At 50, what distinguishes Aamir Khan him from his peers

50 can be an odd number for an actor. It is an age where they develop the ability to be ‘distant’ from their works and assess their ‘mettle’ as a performer. This exercise can be a discomforting one for an actor especially if it reveals some unnoticed flaws, indulgences, compromises, above all, ‘a certain smugness’ in his approach of roles he has essayed.
Ironically, in such case the actor is more acutely aware of this than the viewer. But there are some for whom ‘performing’ is an unending thrill and these thoughts do not weigh them down. For Aamir Khan, who has turned 50 and has completed more than three decades in Hindi films, such kind of assessment goes beyond the role of a ‘performer.’ This can be understood by taking stock of his early days and attempts at making big in films, his later successes and more importantly, his constant desire to be part of films which would have a concrete plot, commercial viability and striking entertainment quotient.
READ: Aamir Khan: Bollywood films that he rejected
The Early Learning- Born on March 14, 1965, Aamir Khan belonged to a film family. Besides his father Tahir Hussain who was a film producer, his paternal uncle was the noted filmmaker Nasir Hussain, who was known for his lost-and-found-theme films. Being a producer’s son, Khan saw from close quarters the conditions in which producers worked. From his own family experiences, he realised how vulnerable a producer becomes by investing in a director’s vision. In his interviews, he would recount how creditors would call his father when films would not work and it would affect the whole family. Unlike his uncle Nasir Hussain, his father would not produce large number of blockbusters. This made Khan acutely aware of the fact that how important it is for a producer to recover his money. Given this uncertain nature of film business, he knew that his family would not be keen on his deeply nurtured desire to be in movies.
But he did join films. He played one of the key characters in a silent experimental documentary Paranoia alongside noted actors such as Neena Gupta and Victor Banerjee. Financed by actor Shriram Lagoo, the documentary was made by Khan’s school friend Aditya Bhattacharya. This documentary provided the necessary fillip required to convert his liking for films into an all-consuming passion. After assisting his uncle Nasir Hussain on the film Manzil Manzil (1984), Aamir Khan made his debut in Ketan Mehta’s Holi (1985) which though critically acclaimed, could not prove as a launching pad for him. He assisted his uncle again in Zabardast (1985) and it was in 1988 that his uncle launched him in the tender love story Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak.
The film came as a gentle and soothing breeze in the late 80s when heightened melodramas and mindless and crass action films were being made. Being a producer’s son, Khan makes a special effort in promoting the film. There is an old video on Youtube which proves amply this point. Before the release of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (QSQT) in 1988, the video shows how Khan along with a friend is pasting posters of the film behind cars and autorickshaws. The film was a roaring success and it provided Khan with the much-needed recognition as an actor. This approach of promoting a film beyond press interviews would stand in good stead for the actor. He would offer himself completely to a film and its release till the point its relevance remains. After QSQT, Khan worked in an emotionally seething role in Raakh (1989) which was also well-recognised for its fresh approach in dealing with the nexus between the police and the mafia.
In subsequent years, however, with a few exceptions of films such as Andaz Apna Apna (1994), Rangeela (1995) and Sarforosh (1999), Khan worked in films which largely had a romantic theme.
The Social Shift - It was in 2001 that there was a dramatic shift in Khan’s career. He gave two thematically diverse offerings in that year. He turned producer and backed a drama film which many producers found commercially unviable. Even scriptwriter Javed Akhtar’s suggestion of not accepting the film did not make him change his mind and he produced and acted in India’s Oscar-entry Lagaan. His film Dil Chahta Hain also came in the same year. It is in the past fifteen years that Khan has chosen films which have a higher shell-life than his earlier films. Films such as Rang De Basanti (2006), Taare Zameen Par (2007), Ghajini (2008), 3 Idiots (2009), Peepli Live (2010) and PK (2014). There are a few underlying aspects to these films which give a broad idea of why Khan has impeccable record at the box office.
Firstly, Khan has shown a deep understanding of scripts which are commercially viable and which also have social colour to it. Secondly, he has been a risk-taker and backed films which most actors would typically refrain from backing.
He would choose his film with utmost diligence even at the peril of being not in the limelight for a sufficient period in the business where staying in constant public glare means staying relevant and ensuring longevity as an actor. He would do one or two films in a year. But even in these films Khan would ensure that they would have entertaining value in them and not just plain artistic indulgence. A prime reason for this approach is Khan knows his limitation as an actor. In a chat show with filmmaker Karan Johar, when asked to rate himself as an actor, Aamir gave himself 6 on 10 count. He has survived, thrived and flourished merely on the strength of his selection of scripts. His ‘determination’ to be in films and ‘dedication’ towards his works and turn them into commercially successes have set him apart from his. It is the same determination and dedication with which he joined a theatre group called Avantar in the beginning of his career and did Gujarati theatre to understand and learn acting. In the coming years, the same determination and dedication which would help Khan establish himself as a director to reckon with. He has already proven this with his directorial debut Taare Zameen Par.
Listen to Aamir Khan songs on Gaana.com
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