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'

Indian Express

2 days ago

The three Khans — Aamir, Shah Rukh, and Salman — started their careers around the same time, which is why they're always pitted against each other. But Aamir Khan, the most experienced of the three, maintains that they no longer compete with each other. He claimed the competition was always healthy, at least from his 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.
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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.