
Aamir Khan seeks magic, not perfection: Sitaare Zameen Par director RS Prasanna
He continued, "It's trying to create an environment where magic can potentially happen. I think that is what I feel AK sir is constantly after, and so are we as passionate filmmakers."advertisementPrasanna shared that Khan is someone who downplays his stardom and success, unlike others in the industry. He said, "I grew up watching his films - 'Lagaan' and 'Taare Zameen Par', 'Dangal' - so many of his movies have broken the norm and have constantly tried to push the envelope into what we consider mainstream filmmaking."He added. "It's an absolute pleasure and joy working with a legend like Aamir sir because I think he wears his fame and experience very, very lightly.The director further denied the rumours of Khan being a hands-on producer who takes full control of the sets. Prasanna called Aamir Khan "one of the most collaborative actors I've ever worked with." "He's a selfless actor. For him, nothing matters about the film. In all these years, I can tell you, there's not been one conversation I've had with him where it has stemmed from, 'hey, you know, is this something that can be done so that I can get this as an actor out of it?' No, never. You know, that's a conversation that can never ever come out of Aamir sir's being. I think every single focus of Aamir sir is, like I said, seeking magic and making sure the film is forever kept above all our egos or insecurities or our tiredness or whatever it is," he elaborated.advertisementPrasanna further discussed how Khan values his directors, and what that means about his personality. He shared that the actor doesn't judge a director from the kind of work they have done in the past, from their potential and what they can bring to the table in the future.He explained, "He's very protective of his directors. If you speak to the directors who worked with him, they will tell you that he is very protective of directors, very protective of every single person who's working on the film. And, he's very generous, he's very kind."Prasanna went on, "He constantly backs directors that may not have done big stuff before. He sees the future in a director more than their past. I think therefore, he's a dream producer and actor to work with. And as a superstar, I think he's one of the humblest possibly in the world."
advertisementAamir Khan, known for using cinema as a tool to initiate discussion in society, brings the stories of neurodivergent children to the screen with 'Sitaare Zameen Par'. The film is a spiritual sequel to his 2007 hit film 'Taare Zameen Par', which brought the discussions about dyslexia into our living rooms.The film, also starring Genelia D'Souza in an important role, is slated to hit the screens on June 20.Must Watch
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Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘Aamir Khan had a problem with my scene, he told Mahesh Bhatt': Tiku Talsania recalls getting ‘really worried' before conversation with star
Aamir Khan's relentless pursuit of perfection is no secret in the Hindi film industry. Known for diving deep into the nuances of every script he takes on, the actor is famously known to call for reshoots if a scene doesn't sit right with him, even if it's just a minor detail. Veteran character actor Tiku Talsania, in a recent conversation with Friday Talkies, recalled one such moment during the making of Mahesh Bhatt's Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahi, when he worked with Aamir for the first time. Sharing the anecdote, he said, 'Only about 15 days were left for the film's release. Bhatt saab called me and said, 'Tiku, where are you? Come to Film City.' I asked, 'What happened?' He said, 'Arey, this Aamir yaar…' The moment I heard that, I knew something was wrong. Bhatt saab told me, 'He has a problem with the scene you did with him.' I got really worried and told my wife, 'See, this is what happens when you get a good scene, it'll probably get cut now because of him.' If Bhatt saab is naming Aamir, then it must be that only.' He continued with a laugh, 'But when I reached the set, Aamir was the first one to get up and respectfully offered me his chair. He said, 'Sir, sir, please come, sit.' That made me even more sure the scene was about to be cut!' However, what followed changed his impression of the superstar completely. 'Then he said something so beautiful, I still remember it. He told me, 'I've seen the film 25 times, and the only thing that bothers me is the scene where I take money from you. My character shouldn't be accepting that money. Even when I take money from Pooja's grandfather later, it's the money I spent on her, not a reward. So if I take money from you, the whole character arc will feel wrong.'' Tiku then asked him what they should do. 'He said, 'You still hand me the money like you did earlier, but this time I won't accept it.' That's the genius of Aamir Khan. He touched my heart that day. He thinks about the film, about everything. Watching your own film 25 times just to reflect and fix one detail, that's no small thing.' Also Read | Sitaare Zameen Par: If you need Aamir Khan to manipulate you into being a good person, maybe you're beyond redemption Tiku also shared another incident from the sets of Mahesh Bhatt's Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, where Aamir and he collaborated again. This time, the actor's commitment extended to an entire scene that he didn't feel was working. 'I had reached the set and saw Aamir's father standing there, agitated. He told me, 'Look at this Aamir, he's cancelled the shoot!' Then I met Aamir and asked him if the shoot was really off. He explained to me, 'If it's just you, Mushtaq and me, this scene won't reach its full potential. We've already sung a full song, we've made 2,500 shirts in the film. I need the whole crowd for this to become a triumphant moment.'' A similar incident occurred on the sets of Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin, where Anupam Kher revealed that Aamir Khan took issue with his performance and raised it with director Mahesh Bhatt. In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Kher explained: 'He wasn't upset with me personally, but with my interpretation of the climax. My character tells his daughter to abandon her groom at the altar — I played it with a comic touch, thinking only an irrational man would say that. Aamir didn't like it and complained to Bhatt saab, even though he was just a co-actor.' Interestingly, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke was also the film where Aamir took on screenwriting duties, co-writing the screenplay with actor and writer Robin Bhatt. The film, an unofficial remake of the Hollywood classic Houseboat, was both a critical and commercial success, much like Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahi.


Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Neeraj Ghaywan's 'Homebound' wins top honours at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2025
Melbourne, Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan's moving drama "Homebound" dominated the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2025 awards night, bagging the coveted honours of best film and best director. Neeraj Ghaywan's 'Homebound' wins top honours at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2025 Ghaywan's movie, starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jetwa and Janhvi Kapoor, triumphed at the annual gala, which honours the best of Indian cinema on a global stage, on Friday night. "Homebound", which explores themes of belonging, displacement and the emotional complexities of returning home, will also serve as the festival's closing film on August 24. Apart from Ghaywan's double win, the evening also saw Bollywood star Aamir Khan receive the prestigious Excellence in Cinema Award for his decades-long contribution to the industry. 'I have been attracted to telling stories from a very young age. Filmmaking is a collaborative art and this award and recognition wouldn't have been possible without my writers, directors, co-stars, and the audiences who have given me the opportunity to tell the stories and be part of the many stories I have been part of," Aamir, who most recently starred in critical hit "Sitaare Zameen Par", said in a statement. Abhishek Bachchan was named best actor for his performance in filmmaker Shoojit Sircar's "I Want to Talk", while Geetha Kailasam won best actor for "Angammal", which also won best indie film award. 'Life has come a full circle for me. I came here in 2022 where I was feted with the excellence in cinema award for my body of work. But this is an emotional moment for me to get the best actor on this very stage and be recognised for my role in a film that's extremely special to me. "It was 3 years back in Melbourne at this same festival where Shoojit Da offered me this role in 'I Want To Talk'. It was Shoojit Da who believed in me that I could pull off this role and this role is an ode to my father and my daughter because it's about caring and raising a parent," Bachchan said. On the streaming side, the best series award went to filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane's "Black Warrant". Jaideep Ahlawat was recognised as best actor for "Paatal Lok" season two, while Nimisha Sajayan earned best actor for "Dabba Cartel". The winners also included actor-comedian Vir Das, who received the Disruptor Award, Aditi Rao Hydari, honoured for Diversity in Cinema, and Arvind Swamy, recognised with the Leadership in Cinema Award. The awards also spotlighted short films, with best short film awarded to "Kalar Pencils" by Dhananjay Santosh Goregaonkar and best short film to "Drifters" by David Liu. Now in its 16th year, IFFM is the largest Indian film festival outside India. It will conclude on August 24. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.


Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: PM Modi's longest-ever Independence Day speech and Oppn's fury
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With that, let's move on to the top 5 stories from today's edition: 🚨 Big Story Setting a new record for the longest Independence Day address since 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday highlighted the 'threat' of infiltration or illegal immigration and announced a mission to check 'demographic change', flagged self-reliance as the path to development and prosperity while urging the youth to come forward with innovative ideas to power the change. In his 103-minute speech, he also praised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), as well as signalled his intent to stand up like 'a wall' to protect the interests of farmers and fishermen amid the stuttering trade talks with the United States. Here are the excerpts. 'Demographic Mission': PM Modi's announcement of his government setting up a 'demographic mission' to study population changes has brought into sharp focus the long-held concerns of the BJP and its ideological parent, the RSS, over demographic shifts in the country. 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