As the strains of the national anthem played during the climax scene of Dangal , in a cinema in Dubai, my fellow viewers and I instantly rose in respect. Along with Aamir Khan, or rather Mahavir Singh Phogat, the introductory notes were enough for the audience to grasp the overwhelming patriotic sentiment.
In a Facetime press conference held at his Carter Road home on Thursday, Khan who was away at a boot camp in an undisclosed location, spoke about how cinema, if executed in a particular manner, has the power to push powerful subjects to the forefront. In a nation that’s largely patriarchal in its thoughts, Khan expressed both hope and pride at the fact that the film’s collections have reached a number far more than what was expected.
When asked if he anticipated the kind of reaction that Dangal garnered, Khan said he chooses project for what it holds, and not for its success and failure. “People said this film wouldn’t work because it didn’t have any sort of romance, but eventually you can’t predict these things. We did it for the truth of it,” he said.
Even though Dangal has broken box office records, collecting close to Rs. 385 crore, it’s not the numbers game that Khan to be interested in, but rather the message of female empowerment that it touches upon. “When I watch a film, I have no idea what it made at the box office. For example, I am a huge fan of Pyaasa (1957), and this is not for the numbers, but for the emotion it holds,” he said.
When talking about feminism, Khan said that he doesn’t believe that it’s just the story that makes a film, but the pieces that hold it all together, especially through its actors. “If we can communicate a certain kind of feeling through a film, perhaps, eventually we can help change their minds,” said Khan.
