Weekend

On this weekend, for the hatke topic, I am again falling back on Bollywood, and today I am writing about a personality whom people in Bollywood called Perfectionist, and he is

Aamir Khan

 His first major film , where he acted as lead star/actor was Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak , released in 1988 when he as only 23 years old. He is son of  late producer Tahir Hussain, who was brother of famous Producer & Director Nasir Hussain.

In the 90s, he acted in various successful commercial movies like Dil, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke,  Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin, Rangeela, Raja Hindustani, Andaz Apna Apna, Ishq, Ghulam and Sarfarosh.  It was rumoured during 90s that he interferes too much in making of the film, but his contention was that when he acts , he gets totally involved in a film and gives his valuable suggestions to the director , but it is director’s prerogative whether to accept or reject his suggestions as per his vision of the film because he is the captain of the ship. When the new millennium started , he became the first actor that he will work in one film at a time and the trend he started from Lagaan

Some time during the 1999 he  agreed to Produce Lagaan, a script written by director Aushutosh Gowarikar. He was given this script in the year 97/98 but he rejected it by saying it is too risky a subject and requires huge investment. Aushuosh then took that script to many top notch producers of the industry and actors, all refused to produce/act in  the film. Once again it landed back in Aamir’s lap and this time he said yes that he will produce the film and act in it as main lead. Who would have thought, a period film set up in the last decade of 19^th century in which bunch of villagers plays a match of cricket against  ruling Britisher’s Army men to save their Lagaan. Movie, when it released in 2001 took the cricket loving nation (India) by storm. This film won every major award of the country and was nominated to Oscars in the best foreign film category, where it reached the final 5 nominated films.

In the same year 2001,  Dil Chahta Hai was released in which he acted along with Akshaye Khanna, Saif Ali Khan & Preity Zinta. This was youth centric film, which became very successful film and has become a cult film.

He did not act for next three years as he was going through personal crisis, he divorced his wife Reena Dutta, whom he married in 1986, in 2004. In 2005 his movie Mangal Pandey was released but it was not commercially successful.  In Dec 2005 he got married to Kiran Rao, who was production assistant  and assistant director during the making of Lagaan. Then in year 2006 first came Rang De Basanti , which was produced & Directed by Rakyesh Mehra. This film was a fusion of story of martyrdoms of Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekahar Azad  & others with parallel track of modern day University youths. This film was phenomenal success in the country and even overseas. Then in the same year his another movie Fanaa was released , where he played a role of terrorist who falls in love with a blind girl. This film also did commercially very well and his performance was well appreciated.

His next release in year 2007 was own production Taare Zameen Par, which he directed also. He played a supporting role of a Teacher, who was very sympthetic towards a dyslexic child , played by Darsheel Safary. The film was about a bond between teacher & student and how teacher improves the student  to come out of dyslexia and show his true strength to the world. This film got the rave reviews from the critics and class audience appreciated this movie, which won many awards.

Aamir’s next release was Ghajini in 2008 and it was one of the first movie to break Rs 100 Cr barrier in box office collection. Simultaneously he launched his nephew Imran Khan (sister’s son) under his banner in the film called Jaane Tu—Ya Jaane Na.

In 2009, Aamir appeared in the commercially and critically acclaimed film 3 Idiots directed by Raj Kumar Hirani. 3 Idiots became the highest  grossing Bollywood film  in India, breaking the previous record set by Ghajini, which also starred Aamir Khan. The film grossed Rs 202 croress.

In 2010, he released Peepli Live, produced by his banner, which was satire on TV news channels. Next year he released one more film under his banner called Dhobhi Ghat, which was directed by his wife Kiran Rao, and where he acted in supporting role. In the year 2012, he acted in a movie called Talaash, where he played a role of police inspector investigating an accidental death, but is also under lot of stress due to his son’s death by drowning. In 2013, he acted in a movie called Dhoom 3, which became the highest grosser and  did a business of Rs 284 Cr in first run. Then in 2014, his movie PK (directed by Raj Kumar Hirani) became the first movie to cross Rs 300 Cr in business, actually movie did Rs 337 Cr business in first run. His next released was Dangal (under his banner), this was a biopic film based on Mahavir Prasad Phogat and his 2 daughters who were trained by him to become wrestler. This movie did a business of Rs  387 Cr, and till date this is the highest grossing Hindi film. His next movie was again under his banner, called Secret Superstar, here also he played a supporting character.

He also produced and anchored a TV show Satyamev Jayate (2012-14), which was a issue based show, and he invited people affected by certain issue and experts for discussions in the show.

He became the first person, who took his movies to China starting with 3 Idiots, then PK, Dangal, Secret Superstar. His movies are doing tremendous business in China and they even surpassed the business done by the movie in Indian market. He is the person, who has been credited with opening up Chinese market for Hindi films.

He was involved in few controversies, first being the “Narmada Bachao Andolan”- while promoting his film Fanaa in Gujarat he made some comments against ,then CM of Gujarat Narendra Modi’s handling of rehabilitation of persons affected by this dam. His comments wee met with outrage in Gujarat, and his movie Fanna was officially banned in Gujarat. Second was “Intolerance Controversy”, In Nov 2015 Aamir Khan expressed the feelings that his wife Kiran Rao had about rising intolerance in India, and further added that his wife Kiran, fearing for her family suggested to move out of India. This comment of his, sparked political controversy and he faced  intense backlash and certain sections of society branding him as Anti National. In Jan 2016, he back tracked and tried to clarify his comment, saying that “he is born in India and will die in India.”

Leaving aside these controversies, his contribution to Hindi cinema is immense. He is the first star/actor who started the trend of doing one film at a time and getting totally involved in it, and now so many actors are following in his footsteps. This also reflects in his personal life, because his appearance becomes the way he is playing the character in the film. Once his wife remarked that I do not know how Aamir looked previously, but presently his look is the character he is playing in his next film.

Waiting for your comments/reviews/feed backs.

Anil Malik

Mumbai, India

12th Oct, 2018