Now the tide has changed. So, the films that I believed in then and no one else did, have actually become more mainstream today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aamir, 53, believes the audiences\u2019 sensibilities are changing and if \u201cJo Jeeta Wohi Sikander\u201d would have released today, it had better chances at the ticket window.<\/p>\n

Asked if he thinks the risk has paid off now, he said, \u201cI don\u2019t know if I can say that, I was not doing it for a pay-off, I was just doing it. I was not concerned if it will pay-off or not, my focus was to do films that I believed in. When I do a film like \u2018Talaash,\u2019 I know it is not going to be the biggest hit of the year but I want to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The actor has bridged the gap between commercial and content-driven cinema but insisted he is not searching for social content in a film.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not setting out for what the next social issue (should be). I have had a mix range of films like \u2018Delhi Belly,\u2019 \u2018Thugs of Hindostan,\u2019 \u2018Dangal,\u2019 etc., I am getting drawn to stories which I like.\u201d<\/p>\n

The actor said he reacts to a script like an audience member.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has to be something that excites me, engages me, sometimes it might have a message, sometimes it might not. I don\u2019t think whether it is commercial or not. I am not able to think like that. I feel my cinema should be good and I want it to be loved by as many people (as possible).\u201d<\/p>\n

He became a star overnight with success of his debut film as lead actor \u201cQayamat Se Qayamat Tak\u201d in 1988 and realized he had become famous when he could no longer use the public transport. In 1973, Aamir appeared as child actor in his uncle Nasir Hussain\u2019s film \u201cYaadon Ki Baaraat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first time I sensed I had become popular was after \u2018Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak.\u2019 It was quite mad. I did a successful film, but I didn\u2019t have the money to buy a car. I used to travel by autorickshaw, bus or a train but after a point, I couldn\u2019t,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to ask my uncle, \u2018Can I borrow your car? I have to go somewhere… There are just people everywhere I go\u2019,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Aamir said he earned Rs. 11,000 for his debut.<\/p>\n

Aamir said when Rajkumar Hirani, who has directed him in \u201c3 Idiots\u201d and \u201cPK,\u201d narrated the idea of \u201cSanju\u201d to him, he fell in love with the script and felt it was written beautifully. Sunil Dutt\u2019s role is now being played by Paresh Rawal in the biopic.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe wanted me to play Sunil Dutt sahab\u2019s role and it is a fantastic role. Largely, it is a father-son story. But Sanju\u2019s role is unbelievable. I told Raju, Sanjay Dutt\u2019s role is so great that it has won my heart… So in this film, I can\u2019t do any other role but that of Sanjay Dutt, which I can\u2019t do as Ranbir Kapoor is doing it.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, don\u2019t offer me any other role as I won\u2019t be able to do it. I can\u2019t come to the sets thinking this should have been my lines. That role has won my heart and I am sure Ranbir has done it really well, he is a fantastic actor. I can\u2019t wait to watch the film and Ranbir\u2019s performance,\u201d Aamir said.<\/p>\n

Aamir said he had met Sunil Dutt and remembers him as a person who was \u201cgraceful, and dignified.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe used to send me telegrams on Diwali, Eid, birthdays and congratulatory messages. There would be like three-four-word messages like \u2018congratulations, well done\u2019,\u201d Aamir recalled.<\/p>\n

The actor said he once ended up spending a night under the statue of Mahatma Gandhi with Sunil Dutt and three other stalwarts of the industry in 1993, during the Mumbai riots.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Mumbai riots happened in 1993, the film industry took out a delegation to the chief minister saying bring in the Army, do what you had to do to stop the riots. Around 30 to 40 people had driven to the CM office.<\/p>\n

\u201c… We decided we will sit near Mahatma Gandhi\u2019s statue near Mantralaya and will protest in open (to) stop the riots and we won\u2019t get up until violence stops. We took turns. Five people including me, Dutt Sahab, Yash Chopra ji, Johnny Walker and a producer were there on the first night of protest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Calling the time spent with the legends as memorable, the \u201dDangal\u201d star said they ended up sharing stories about their careers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was listening to the stories (about the) career of Dutt sahab, Yash ji and Johnny Walker… It was a wonderful time. It was a memorable night for me under the statue. By the next evening, the CM took some action and things went to normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Akshay Kumar was earlier set to play the lead role in Gulshan Kumar biopic \u201cMogul\u201d but reports suggested that Aamir may step in following his exit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am producing Ghulshan ji\u2019s biopic with Bhushan Kumar (of T-Series). After \u2018Thugs..\u2019, I have not signed anything,\u201d Aamir clarified.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Aamir Khan with his wife Kiran Rao at Mehboob Studios during the promotion of film ‘Veere Di Wedding,’ in Mumbai, May 24. (Press Trust of India) His box office credentials are unmatched today but Aamir Khan says despite facing an initial sceptic industry, he has always been someone who believed in experimenting with film roles….<\/p>\n

Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":53068,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,19],"tags":[1241,1243,2292,33,139,6202,2780,5948,5951,6203,147,4621],"class_list":["post-53097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","category-topics","tag-dangal","tag-lagaan","tag-aamir-khan","tag-bollywood","tag-entertainment","tag-kareen-kapoor","tag-kiran-rao","tag-qsqt","tag-sanju","tag-sarfarosh","tag-siliconeer","tag-veere-di-wedding"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53097"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53097\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}