Bollywood Actor Aamir Khan, joined CNN’s special edition of ‘TALK ASIA’ filmed in front of a live studio audience in Mumbai, where he shared with host Anjali Rao his opinion on leading Bollywood actors, his sentiments on the Mumbai terror attacks and more.
CNN ’TALK ASIA’ with Aamir Khan will be aired first on Wednesday, March 25 at 1800hrs IST and repeat telecast on Saturday, March 28 at 1000hrs and 2000hrs IST.
Anjali Rao: It’s a real pleasure to have you with us today so thanks so much for making yourself available again. Your most recent film Ghajini is now the biggest Bollywood success ever. Did you have any idea that it would be quite as huge as it is?
Aamir Khan: You can hope that, you can hope that for all of your films. But you can never really tell until you see the film with the audience, how it’s going to play with the audience in the theatre.
So I think in Ghajini what we set out to make we were in fact able to achieve that. I realised that I’m making a hardcore mainstream film after really long, which is fine. I guess I’m happy to do that.
Anjali Rao: After this movie made it so big, people said that you were the real ‘King Khan’.
And that you’d kicked off Shah Rukh off his perch because he appeals to the masses but you’ve managed to do this thing that loads of actors would love to do.
In that you’ve had both critical and commercial success in spades. How do you do that? How do you stop from being pigeon-holed in one box or another?
Aamir Khan: Well, you know, I just do work which excites me and which I enjoy doing. I just do work which makes me happy. And I have absolutely no intentions of kicking Shah Rukh off his pedestal. Though I have to say I don’t think he ever was on it.
But in my opinion, the actor who I really look up to is Mr Amitabh Bachchan. He is someone who’s work I really like and he’s a fantastic actor and the kind of stardom that Mr Bachchan has seen none of us can ever hope to see. So for me, he’s the guy.
Anjali Rao: You’re not only a major actor but you also had your directorial debut in Taare Zameen Par. What was it like for you switching to the other side of the camera, at the same time obviously and starring in it?
Aamir Khan: It was tough, mainly because I wasn’t meant to direct the film to begin with. So I kind of jumped in a week into the shoot. I just went with my gut. Actually, I didn’t even have time to think, quite honestly.
And now when I look back, I realise that I had reached a point in my career where I had been wanting to direct a film for really long, and the pressure kept keeping me away from it. The fact that it happened this way didn’t give me a chance to think and decide, you know.
I just jumped into it because I had to, and I ended up making the film, you know, to the best of my abilities. So I didn’t really, you know maybe if I hadn’t done that I wouldn’t be directing for the next 10 years more, I don’t know.
So I guess I’m glad it happened finally because I’m happy with the way the film turned out and I’m happy with the way the kind of impact it had on people.
Anjali Rao: Slumdog Millionaire was a huge eye opener, I think, but you know for all the accolades that it got around the world, there were plenty here in India who slammed it. What did you think of it?
Aamir Khan: It didn’t touch me personally. Emotionally, it didn’t do anything for me. And I suspect it is because I am not used to watching Indians speak English. So you know, all these slum kids talking in English, and the cop…I find it very strange. It didn’t work for me because of that problem.
Anjali Rao: You were extremely vocal in your blog about what was happening (when Mumbai was struck by terror). Just take us through what was going on with you personally during that time.
Aamir Khan: Well, it was really devastating. I mean it was like a nightmare, I couldn’t believe it was happening. And it was also very shocking to see, you know, the audacity with which these attacks were carried out.
All the lives that were lost and so many thoughts going through my head at that time.
And it was really sad that I mean we live in a day and age today where there all over the world there are people, certain number of people at least, who feel that this is how they want to make a point, or want to be heard, or want to hit back, by killing innocent people.
Anjali Rao: Certainly you were speaking to the government in part in your blogs as well, by you know, saying not to negotiate with terrorists. But you also seemed quite critical of what the leadership was doing at the time. Is that how you felt?
Aamir Khan: No, I wasn’t actually. I wasn’t critical of the leadership at that time. Because I think at that time they were doing the best that they could.
But I am critical about how a number of the leaders have been using religion and cast in our politics for decades now. And that only, you know, polarizes people. It spreads a lot of poison and negativity in society.
Anjali Rao: What kind of a childhood did you have?
Aamir Khan: Well, fairly standard actually. I think my parents looked after us very well. We had a fairly sheltered life. I mean my parents were really against me getting into films. I come from a film family.
My father and uncle were both filmmakers. And I faced hell at home. It was like there’s no way you’re getting into films. But I don’t usually listen to people.
I just do what I feel like. And then when they realised… actually it was more because they were concerned for me, you know. Every parent is concerned for their children.
And they had been through this line and this profession is so uncertain. You know one day you’re up there, the next day you’re nobody and… it’s a really harsh profession.
Anjali Rao: When you look back at the 1980s and 1990s, do you go you know what I’m really proud of that or do you go oh god I just want to die?
Aamir Khan: No, I just want to die. I get totally embarrassed. Usually you know when I finish a film within six months I feel eh, this is not good enough. This is where we’ve messed up, and we could’ve done this, and I’ve grown so much as an actor and I can do this much better now. I don’t like my work usually after some time. I don’t like it anymore.
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