Aamir Khan says he was asked to do an action film after Laal Singh Chaddha failure: ‘I had many offers, but story of Sitaare Zameen Par entered my bloodstream'

Indian Express

6 hours ago

In the last five years, Aamir Khan has quit acting twice. First, during the pandemic, driven by his guilt over not spending enough time with his family. Second, after the failure of Laal Singh Chaddha. But he admits in an exclusive interview with SCREEN that he has a compulsive streak to do a film if the story has entered his bloodstream. The same happened with RS Prasanna's coming-of-age film Sitaare Zameen Par, a Hindi adaptation of the 2018 Spanish film Campeones.
How did the Campeones remake become Sitaare Zameen Par, a spiritual sequel to your 2007 directorial debut Taare Zameen Par?
For me, the script was an extension of what we were trying to say in Taare. So Taare is about inclusion and a child who has learning disability. In this, the challenges are quite greater than dyslexia. The children are intellectually atypical: somebody has Down syndrome, another one has autism, and others are also on that spectrum. Not just that, in Taare, it's the teacher who helps the child, the neuro-atypical person helps the neuro-typical person. In this, the 10 neuro-atypical children help the coach. So it goes 10 steps ahead in the same theme.
As an actor, what did you learn from these 10 new actors you worked with?
They taught us a lot. On a film set, with so many creative people working together, it's not unusual to have ego clashes and creative differences. People loose their cool. I've been working for 35 years and have done 45 films. In my career, I've never had such a smooth sail. No one had ego hassles or raised their voice. No feathers had to be smoothened. I pointed it out to Prasanna at the end of the shoot. I said it's because of these 10. If they walk into this room now, the energy would change completely! They're so loving, they'll hug you, they'll press your cheeks. Nobody raises their voice in front of them because then they only feel awkward. You don't want them to see you in a particular light. Their presence just changes the way I behave. That's what their impact is.
Genelia D'Souza plays your wife in the film, but you also cast her opposite your nephew Imran Khan in Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na (2008). Was that ever a concern?
Ya, I know. But that was a long time ago. And ab Imran bhi kafi meri age ka ho gaya hai (laughs). That thought did come to me, but in the film, we're both playing characters in the age group of early 40s. She's around that age. I'm 60, but in today's day and age, we have the advantage of VFX. Earlier, if I played an 18-year-old, I had to rely on prosthetic. Like Anil Kapoor did in Eeshwar (1989). He was very young, but he played an 80-year-old for Christ's sake. He was jumping his age, which is very exciting for an actor. Today, he can be made to look 80 and vice-versa via VFX. So, age is not a barrier for actors anymore.
Speaking of Imran, has he discussed with you why he quit acting 10 years ago?
Yes, Imran has a certain creative instinct. He finds it difficult to fit into the mainstream construct we have. That's not his natural space. Which is why he'd do really well in a film like Jaane Tu… and Delhi Belly (2011). He's in his element there. But the moment you put him into a regular Hindi film, he won't fit. He's not comfortable with herogiri. He wants to play a real person. Everybody was offering him mainstream films because he's good-looking. But he wants to be an actor, and not a star.
Do you think your elder son Junaid Khan is also more of an actor than a star?
I think he's a pretty good actor. I'm really proud he's done his job really well in both the films. In his second film Loveyapa, he played a very harami character. That's opposite his personality, but he pulled it off really well. I could see him as the guy. He had also tested for Laal Singh Chaddha. He was bang on. He has a very rare quality that even a lot of skilled actors don't have — he becomes the character. He's also a little unafraid, like me. If you compare Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (Aamir's debut film) with his first two films, I'm very raw there. He's also done a film I've produced — Ek Din — a love story with Sai Pallavi. All his three films are very different from each other. Success hasn't reached him yet in the way he deserves it, but that's part of life and his learning. It's important for him to grow through this as well. Success will come when the time is right.
Have you come to terms with the failure of Laal Singh Chaddha?
To be honest, after Laal Singh Chaddha, I was quite depressed, heartbroken, and emotionally battered because I hadn't had an unsuccessful film in very long. It was quite shocking for me because I'd also liked the film. So I was very surprised that people didn't like it. Let me just add here, because I know a lot of people love the film, 25% of the audience has really loved the film. But I also have to admit that the larger bulk, 75% of them didn't didn't connect with the film, they didn't like my work, they had their issues. I understand and respect that. But it was difficult for me to accept.
That's when you took a step back and hired Farhan Akhtar in Sitaare Zameen Par instead of you?
Yes. That time, I told Prasanna I wouldn't be able to act again so soon. Since the film is good and we've to make it, I asked him to cast someone else. He offered the film to many people. Everyone liked the script, and then finally, we locked Farhan for it. We were also making a Tamil version because Prasanna is a Tamilian. So we locked Sivakarthikeyan for that one.
Then how did you come back on board as the lead?
As a producer, I had to finalize the draft. So I told Prasanna and writer Divyanidhi Sharma we'd discuss the script for a week before the prep once we lock everything. In the first half hour of the first day, as Divya was reading the script, I was telling myself, 'Tell me, why are you not doing this film, again? It's a superb script yaar.' So I thought ye toh gadbad ho gayi yaar. And some time had also passed so I'd recovered from Laal Singh Chaddha being a flop.
How did you break the news to Farhan and Sivakarthikeyan?
On the seventh day, I told Prasanna and Divya, but also said now it's too late. Of course, the moment I said that, all hell broke loose. They insisted I only do it. But I thought it doesn't reflect well on me as a producer after I've locked the actors' dates. Mera bat hai, mujhe batting karni hai (laughs). Bachpana ho jata hai yaar. But Prasanna convinced me and said I should do it since I was his first choice. So, I told Farhan and Sivakarthikeyan honestly about the journey I'd been through. They were both very supportive. If I was in their shoes, I'd have been very disappointed. But at the end of the day, Farhan and I are friends. Sivakarthikeyan and I are also very fond of each other. I'm hosting a premiere, so I'll definitely invite them for that.
Are you confident about Sitaare Zameen Par, given the last couple of failures?
Right now, it's a famine or feast situation at the box office. Either the films are not doing any business at all, or the one or two that people are loving are going through the roof, earning more than Rs 500 crore. The whole middle chunk has vanished. Why? Because I'm watching them on Netflix or Amazon. Which is why I've come up with the decision to release Sitaare Zameen Par only in theatres. It'll premiere on television or streaming only after one year. My loyalty is with the theatres and my trust in my audience.
But given the current trend, are you concerned that Sitaare Zameen Par wouldn't go through the roof because it's not a spectacle film?
Everybody around me told to do an action film after Laal Singh Chaddha. I could've done it, I had many offers. But the story of Sitaare Zameen Par really touched my heart. I'm the kind of creative person that once something goes into my bloodstream, I have to do it. It's happened with Lagaan (2001). No producer would invest the resources it needed because Ashutosh Gowariker was a flop director then. But since the story had gone into my bloodstream, I told Ashu I'd produce it. I didn't want to become a producer. I became one by accident because I couldn't find anyone else to produce it. It was an impractical decision.
It happened with Dangal (2016) too. I told Nitesh Tiwari then that people think I'm very young because Dhoom 3 (2013) had just released. They think I'm 35 and when Dangal releases, they'd realize my true age. So I asked him to do the film after 5-10 years. He agreed, but it had gone into my blood. After six months, I said forget it, even if my career goes for a toss, I have to do it. With Taare Zameen Par too, people asked me if I'm making a documentary. Just imagine a scenario in which only action films are being made. I don't feel nice about that. But that's not the reason why I made this. I made it because I loved it.
Also Read — Junaid Khan would have been a better choice than dad Aamir Khan in Laal Singh Chaddha, says Mansoor: 'Kya bakwaas hai ki opening nahi milegi'
Would you do a massy action film anytime soon?
Ninety percent of my films don't have action. Like Ghajini (2008) and Dhoom 3 are massy. The film I'm doing next year with Lokesh Kanagaraj is also very massy. Once in a while, I do a massy film because I'm also massy (chuckles). I don't like to stick to only one genre. But I think my favourite genre is drama with humour, like Rajkumar Hirani's genre. Raju and I are very excited about the Dadasaheb Phalke biopic we're working on next. We'll start it hopefully by the end of this year.
SS Rajamouli is also making one. Have you discussed that with him?
I wasn't aware. It's such a coincidence. I had no idea. I suppose they also didn't know. Since then, I've been so busy with Sitaare Zameen Par, I didn't have the opportunity to speak to Raja.
Your cousin Mansoor Khan told us he's planning to adapt his book One: The Story of the Ultimate Myth with you. Is that true?
Mansoor has decided to not direct any more films. All of us are hoping he makes another. But until he actually does it, I won't believe it (laughs).