KALYANI JHA | NT BUZZ
Popularly known as Mr. Perfectionist, Bollywood icon Aamir Khan is noted for his careful attention to detail. Yet, the star acknowledges that in truth, looking back, he made many “impractical” choices.
“I chose films which excited me and which had good scripts, often going against what was or is the norm at the time,” he admitted to a packed hall at Kala Academy, Panaji. The actor was speaking as part of the session ‘The Narrative Architect of the Social Transformationand Inclusivity’ moderated by Indian film critic Rangan Baradwaj at the ongoing IFFI 56.
A key factor in sharpening his eye for great scripts, he states, was his upbringing. Many writers and directors would visit his father Tahir Hussain to narrate scripts, and young Aamir would also listen in. “My mother was also a film enthusiast and many discussions around the dining table revolved around films. That was my film training,” he said.
Besides this, the actor stated that if his films have worked well, the credit goes to the writers. “I have been fortunate to have great writers coming to me with good scripts,” he said.
Speaking about his last film, ‘Sitare Zameen Pe’, he said that everyone told him it would be difficult to work with PwDs but this was not the case. “It was easier to work with them, because they were so focused and so focused. If half the actors and technicians were as involved as they were, every film would be a hit,” he said.
And while Khan is known for starting a conversation on social issues with his films and shows, the actor states that he is in fact not actively interested in taking up social issues. “For me storytelling and films are my world. I am sharply aware that people are not coming to the cinema hall for a lesson in sociology. My primary responsibility is to entertain them, to engage them in one way or the other. So I choose scripts which are great,” he said.
He also acknowledged that filmmaking is an extremely difficult process. “There are several stages in filmmaking. You can go wrong in any one of them from the casting and location to the crew to the shooting, followed by editing, sound, mixing, and later the release date and marketing. Thus, I never make fun of filmmaking. I know that every film takes so much effort and everyone has put their heart into it. We must respect that,” he said.
On a different note, speaking on awards and why he doesn’t apply much for it he expressed his disinterest in the process of selection. “I have been part of jury and I know the process of how awards are given. Unless it is for promotion I won’t go for awards. For me, audience award is the best award,” he said adding that he went for Oscars with ‘Lagaan’ because representing an Indian film on a global platform opens up more avenues for Indian films.
Speaking on how films are judged by numbers now, he said, “It has become a trend now to cite business in numbers of crores but ultimately what matters is whether audiences like the film or not. I work for entertaining the audiences,” he said.
He did however acknowledge that there was “deadly pressure” with every passing year to live up to the expectations of viewers. Going forward, the actor revealed that he intends to focus only on acting and somewhere done the line turn his full attention to directing. “Direction is my big love. When I finally take that decision I will probably stop acting completely. So I am delaying that decision for now.”
