The actor is all for constructive criticism on social media, but says he doesn’t pay heed to arbitrary people attacking him for no reason
Monika Rawal Kukreja (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 21, 2020)

Aamir Khan possibly is the last person to experience FOMO (fear of missing out). Whether it’s not attending award shows, not doing multiple films in a year or not making frequent public appearances, Aamir has neither been part of any rat race nor even bothered about being left out. So, even when it comes to his social media presence, Mr Perfectionist follows his own norms.

In fact, he made his Instagram debut only in 2018, well after most of Bollywood. Ask why, and pat comes the reply, “I am a person who is in my own world half the time. So, I am not very often there on social media platforms. You can say I am not very communicative on social media.”

However, Aamir is quick to add that his films and other works are the means through which he wants to be known. He insists that he likes to communicate through his films. “For me, that’s the most important form of communication. Whether it’s through my films or (TV show) Satyamev Jayate or through Paani Foundation, the communication that I do through my work is what counts,” he explains.

However, it’s not that Aamir totally stays away from airing his views on social media, as he says, “Once in a while I would tweet something or post a picture on Instagram, but yeah, I am not very regular.”

Perhaps that’s also the reason one hasn’t really heard or read about the actor getting into any war of words or hitting back at trolls for nasty comments, if any. But does he take out time to read the comments on his posts on social media? “Yes, I do read them occasionally. Especially around my film’s release, I definitely do, because I want to know what people feel about the film and my character. That’s the time when I go and particularly look for what people are saying,” says the actor, who is currently shooting for his next, Laal Singh Chaddha.

And Aamir asserts he doesn’t let too much negativity affect him. “If someone is just making fun of me or attacking me for no reason, I don’t bother. Aise hi arbitrary log negative bol rahe hain, usse mujhe kucch farak nahi padta aur main uss par respond bhi nahi karta,” he says.

But constructive criticism is something that the Thugs Of Hindostan (2018) actor happily welcomes. “If someone gives me criticism which is constructive, I take it seriously because that’s where I am learning. As an actor and a creative person, it helps me learn and grow,” he continues, “When people appreciate my work, it makes me feel nice. I understand what they’ve understood in the film, how they’ve perceived the character; they describe it and it’s a happy feeling that my work connected with them. Even at times when people say they don’t like my work and describe what they didn’t like, it helps me to improve myself. So, I am all for sensible criticism.”

The actor says his kids or anyone else would not be in his films unless they fit the part. He can’t be dishonest
Monika Rawal Kukreja (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 15, 2019)

The buzz around Bollywood star kids and their speculated grand debut on the silver screen is perennial. Ask actor Aamir Khan about his kids’ showbiz career and he shares that both Ira and Junaid — his kids from his first marriage — who have decided to do theatre for now, are doing it without his help. Junaid debuted as a theatre actor a while back. Ira, recently, made her directorial debut with the Greek tragedy titled Medea.

In the times when nepotism in showbiz is constant talk, the 54-year-old says, “I’m so glad that they’re following what they want to do, and what’s most important is that they’re doing it on their own. They are not taking my help in anything... Which is good, because I think that’s how it should be. Ira had told me (about the play), but she had not asked me for any help, nor did she say, ‘Dad, please guide me’. Junaid is acting in theatre and he’s also on his own.”

However, Khan is quick to add that he does get nervous as a parent. “When I go to see Junaid’s play, I’m like, ‘I hope he has done well’. And now that Ira is directing a play, I hope she does well, too. I’m nervous for her. It’s a natural parental response hoping that your child does well. I guess that there’s no escape from that nervousness,” he shares.

But will the two enter Bollywood? Khan says it would be entirely their call “if they want to” and they’ll “have to find their own way” to do so, for Khan won’t ever be “dishonest” to himself and his craft. “For me, to cast anyone in a film, the main criterion is ‘Are you appropriate for that film?’ If you’re not, it doesn’t matter whether you’re my relative or my child. I can’t be dishonest to my creative belief,” Aamir continues, “So, if I do cast Junaid, it’ll be because I feel he’s right for the role. And if ever it happens that I produce a film that Ira wants to direct, it would be because she’s right for the film not because she’s my daughter.”

On the work front, his production house is in the process of developing a number of “exciting” films and series for the web space. “There are certain stories, which need telling in a way that allows you episodes. We’ll see how it goes because development is an uncertain stage.... Until the script comes out, we won’t say anything,” says Aamir, who will be seen in Laal Singh Chaddha.

Is the urge to venture into digital space a result of the fact that many established names from Bollywood have entered the web? He denies and explains, “No, it’s nothing like that. As a production house, we don’t make content in terms of platforms. In these 19 years of me producing films, I think we’ve only made eight films, whereas production houses conventionally would like to produce multiple films in a year for it to be economically viable for them to run. While for us, until we get a material that excites us, we don’t venture into it.”

Ahead of his production Rubaru Roshni's premiere tomorrow, Aamir says he opted for the medium since he wanted the message to reach the masses
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; January 25, 2019)

In his three-decade-long career, he has earned a distinction few can boast of — when Aamir Khan has something to say, people sit up and listen. It is in the hope that the audience will, once again, take notice of his offering that the superstar has backed Rubaru Roshni, a short film that is set for a television premiere tomorrow.

Directed by Svati Chakravarti Bhatkal, the film reflects on three episodes that changed the course of Indian history. Yet, Khan insists, at its heart, it is a story about forgiveness. The actor says, "It features real people who were affected [by the incidents] and how they healed themselves by forgiving the perpetrators. The healing process starts with yourself; you have to forgive and let it go."

Following its premiere, the film will drop on Hotstar, and three months later, on Netflix. The actor-filmmaker adds, "Netflix was keen to acquire it, but I wanted people across the country to see it first, and then the world. I chose to premiere it on TV due to the wide reach of the medium."

Ask him why he chose Republic Day, and he says, "It is a national holiday, so everyone can watch it." Emotionally stirring and thought-provoking in equal measure, the film can leave viewers with a lump in the throat. Khan admits it left him teary-eyed too:

"When I saw the film, I cried. Conflicts in the world are continuing because we are holding on to the past. I am reading a book on Jerusalem, where the conflicts are 1,000 years old, and there is still no way out. Hanging on to the negativity will do you no good. Forgiveness is the most healing quality."

Meena Iyer (DNA; November 7, 2018)

The icon of Indian cinema, Amitabh Bachchan and Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, who are coming together for the first time ever in Thugs Of Hindostan (TOH), gave DNA After Hrs readers a special surprise by coming together to wish them a Happy Diwali.

This year, the festival of lights is synonymous with the action-adventure TOH. The film, which promises to break opening-day records, releases worldwide tomorrow! After Hrs caught up with these two thugs, who spoke to us exclusively on what they love about this auspicious fest that is celebrated with great fervour globally.

BIG B: MY FATHER WOULD READ A PORTION OF THE RAMAYAN TO US EVERY DIWALI
Diwali has two meanings for me because I am 76-years-old. I will have to describe those moments when I was younger and what is happening now, so there are different outlooks, interpretations and celebrations. When we were younger, almost a month before the actual event, we would go to the storeroom in the house and pick out all the mitti (clay) diyas. We would wash them a night prior and next morning put them out in the sun to dry.

Then, we would make cotton battis that would go inside the diya and then add oil. The evening or night before, we would start placing them on the steps, at the gate and in the lawn. We would keep a diya in every room of the house and then do the same on the day of puja. Nowadays, you have electricity. We never did it with electricity because that was the true form of Diwali.

My father would read a portion of the Ramayan, which is synonymous with the festival. It talks about Ramji’s return from Vanwas and the celebrations. After the puja was over, we would light the diyas and then burst firecrackers. Lots of fresh sweets were made in the house, all the children wore new clothes and guests would come over to wish. I used to be with my friends till late in the night. Next morning, we would pick all the diyas, clean them and put them away for next Diwali.

Now, it’s different. You start off by preparing how to light up the house using electricity, which is not the same thing as a diya. Now, we do some rehearsals to check how is it looking, if everything is in sync, whether all the bulbs light up and ensure that there are no fused bulbs. We discuss how to decorate the trees, what kind of lamps to put up and invite friends over to the house and serve them delicacies.

Also, playing cards is a symbolic gesture as you invite Goddess Laxmi into the house. The prettier your home looks and is lit up, it is said the more the Goddess will be generous with you. Later, we start playing cards. I know that many people in the other parts of the country take it seriously and start playing cards weeks before, but in our house, we do so only on the day of Diwali. It is considered as good shagun.

AAMIR: THIS DIWALI IS EVEN MORE SPECIAL AS IT’S KIRAN’S BIRTHDAY
What I like most about this festival is the gambling (laughs)! I’m a reckless gambler. I love it, but do it only once during this time of the year. I like poker and I’m looking forward to playing it. It’s a great game. What I also enjoy about Deepawali is being with my family. This year, it’s even more special as it’s my wife, Kiran’s, birthday. I hope this Diwali will be special, joyous and safe for everyone.

Charting his battle with the cigarette, Aamir Khan reveals he has been puffing on a pipe for the past few months
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; November 6, 2018)

Aamir Khan had famously said that he would give up smoking cigarettes after the release of Dangal (2016). Two years down the line, the superstar has got rid of the habit — well, only partly. Talking to mid-day, Khan revealed that while he kicked the butt three months ago, he has been puffing on a pipe since. Turns out, it was one of his friends from outside the industry who introduced him to the gentleman's vice.

"One of my friends said that if I wanted to smoke, I should smoke a pipe. I liked it so much that I can't go back to a cigarette now. I tried one sometime back, but the moment I took a puff, I found the taste horrible," laughs Khan, who recently made a road trip from Lake Como to Milan especially to buy over a dozen pieces from a reputed pipe shop there. In fact, not too long ago, his Thugs Of Hindostan co-star Katrina Kaif had shared a picture of the actor puffing on a pipe, which went viral.

Having been a fairly heavy smoker in the past, Khan says he would find himself reaching for a cigarette every time his film was gearing up for release. "I quit smoking for two-three years when I was training for Dhoom 3 (2013). But then, I went back to it again. I tend to smoke more when my movie releases. Kiran [Rao, wife] would be affected by the cigarette smoke, but she isn't averse to the pipe. I even tried my hand at cigars, but did not find the experience satisfying."

The actor also reveals that ahead of the Thugs Of Hindostan shoot, he was worried that Amitabh Bachchan might be offended by his smoking. He apparently turned to good friend and Bachchan's frequent co-star Shah Rukh Khan for advice. "Shah Rukh told me, 'Amit ji is cool, you can smoke in front of him. If he scolds you, just run away.' Next thing you know, Amit ji and I are watching Wonder Woman during the shoot in Malta and he tells me, 'I heard you asked Shah Rukh if you can smoke in front of me.' I didn't know how to react," laughs Khan, adding, "But Amit ji was cool."

Meena Iyer (DNA; April 23, 2018)

When Aamir Khan takes on anything, rest assured he will give it his 100 per cent. His work in the drought-hit talukas of Maharashtra has now taken on gargantuan proportions. Slowly but surely, the actor-filmmaker has solidified his own efforts and those of like-minded people to bring a sea change in the area of rainwater harvesting. Over to him...

Your initiative Paani Foundation seems to have caught on in the short time since you started it.
Most of Paani’s work happens in the villages during these two months of April and May. It’s been like this over the last three years. In 2016, we started with three talukas; 116 villages. Then in 2017, we had grown to 30 talukas; 1,300 villages. This is the third year, and we’ve reached 75 talukas; about 4,030-odd villages. That’s the kind of progress this initiative has witnessed. Maharashtra has 358 talukas, and we are working with 75 of them. What is noteworthy is that we are working with every village in every taluka.

It has to be demand-driven, the village has to solve the problem. We conduct a five-day training session on how to do watershed management work. After that, the villagers do all the work by themselves; they chalk out how to do it and execute their plans. Whenever they need any advice or help, our experts are there. This has become a big social movement. On an average, over a lakh of people are working every day on their own. Shramdaan is voluntary work.

Are you happy with the progress?
I’m very happy. Firstly, villages are getting sufficient water and secondly, now the people have more self-belief. Water is the biggest problem. Once they understand this issue can be solved, they will realise they can do anything. We must also remember that around 150 talukas come under Tushkar area; i.e. the drought area. Today, we have 75 talukas and hopefully, we will be able to cover the drought-prone parts, too. The Konkan belt gets good rainfall. However, the region also has steep slopes. So, a lot of rainwater gets wasted along with topsoil.

So, you’re like the Bill Gates of Paani foundation, if one were to draw parallels between his and Melinda Gates’ work for AIDS and now TB (Tuberculosis). You identify something and work for it.
Bill Gates! No, no, yaar... During the first two years, people would often ask me how could they help the cause. Now, we’ve found a solution. They can join our initiative as JalMitra and donate money to the villages, help with the machine work and volunteer. On May 1, we’re organising Maha Shramdaan, wherein we’re inviting people from cities to travel to these villages and work for three hours.

Where will you be on that day?
I’m not sure which village I will be in on that day. If you join as JalMitra, you have the option of choosing from 75 talukas. Based on that, you get the options of villages. When you reach the chosen village, you will be told what you have to do. There will be a pit marked out, or loose boulders to be kept. Whatever the 16 structures of watershed management are, you will be allotted one and will have to work for three hours.

This is a great opportunity for people to get involved. The last day for enrolling as JalMitra is April 25, midnight. Over a lakh of people have signed up for it.

Recently, even Akshay Kumar participated in a water-saving initiative in a village.
I believe he is shooting somewhere in Satara and the village where he is doing Shramdaan is participating in our Water Cup. I don’t know if he knows about this...

You’ve managed to involve a lot of people in your initiative. Last time, even farmers came and the Chief Minister gave away prizes for the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup.
With 75 talukas participating, about 100 villages will win prizes. Shah Rukh (Khan) attended the function last year. As Kiran (Rao) and I had swine flu, we couldn’t make it. I asked him if he could go. Ten thousand farmers were at the event that went on for five hours. Shah Rukh waited till the end and gave a beautiful speech. It was sweet of him.

Do you see the industry also participating in this cause?
Yes. When we started, we had a presentation for our colleagues from the Hindi and Marathi film industries and told them what was being planned. They were encouraging. Today, Marathi film celebrities are actively involved. They call up saying, ‘I have three days free, where can I go and do Shramdaan?’ As for my colleagues in the Hindi film industry, I haven’t tapped them into it yet. When I take a celebrity there, it cannot be a distraction. I can’t let work stop.

If they come, are you looking at physical participation from their end?
When you go to a village and work with 300-400 people collectively and participate in contributing something specific to their solution, it feels great. Seeing the CCT (Continuous Contour Trench, which is used to treat barren undulated land) collect over 20,000 cubic litres of water makes you happy that you have done something.

Upala KBR (MID-DAY; April 23, 2018)

Currently in its third year, Aamir Khan’s Paani Foundation is striving towards making Maharashtra drought-free. Starting this year, the state government led by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has taken the onus of arranging the transport facilities for the 20,000 trainers who are part of Khan’s not-for-profit organisation.

Speaking to mid-day, Khan explains that every year, about 20,000 individuals are selected from villages across the state. These individuals are then trained in watershed management at various centres before they head back to their respective villages to teach the locals about water conservation.

He says, “These trainers have to travel to the training centres. While Paani Foundation bears the expenses for their travel, we use Maharashtra State Transport for the conveyance. It’s a big logistical effort — when do we book the tickets for? Which buses are to be booked? How many seats do we book? So, we requested the government to assist us. ”

The superstar says that the response was prompt. “The CM’s office got immediately in touch with the Maharashtra State Transport head and he ensured that they will take care of the logistics and facilitate smoother travel. We gave them a lump sum — they keep deducting the necessary amount as and when we book seats on their buses. We’ve got tremendous support from the CM’s office.”

Meena Iyer (DNA; March 14, 2018)

Aamir Khan is a superstar to whom accolades have always come easy. His 30-year-old career has had several acting milestones. But the Aamir of the last decade (from 2009-2018) is not content just to rest on his laurels. Modesty stops him from screaming from the rooftop about money matters. However, if you follow Hindi mainstream cinema, you will notice that he is indeed a box-office lion. His last few films — 3 Idiots, PK, Dangal and Secret Superstar — have set enviable records in India, China, the Silicon Valley, Australia and more global destinations. On his 53rd birthday, the actor-filmmaker is not in a mood to discuss the obvious. Instead, he’s game to answering innocuous questions.

Who do you think will be the first to wish you on your birthday?
I’m shooting during the night in Jodhpur for Thugs Of Hindostan. So, I’m guessing it will be someone from the unit. However, I hope Amitabh Bachchan is the first to wish me.

Any specific birthday plan?
My birthday plan is always to try and spend time with my mother. This year, as I’m away from home, I’ve requested my director, Victor (Vijay Krishna Acharya), to relieve me for a day. If that happens, I’ll travel to Mumbai to be with my mother. But if it’s not possible then she will come to Jodhpur. She’s the person because of whom I’m in this world, so I want to spend this day with her.

You have the most enviable box-office record in India, China and the Silicon Valley. So are you the most invincible Khan?
I’m not in a war. So, I don’t have to be invincible. I’m a storyteller. I have to tell stories, entertain people and give them a good time. I’m trying to be inclusive in my work, so I entertain everyone including those from my fraternity. An actor-filmmaker is someone who has to be able to take the audience on a joyride. And that’s what I’m trying to do.

When you become a part of a film or any project, it suddenly becomes more exciting. The trade calls it the Aamir effect. Are you scared of this or are you challenged by it?
Thankfully, I’m totally unaware of any effect that I have on people around me. Since I am oblivious to it, I have no idea that it even exists. I do believe that all creative people bring a certain energy to the work that they do. It excites me to work with other talented people and feed off their energy when all of us come together to make a film.

Thugs of Hindostan looks interesting. Can you tell us about your experience of working with the Indian cinema icon, Amitabh Bachchan in it?
Working with Mr Bachchan was my dream and I’m really happy that I’m living it right now. I’m like a child in a toy shop and he is a complete joy to work with. His ability as an actor, his concentration, the effort that he puts in, his focus towards his work and above all, the kind of person he is, all this makes it a very enriching and memorable experience for me. So, it’s a dream come true.

THE MARATHON MAN

3 IDIOTS (2009)
India Net: Rs 201.37 Cr
Worldwide Gross: Rs 350 Cr

TALAASH (2012)
India Net: Rs 91.23 Cr
Worldwide Gross: Rs 175 Cr

DHOOM 3 (2013)
India Net: Rs 260.63 Cr; (with Tamil & Telugu dubbed versions: Rs 275 Cr)
Worldwide Gross: Rs 550 Cr

PK (2014)
India Net: Rs 337.72 Cr
Worldwide Gross: Rs 620 Cr

DANGAL (2016)
India Net: Rs 374.53 Cr; Hindi (with Tamil & Telugu dubbed versions: Rs 391 Cr)
Worldwide Gross: Rs 730 Cr

SECRET SUPERSTAR (2017)
India Net: Rs 62.63 Cr
Worldwide Gross: Rs 126 Cr

 *** Approximate box-office figures from trade sources; All overseas gross figures are from traditional India markets only, not China, etc.

Aamir Khan kicks off mid-day's unique conversation series, where Mumbai's most popular and sharp creative minds dig deep and decode their art and craft, before a select live audience
Mayank Shekhar (MID-DAY; October 27, 2017)

Aamir Khan came over, rather under-slept, stressing over the release of his latest film 'Secret Superstar'. He spoke in-depth on the economics and craft of filmmaking. And only two days later, he conquered the box-office yet again with 'Secret Superstar', maintaining an unrivalled cent per cent hit-rate as a Bollywood producer

Superstar, filmmaker Aamir Khan kicked off the first edition of Sit with Hitlist - a conversation series with India's top creative minds, before a select audience. We intended to host this freewheeling chat in an auditorium. Date and technical issues did not permit it this time. This was a budget version of 'Sit with Hitlist', held at the mid-day office. But as goes with low-budget ventures, with Aamir in it, we knew the word-of-mouth would ensure mid-day's brand-new property would be a huge hit! It was.
Excerpts from the conversation

The big news of 2017 was of course Dangal, and China. Producer Siddharth Roy Kapur's reason for the film's unprecedented success is the Chinese audiences sensed a common Eastern sensibility in the film's father-daughter relationship. Do you agree?
When I visited China and Turkey recently, I realised that their emotional key is very similar to ours. I carefully noticed the reaction that Dangal got in theatres in China. It was the same as for an Indian audience - they were laughing, crying, and clapping at the same points. There was no difference at all.

Is that true for Indians watching Chinese films? I am not sure I get that sensibility the same way.
Well, I saw Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon [2000], and loved it. I was clapping and whistling throughout. I didn't come with any pre-conceived notions. I love Jackie Chan movies. I was in college, when I first saw Police Story [1985] - the action was unbelievable. And it's so humorous. I have connected with these films.


Aamir Khan in conversation with Mayank Shekhar at the first edition of Sit with HITLIST, before a live audience, at the mid-day office

Your personal global reach as an actor really began, thanks to the Internet. Is that right?
My assumption is that it happened with 3 Idiots [2009], which became a huge hit on the Internet. Rajkumar [Hirani] and Vinod [Chopra] got to know about it. Someone from China contacted us, and we released the film there a year later, by when most people had already watched it. They started looking for my other films, and now many of them have watched Taare Zameen Par [2007], Lagaan [2001] and Rang De Basanti [2006].



Considering the strong role of Internet, it was a surprise when I read somewhere that you are such a "big screen guy". Would you bypass something like Netflix?
I was talking about myself as a consumer, and not the creator, of content. As an audience, cinema is more important to me - huge screen, Atmos sound, a richer, larger experience, than a laptop. This doesn't mean I wouldn't want to do a Netflix, or TV series, when the quality is equally cinema-like. I have been asked by them [Netflix] to create something. Content for every platform is different. For Netflix, the content cannot be delivered in one session. The narrative needs to be episodic. I would be keen if something like that comes my way. I have watched Breaking Bad. It's my favourite. I like Game Of Thrones and House of Cards.

One of the central themes of your latest release, Secret Superstar, is how Internet can turn you into an overnight star. How do you compare that kind of stardom with yours, at a time when anything can go viral?
Some of the videos which go viral are one-offs, like a cat doing something funny. But then there are talents that people discover on the Internet - it offers great opportunities. The small-town girl in Secret Superstar has no access, but she is full of passion. She doesn't have to break into the limited distribution network anymore.



Back in the '90s when there wasn't so much talk about box-office numbers, how could you tell someone is finally a star?
From the time I was seven, I remember reading Trade Guide, and other box-office journals. We would check out the figures of dad's films, and there would be a circuit-wise break up. Within the industry, the [box-office] knowledge was always there, since cinema has always been around as a business. Today, mainstream media is picking up box-office figures, and that's a choice you're making.

In small towns, for instance, when people didn't know box-office numbers, one way to gauge stardom was if people had begun copying an actor's haircut. True?
There are many yardsticks for measuring how popular a star is. Copying style is one of them. I remember when Mr Bachchan became a huge star, I wanted to get bell-bottoms made like his. For me, it is essentially about how many seats one fills. It means that people love you and your work, and now they want to go and experience it. That's important. We often measure stardom by how big an actor's commercial successes have been. That is a faulty method. PK's or Dangal's business has to do with how great those films and their scripts were. It's incorrect to attribute that to my stardom. My stardom comes into play when I make a bad film that people don't want to watch. They still come because of my name. So if you want to measure an actor's stardom, you should check out how well his flop does.


Aamir Khan signs on a memorabilia, the original poster of his 1994 release, Andaz Apna Apna

In that sense, the Khans have dominated Bollywood for over 25 years. My question to you is: Do you remember the first time you met Salman and Shah Rukh?
The first time I met Salman was at Babla's [director Aditya Bhattacharya's] house, who made Raakh [1989]. Incidentally, Salman and I were in the same class for a year in the second standard [at St Anne's, in Pali Hill]. And we didn't know each other then! I was at Babla's house to discuss a short film called Paranoia, where I was the actor, spot-boy, production head, first AD - all rolled into one. We shot that film for a month. I was 15, and this is the first time I ever acted. Salman was cycling around in Carter Road. He knew Babla too. We stood in the balcony and talked. He told me about how he also wanted to become an actor. I thought of him as a sweet chap. Shah Rukh, I remember meeting briefly, when I was shooting with Juhi [Chawla], somewhere on the road. He had begun shooting a film with her [Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman]. Deewana [his debut, 1992]
hadn't released yet. He was sweet, and it was a warm meeting.

Clearly nothing momentous. Now one of the reasons 2017 has been considered a sub-par year in Bollywood is because the two top stars' films didn't do well - let alone break records. Do you think the film industry has been relying on the Khans for too long to bail them out every year?
There are other hugely successful stars - Akshay [Kumar], Hrithik [Roshan], Ajay [Devgn]…. The three of us [Khans] have been successful for quite a while; it's natural for the trade to bank [on us]. Sometimes films work, sometimes they don't. At one time, Mr Bachchan was huge. None of us will ever see the stardom he has. He once had eight films simultaneously doing really well in theatres. Trade would bank on him for seats and popcorns. Ideally, there should be more stars. But it's a natural process. Becoming a star is an intangible thing. What is it that people connect with me so strongly over? I have absolutely no idea.



Over a conversation in 2011, you'd told us about a bubble in the film industry, referring to studios that paid money assuming the highest possible returns. Effectively in 2016, most studios went bust. Did you predict this?
Who am I to predict? But it's bad business. Say, Dangal has done Rs 385 crore business, and I come with the next film that gets sold at Rs 400 crore, because a studio is willing to pay that much. They assume that my next will be as big or bigger than Dangal, which was huge to begin with. That's not sound business. A studio can't pay on hope. You have to invest on surety. If the lifetime of the last film is Rs 380 crore, then you know that the next will definitely make Rs 200 crore. The upside is then there for everyone to share. This is why I don't load my film with my fee. My model is that I don't charge any money. All the money goes into filmmaking, and fees, of everyone else. And then the first money [coming in] goes towards recovering the P&A [cost of print and advertising]. Eventually if the film tanks, I get zero. That's a risk I am willing to take. I'd rather lose.

And then if the film [Dangal] does Rs 1,300 crore [in China], means you get a good bulk!
Sure, and I bring that value to the table. Investors are completely secure. I take a sizeable chunk. When the film does Rs 1,300 crore, first the government takes a certain tax amount, and a major chunk goes to theatre chains, and the exhibition sector. It's the same with India, except in China, there are also rules on how much people from outside the country can take as share [revenues from a film]. It finally boils down to 12.5 per cent, which is still good.

Did you pick up a mansion from 12.5 per cent of Chinese box-office?
I am not good with money. I don't do investments and I have very few properties. Basically, my mind doesn't work in that direction. I am not a business savvy person.

You're certainly good at film business, with a 100 per cent track record as producer.
Creatively I don't want to mess with what I want to do. So, say, I want to do a Dhobi Ghat [2011], I'll make sure it's made in Rs 5 crore. For the investor, I know this [amount] will come back, and we'll make a little profit. Films will be profitable if you make them economically viable, and this gives me the freedom to make what I want.

Here's how you get it right each time: budgeting, great script-sense, making sure casting, locations are spot-on. The new thing I've learnt is how much emphasis you give to the audience testing the first-cut of your film. Unknown people repeatedly watch it in focus groups, whose responses eventually determine the final cut/edit. Isn't that losing creative control, almost like filmmaking by public consensus? Odd, no?
No. It's not [by] public consensus. I'm not going around asking people what I should do with my film - and they say cut this or that - and I make the changes. The whole basis of testing a film is that we have a story in mind that we're trying to narrate to you. I just want to make sure that what I'm narrating to you, is coming through. Or are you receiving something else? We become so close to our material that while making a film, we're not able to be objective enough to understand how it's being received.

Can you give concrete examples from your films where there was disconnect between what you were saying, and what was being received?
Let me give you two examples. Take Sarfarosh [1999] first, which was a cop film, about policing. At the test screenings, the consistent response was, "Where's the policing? We don't see any. He [the cop] is constantly listening to ghazals!" We were like, "How's that possible - there's the Khera Naka scene, with the entire action, his leg gets broken, he's in the hospital, where he dives, despite the injury - all those scenes were there." While we were befuddled, we knew this was a problem. So we added three scenes to the film. One, in the beginning, we raid a corrupt cop in the tribal belt of Maharashtra, where ACP Rathore [his character] goes through the phonebook, to get whereabouts of Sultan, which he gets after delivering a tight slap to the corrupt cop. Again, while searching for Sultan, we reach his mother's house, where I stop my colleagues from being rough with her. The third scene was about a raid, where we caught two guys, who we interrogated, but we were getting nothing out of them. This is when I fire at one of the guys, just so the bullet misses him. He spills the beans.

Wasn't that guy Nawazuddin Siddiqui [in a split second role, much before he became popular]?
That was Nawaz, which I didn't know! When I was working on Talaash [2012] with Nawaz, is when he told me, "Sir, I've already worked with you!" "Kab?" "Sarfarosh mein. Main wahi tha!" (laughs). So, after inserting those scenes, the problem [over showing policing in the picture] that we were constantly facing, disappeared overnight. Suddenly the film changed.

Another example?
Now the whole thought behind Taare Zameen Par was that one has to be inclusive. Every child has a problem, and you can't segregate them from other kids. What we were arguing for is that special schools should actually not be necessary. All kids should study in the same school. The reaction we would get is: "So, you're saying, Ishan is a special child, so he should study in a special school!" And we were clearly saying the opposite. As were all our lines. We realised there's some miscommunication here, and for the life of me, I couldn't understand why. Now if you remember, the film's title track is shot in a school for special children, where I teach. The school's annual day is going on. The kids are dancing in slow-motion, parents are hugging their kids, I've got tears in my eyes. This is when the song begins. From my face, the screen dissolves to Ishan's face, sitting all alone, lonely and low, in a [regular] boarding school. His parents can't come to meet him, because his brother has a tennis match. We then cut to the brother playing tennis, while his father is upset etc. A friend of mine, Amin Hajee, who played the mute in Lagaan, told me he thinks the problem is in the song: "You're looking at children getting so much love in the special school, and the image dissolves to Ishan alone. It seems you're saying he should be here, and not in a regular school." First I didn't agree with him, because that's not what I was trying to communicate. But, heck, let me try. So instead of dissolving from my face to Ishan's, we cut to the brother, who's not playing tennis well, and then brought in Ishan. We literally changed one thing over 30 seconds. That problem got solved. Nobody made the same point [about the film's intention] anymore. Now with dissolving my face with Ishan's, I wanted to communicate, sub-consciously, that he [Nikumbh, the teacher] actually sees himself in Ishan [he went through the same problems as a kid dealing with Dyslexia]. But I was failing in communicating that anyway. And I've been doing test screenings right since QSQT [Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, 1989].

Showing the first cut to regular junta, from your first major film onwards?
Yes. Some of the reactions make sense, some don't. Many of which I already have answers to, since the film still has to go through post-production. Again, I'll give you a broad example. Often people say that from a particular point, a film becomes very boring: "The moment the song comes in second half, the film dips." Now most people will feel that they should cut the song. But that won't be the solution. You're feeling the weight over here [in the film's timeline], but the reason for that is somewhere earlier [in the film]. There's something wrong in your structure. You need to figure that out. It's like going to a doctor and telling him your symptoms. Can he treat that? No. He can treat your problem. Likewise, there is a dip in the second half, but the problem is somewhere in the first half, you need to treat that - either you haven't built up the plot properly, or the sub-plot is too weak. You need to understand where the correction lies. So it's not filmmaking by consensus. With Raja Hindustani [1996], we had a very bad reaction [from test audiences]. Dharmesh [Darshan] was like, "Oh God, we're finished!" I told him, according to me, you shouldn't change a single thing about the film. So it's a science: you have to know what to take, or correct.

But who did you show Raja Hindustani to? Can't be a Malabar Hill audience, they'll reject it anyway, it's too massy and hardcore.
Well, we showed it to a hardcore Hindi heartland audience. There was a wedding happening in Dharmesh's family, so people had come in from Punjab, Allahabad, and other places.

Another thing I learnt about you, from my childhood [guitarist] friend, who spent over 10 days in your Panchgani house, scoring music with Amit Trivedi, is that you're seriously hands-on. How important is it for a Hindi filmmaker to know his music?
I am not formally trained in music, and I am not involved in the music of every film, unless the producer/director invites me to be part of the process. When I was working with Mansoor [Khan] on Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikander or QSQT, I was very closely involved. As I am with the films I produce.

What do you mean by involved, do you make suggestions?
I react to the piece and convey to the composer what I feel. I might act out something to tell him what I want. Sometimes I do get technical. I have basic knowledge to make a few suggestions. In Secret Superstar, for instance, the song Main Kaun Hoon (sings it) was at one point going on falsetto. It wasn't sounding right. I requested Amit to change it. He obliged. We already had another track, Main Nachdi Phira, going into falsetto. We couldn't do it for two important songs.

You've spoken at length here about the science of filmmaking. How do you merge that with art? (Mohar Basu in the audience asks)
Let me fine-tune your question. It's not the science of filmmaking, but mass communication, because filmmaking may choose not to be mass communication, and then it won't follow these laws that you're talking about. You are trying to communicate to a whole mass, so you try and reach the common point among all these people. But that's not how I begin. While listening to a script, I become the audience. It's like you watching a film. And at that time, I'm just reacting emotionally to it. For example, when I heard the script of Delhi Belly, I was on the floor, laughing. At that time, I'm not thinking of the science. That happens when I start work on the script, with the director and writer, and say, I check: Have we locked our goal early enough? What is the premise of Delhi Belly? 'Shit happens'.

You keep a one-liner, always?
Yes. The premise and what the film is trying to say are important. A film may not be socially relevant, but it has to say something. So yes, do we have a clear enough premise? Do we want to sharpen it? Is my goal locked, well in advance? There are times when the film is going on and on, and you don't know where it is going, so you start losing interest.

Let's look at Lagaan. The premise is, "Rains aren't happening. You can't pay tax." Gora says, "Lagaan maaf kar denge, if you beat us in cricket." My character says, "Sharat manjoor hai." The moment he says that, my goal is locked. Now, as an audience, I know that cricket main harane wale hain. Now, that journey from goal-locking to the goal has to be exciting, difficult, with a lot of obstacles, which makes it even more exciting. At times, the main plot becomes too boring. Are the subplots getting over, before the main plot? Because if that's not the case, I'm not interested; having reached the goal. The end fizzles out. So these are the basic rules of mass communication in entertainment.

You emphasize strongly on emotional connect, is that something you seek in all your films? (Sonil Dedhia in the audience asks)
All. When I say emotional connect, I don't mean crying, because that's what people often associate with that word - "Oh matlab rona dhona hai." What I mean is some emotion is being tapped into - it's making you feel thrilled, giving you lots of stress, because suspense is an emotion being tapped into, in a thriller. Or it could be fear, because it's a horror film. So, the film connecting at an emotional level is important to me.

A distinction between art-house and mainstream, according to a filmmaking wit I once interviewed, is that with the latter, the audience knows exactly what's going to happen (they like that), while with the former, they don't. In fact, they don't even know if anything will happen in an art-house film at all.
I feel that in mainstream cinema, you should have a sense of where the film is headed. But at each stage, if you know what is going to happen, then the film becomes too predictable, and doesn't engage you enough. So it's important to surprise the audience.

Final question: Honestly, decode your character Shakti Kumarr in Secret Superstar. He's a sleazoid called Shakti, clearly named after Shakti Kapoor. He talks a lot like Anu Malik and Anil Kapoor, both of whom I saw at your film's private screening.
I've taken a lot from various people and built this personality. I've used Anil's style of talking a few times-like in the awards' night scene, where I say, "Awards lete lete thak gaya hoon main." When Anil says bye to you on the phone, for instance, he never says one 'bye'. He goes, "Okay, bye bye bye bye bye bye…". There are some things that stay with me. Jeetu ji [Jeetendra] once came to meet my uncle [Nasir Hussain]. I used to be his assistant at the time. And Jeetu ji is a fab guy, with a great sense of humour. He told my uncle, "Nasir saab, mujhe double role offer hua hai. Mujhse ek role theek se hota nahin, mujhe do role de rahe hain!" But he used a phrase then, "Dekhte hain. Buck up India!" Now whenever I meet Jeetu ji, he says, "Buck up India." He'd ask me, when is your movie releasing? I'd say, December. "Haan, buck up India!" I used that in the film! (laughs).

There's no Anu Malik in it, come on?
Now, don't ask me who all are in it. Okay, there's a little bit of Anu Malik. But I'm not mimicking anybody, because I can't do that.

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; October 11, 2017)

Although the domestic box office has witnessed more misses than hits in the last few years, Aamir Khan has managed to draw in the crowds to theatres with every film. His last three releases — Dangal (2016), PK (2014) and Dhoom 3 (2013) — crossed the Rs 250 crore mark, giving credence to his image of a bankable superstar.

But, Khan tells mid-day that he isn’t convinced of his fame. “I don’t feel like a superstar,” he says during an interview. Khan refers to himself as a “regular person” who simply enjoys executing his art. “I don’t take superstardom seriously. In fact, at times, I have had to work harder to move away from it, so that I can concentrate on doing my job.”

Khan remembers an incident from when he was shooting for wife Kiran Rao’s 2011 film, Dhobi Ghat. “Kiran was reluctant to cast me, because she feared that my presence would create disorder when we would shoot at public locations across Mumbai. I find it difficult to work while having to carry the image of a star.” That the Internet has made celebrities easily accessible to fans and viewers has also changed the way stardom is perceived. Khan agrees. “In the ’60s,” he says, “when there was no television, the only way for fans to see a star was at a film’s premiere, or by standing outside his home. Else, they could read the actor’s interview in magazines. It was much later that people began following stars on television, by catching their interviews. Today, multiple platforms have made actors available to everyone. In fact, the mobile phone has put the star into people’s pockets.”

Khan’s upcoming film, Secret Superstar, will see him mentor a teenage girl, who aspires to become a singer. While his previous outing, Dangal, a biopic on wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat, also hinged on women empowerment, Khan says this film deals with women finding their identity at a deeper level. “In Dangal, the lead character was a man. Secret Superstar’s protagonist is a small-town girl, who chases her dreams.”