Aamir Khan says he used to compete with Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan in the '90s, but not any longer: ‘It was always healthy at my end'
'At one time, we used to compete, in the '90s, on who's more successful. Every person feels they should be most successful and appreciated, and that's a good thing. From my side, I never indulged in any negativity. I just can't get myself to. From my end, the competition has always been healthy,' said Aamir on Raj Shamani's podcast.
He continued, 'If someone does good work, I feel like I should do too. I get inspired by others' work. But their success only makes me happier. We've been in the industry for 30-35 years, not just me, Shah Rukh, and Salman, but all other actors and actresses. There's a lot of warmth and respect between us. I wasn't competing with anyone actually. I only competed with myself.'
Aamir Khan quoted the example of Aditya Chopra's 1995 blockbuster romantic drama Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, starring Shah Rukh and Kajol. 'I never thought I should make a big romantic film like that because I love watching it. Shah Rukh has done great work in it. So I'm not competing with him,' added Aamir.
Also Read | 'Aamir Khan charged lower fees as he didn't want producers to suffer,' reveals actor's CA: 'Now he doesn't charge at all'
He recalled after DDLJ released, he and Shah Rukh went on an international tour together. Shah Rukh, who was planning to buy the latest laptop then, also got another one for Aamir. However, being technologically handicapped, Aamir never ended up using it. 'My manager asked me four years later if he can use my laptop for work. I forgot about the laptop. When he showed it to me, I realized I haven't used it. Then I asked my manager to use it instead. You won't believe it just didn't switch on because it was just lying there for four years (laughs),' Aamir said.
Aamir also confessed he feels hurt by the fact that only the three Khans are celebrated, instead of their other contemporaries who also enjoy the same longevity in the film industry. 'I feel bad because Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, and Hrithik Roshan, and a host of others from our generation who have worked for 30-35 years and are very successful. So I want to correct that,' Aamir reasoned.
While Aamir Khan made his debut as an adult actor with Ketan Mehta's Holi in 1984, he became a regular actor only with Mansoor Khan's 1988 blockbuster Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. Salman Khan made his acting debut with Biwi Ho Toh Aisi (1988), but played the lead for the first time in Sooraj Barjatya's 1989 hit directorial debut Maine Pyar Kiya.
Shah Rukh Khan became a TV actor with Fauji in 1988, and made his Bollywood debut with Raj Kanwar's Deewana in 1992. Ajay Devgn entered the industry a year earlier with Kuku Kohli's 1991 blockbuster Phool Aur Kaante. Akshay Kumar, who had a brief appearance in Mahesh Bhatt's Aaj in 1987, made his debut as a lead in Raj Sippy's 1991 action romance Saugandh.
Meanwhile, Hrithik Roshan, 51, the youngest of them all, made his debut as a child actor in J Om Prakash's 1986 action film Bhagwaan Dada. After working as an assistant director on four of his father Rakesh Roshan's directorials for a decade, he made his debut as a lead in Rakesh' 2000 blockbuster romance Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai.
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India.com
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- India.com
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2 / 7 At an event for his own movie, Sitaare Zameen Par, Aamir explained why Saiyaara appeals to younger viewers. Aamir Khan said, 'I think different generations move towards different content based on what is the kind of content it is. I think younger audiences, for example, are loving Saiyaara, which is a big hit. Har ek group ka ek taste hota hai. As a creative person, main chahta hu ki main har kism ki film bana saku." He further added, 'Gen Z ke liye bhi bana saku, younger generation k liye bhi bana saku, aur bhi logo ke liye bana saku, alag alag topics chunu. This gives me the freedom to do that."
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Sitaare Zameen Par to release on YouTube on August 1, six weeks after theatrical release: Is Aamir Khan saving cinema, or replacing it?
A couple of weeks before the release of Sitaare Zameen Par, when members of the media met Aamir Khan, a camera crew perennially chased him even when he went about doing regular chores inside his Mumbai office. We also spotted that crew at the launch of PVR INOX's Aamir Khan Film Festival and his 60th birthday celebration. We were told it's to record footage for the content on Aamir Khan Talkies, a new subsidiary YouTube channel of Aamir Khan Productions. Across the next few weeks, there were exclusive throwback interviews and discussions with Ashutosh Gowariker (on Lagaan) and Vir Das and Abhinay Deo (on Delhi Belly). There was also the much-concealed Aamir audition for Ravi Kishan's role in Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies. Aamir covered all major YouTube channel while promoting Sitaare Zameen Par. Given his firm stand on signing any streaming rights deal for the film, we had to ask him then: 'Will it come out on YouTube?' Aamir firmly said no, and claimed that it'd come on a digital platform or satellite television only a year after the theatrical release. Cut to two months later: Aamir on Tuesday announced Sitaare Zameen Par would indeed skip streaming to premiere on Aamir Khan Talkies on a pay-per-view model. 'Watch a superhit film for just Rs 100,' screamed the hoarding in his background, as he even apologized to the media for lying to them about the film not premiering on YouTube after its theatrical run. 'I've grown up on cinema. Cinema has given me everything. So I had to lie in order to protect the cinema then,' Aamir confessed. But by introducing this 'disruptive' pay-per-view model on YouTube, is Aamir really saving cinema or replacing it? He claims he's been perturbed by the fact that Hindi cinema is reaching only a minor fraction of the humongous Indian population, and has been looking for a solution for the past 15 years. YouTube, in comparison, enjoys a massive reach making the cinema accessible to all corners of the country. He cited how the platform is used by 55 crore Indians at least once a day while only 2-3% of the population goes to theatres. But another section of the entertainment industry feels Aamir is not taking the easy way out, but just moving with the times. 'If you can democratize content, while making it conveniently accessible, then what's the harm?,' says a budding YouTuber, adding, 'Aamir is just asking you to look at cinema differently. Going to a theatre is for the elite now. His films would still go to the theatres first. But those who're not fond of going to the cinemas or can't afford it, he's servicing to them too, through YouTube.' If digital is bound to replace the moviegoing experience, then why is there so much hullabaloo around cinemas disappearing post pandemic thanks to the growing appetite and access to streaming? Aamir himself has championed cinemas by not subscribing to the streaming model, which entails a film dropping on the platform eight weeks after its theatrical release. Aamir argued that while he's not against the OTT industry, the eight-week window didn't suit him as it makes the audience less inclined to step out for a theatre visit. But industry insiders claim Aamir circumventing the eight-week-window diktat of streaming via YouTube also has to do with the economics of the arrangement. 'Actually, why Aamir sahab is going for YouTube is after Laapataa Ladies didn't work in theatres and most of the money it made on streaming went to Netflix,' says PS Ramanathan, who looks into the distribution and marketing of Rajshri Films. That's another production house which has been building its YouTube presence with the help of nostalgic interviews with character actors. It's also made shows for TV and streaming. However, its mainstay still remains cinema. 'In a pay-per-view model, you pay Rs 100 for every viewing (a film on Aamir Khan Talkies can be stored for a month, but has to be watched within 48 hours once you begin watching). So it's like appointment viewing or dedicated viewing as opposed to a subscription fees to a streaming platform, which includes a bouquet of other content from around the globe. The Rs 100 then goes directly into the pocket of Aamir Khan Productions. But ultimately, it depends on the film — would someone pay even Rs 100 to watch a film at home?,' adds Ramanathan. He quotes the most recent instances of Mohit Suri's romantic drama Saiyaara, which like Sitaare Zameen Par, is a mid-budget, middle-of-the-road film. After action epics took over, romance was relegated to streaming post pandemic. But what Sitaare Zameen Par, a light-hearted coming-of-age film achieved, Saiyaara took that to another level at the box office. Unlike in the case of the former, one can clearly see from the poster of Saiyaara that it'd drop on Netflix India eight weeks after its theatrical run. But the shows are still running full, with the film having collected over Rs 266 crore at the domestic box office already. The Netflix logo on the poster of Laapataa Ladies is what both Aamir and PVR INOX Managing Director Ajay Bijli suspected as the reason why the film didn't achieve a theatrical business like Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 12th Fail did the previous year. Like Aamir did for Sitaare Zameen Par, Chopra didn't sell the digital rights of 12th Fail to any platform till weeks after its theatrical release. Yet the collection kept rising in theatres even when the film dropped on Hotstar. 'Ultimately, it depends on how good the film is. If it's a bad film, nobody would watch it even for free in the convenience of their home. The movie should speak for itself. If it's a good film, people would watch it either in cinemas or on YouTube or on streaming for any cost,' says Akshaye Rathi, Director at Vidharbha Exhibitors. He feels the footprint of YouTube is far bigger than any individual OTT platform, so it's a win-win for both the audience and the producers who want to avoid the eight-week window that streaming imposes. But not every producer is as influential as Aamir or Chopra. 'If you go for YouTube, it would disturb your entire cashflow distribution,' argues Ramanathan. Streaming is the second biggest revenue vertical for most films these days, followed by theatrical. Many films, big and small, primarily rely on that revenue to break even and take risks with a theatrical run. Ultimately, it all comes down to the economics. For instance, Kamal Haasan promised to sidestep the four-week window for Tamil films with his new crime thriller Thug Life. But when the film bombed in theatres, Netflix India dropped its price, compelling the makers to release it earlier than planned to cover the losses. Aamir had to do it too with Laal Singh Chaddha in 2022. During the promotions, he put it on record that the film wouldn't release on streaming before six months since its theatrical outing. But after the movie failed in cinemas, he had to release it on Netflix India earlier than scheduled. That's where it got immense love and redemption, and so did Laapataa Ladies. Like it was with SS Rajamouli's RRR in 2022, the film got immense love across the world after it came out on OTT. By owning the complete rights of his upcoming films instead of selling them to streaming platforms, Aamir also has the bragging rights of singlehandedly taking India to the Oscars, like he once did with Lagaan back in 2002. 'One can't challenge the intent of Aamir. Even if he wants to take all the credit, he does want Indian cinema to reach both the country's masses and the audience across the globe. Like in the case of Satyamev Jayate, he already had StarPlus onboard, but he made sure the show is telecast on Doordarshan simultaneously because its reach was far wider then. Complete ownership just drives his creative instincts,' says a former employee of Aamir Khan Productions. However, another insider informs SCREEN that Aamir is even contemplating to release some of his smaller films directly on Aamir Khan Talkies, even skipping the theatrical release. While he'll save the tentpole ones like Sunny Deol's Lahore 1947 and Junaid Khan's Ek Din for the cinemas, Vir Das' Happy Patel may find a home on YouTube instead. With some streaming platforms making theatrical run a metric to set the price, cinemas retain their relevance. Also, if a Sitaare Zameen Par can drop on digital just six weeks after its theatrical release, even less than the eight-week window of streaming, would the YouTube model not be used arbitrarily for recovery? 'If that's the plan, then how are we saving cinemas then? I miss the Aamir Khan of Dhobi Ghaat (2010) days who would sneak in a role in an indie film instead of making the film all about himself. Of course, it's a partnership with YouTube so there must be other commercials involved. He has to turn every simple move into a revolution in order to sell it, which just evades me,' says an industry insider. Also Read — Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2, Traitors, IPL, Kapil Sharma: How streaming is replicating television, the very beast it wanted to tame But trade experts like Rathi and Ramanathan feel Aamir will need YouTube's full support to institutionalize his distribution model, not just for marketing and positioning, but also for curbing piracy. 'My biggest concern is piracy. It's anyway so rampant, and a new film releasing on YouTube would make it even more prone. Streaming platforms have sound mechanisms in place to prevent piracy, but that's not the case with YouTube so far,' says Rathi. Ramanathan agrees and adds, 'This is a very new model. So it's hard to say if it'd work. I feel at best, it'd be a substitute to the streaming model, not a replacement.'
Time of India
3 hours ago
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Aamir Khan reveals his strategy to tackle rising piracy issues amid 'Sitaare Zameen Par' YouTube release: 'We have appointed anti-piracy teams...'
has addressed the issue of online piracy and his film's unconventional release route. During a press conference on Wednesday, he confirmed that his latest release, 'Sitaare Zameen Par', will be made available through a pay-per-view model on YouTube from August 1. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The film, which released in cinemas on June 20, will not premiere on any OTT platform, making this a significant shift in how mainstream Bollywood films reach audiences post-theatrical release. Anti-piracy teams to safeguard film Aamir stressed that the fight against piracy remains a top priority for his team. Speaking to ANI, he said, "We have appointed anti-piracy teams who remove pirated links from the internet... The pay-per-view model I'm introducing, where people can watch a film for Rs 100, may help reduce piracy... It also gives some hope to creative people... It will not bring any change to the theatre chain because the experience is completely different..." This initiative is part of his larger plan to make films more accessible and reduce the financial burden on cinema lovers. Direct YouTube release after theatrical run 'Sitaare Zameen Par', a spiritual sequel to 'Taare Zameen Par', continues Aamir Khan's commitment to socially-driven stories. The film sees him playing a basketball coach who trains a team of neurodivergent children. Co-starring , the film opened in theatres on June 20 and earned praise for its heartwarming narrative. Now, instead of following the traditional OTT route post its theatrical run, Khan has opted for a pay-per-view release on the official Aamir Khan Talkies YouTube channel. Audiences will be able to rent and watch the film for just Rs 100, a decision that Aamir believes could be game-changing for both viewers and creators. Aamir apologises for misleading audience At the press event, Aamir Khan also addressed the backlash he received for claiming during earlier promotions that the film would not release on YouTube. When questioned about the shift in strategy, Khan admitted he had not been fully honest at the time. He explained, "I fold my hands and apologise because I lied when I said Sitaare Zameen Par wouldn't be released on YouTube. I did it because I had no other choice. I had to protect the film's theatrical business. "
