Aamir Khan is always present: Director RS Prasanna on superstar's work hours amid Deepika Padukone's Spirit exit

Mint

18 hours ago

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan is known to be a perfectionist when it comes to his craft. Whether he's acting or making a film, he remains fully committed and consistently available for his collaborators, reveals director RS Prasanna in an exclusive interview with Live Mint.
Ahead of Sitaare Zameen Par's release, Prasanna revealed Aamir's working hours.
He said, 'We all work the amount of time required to make the film. He is there for the director, however many hours are needed. Always available. He is there, any time of day or night. He is always present for the director.'
Sitaare Zameen Par is the 'spiritual' sequel of Aamir's hit Taare Zameen Par. Naturally, the film is carrying a wave of expectations and proportionately, its director is under pressure to deliver.
When asked about it before the theatrical release, Prasanna shared how having Aamir on board makes his job easier.
"Aamir sir has a very comforting presence. As a director, I am supposed to make people comfortable on sets. It's my job to give positive energy to people on set, to bring out the best in them. But, Aamir sir is the one who does that for me; I think he does that with all directors.
'He's got a very protective aura about him, an amazing ability to sense what the director needs and support him in every way. Not just at a director-producer level, but as a person, he is very empathetic to the people around him. I would largely attribute my handling of the pressure to Aamir sir again. His presence would comfort me—24x7 available.'
However, admitting to the pressure, the director added, 'The pressure, specifically, is always there. It's still there. Even now, until... I hope the audience gives it the love they gave to the trailer. I can't wait to see the response in theatres. I'm excited and nervous too. I hope the gods of the movie—the audience—give it the same love.'
Before Sitaare…, Aamir was last seen in Laal Singh Chaddha. The Bollywood remake of the American film Forrest Gump, did not work at the box office.
Talking about meeting Aamir in 2020, RS Prasanna said Aamir seemed 'vulnerable.'
Explaining how Aamir is beyond the glitz and glamour of the industry, the filmmaker said, 'The Aamir Khan that I expected him to be…From Lagaan to Taare Zameen Par… you get a feeling that here's a guy who is extremely emotional, sensitive, who gives his heart to everything he does.'
"Aamir is like Bhuvan of Lagaan, someone who goes all out, takes up a challenge, can be a great leader, and inspires people. That's exactly who he is in real life. He is emotional, and sensitive.
'I think the Aamir Khan I saw in 2020 made me feel even more respect for him, made me love him more. It showed me that he is a real person in a world that is not expecting authenticity anymore. He speaks with his heart. I am astounded by the level of candour with which he spoke about me in interviews. He is very real. I love the vulnerability in him.'
Recalling the tough phase in Aamir's life, he added, 'Over the one year, I could actually feel that Aamir spent time with his family, friends, loved ones—and also analysed what went wrong and what went right. We all loved Laal Singh Chaddha. It is a beautiful film. Maybe there are things that did not connect with the audience. He went through his own journey. I was happy to be allowed into that journey. It was a huge privilege to see it unfold.'
'All of that came from the fact that he had given his heart, soul, and blood to one movie. For him, movies mean so much. My respect towards him grew so much.'
The Sitaare Zameen Par director revealed how much he liked Laal Singh Chaddha despite the poor response.
'I was very sad because I loved Laal Singh Chaddha. It has such a healing message. Over time, when people saw it on Netflix, it got a lot of love. Thanks to his family, friends, and fans who supported him for that period.'
'Once, he went to the airport and fans told him, 'Sir, we love Laal Singh Chaddha. Why are you quitting films? Please don't quit.' That helped him heal a lot.'
Sitaare Zameen Par is jointly produced by Aamir Khan. It will be released on June 20.