Aamir Khan Opens Up About Bollywood Success as Actor, Producer: “I Don’t Find Anything Easy”

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As a devoted admirer of Aamir Khan, I find myself constantly amazed by his humility and the raw authenticity that permeates every facet of his work. His journey through Bollywood is nothing short of inspiring, with each film he completes serving as a testament to his unwavering dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence.

Actor and producer Aamir Khan from India, known for his roles in movies like “Dangal,” has also produced box office successes such as “3 Idiots” and “Peepli Live.” The latter is a satirical film that didn’t have music, instead it humorously critiqued the disparities between rural and urban life in India.

However, Khan maintains that good fortune and happy coincidences, rather than certainty or self-assurance, have guided him in every movie he’s completed. He expressed, “I don’t find anything easy. With each film I choose, I’m filled with apprehension that I won’t be able to deliver. I approach each film with a great deal of apprehension and excitement,” during an informal chat at the Red Sea Film Festival on Thursday.

He has been able to create and star in films that reflect his own storytelling vision. However, Khan is well aware that during movie production, even minor mistakes can potentially lead to the entire project collapsing.

Instead of creating films, it was his early reservations for the Bollywood action hero, perhaps stemming from his childhood memories of seeing his father, the late Tahir Hussain, tirelessly producing movies in Bollywood, investing in numerous projects.

He had witnessed his father endure tremendous hardships while working in Bollywood films, a role he considered unrewarding. But that was until the script for Ashutosh Gowariker’s ‘Lagaan’ came into his possession. He found the screenplay appealing, but couldn’t participate in the project because Khan believed no other producer in Bollywood could adequately handle the ‘Lagaan’ project.

Khan remembered feeling apprehensive that the producer might pressure the director. This made him quite anxious,” Khan shared. However, after about 18 months, the script for ‘Lagaan’ grew on him, leading him to decide to produce it as his first project.

As a gamer, I found myself swept up by the unexpected success of the cricket-themed movie, Lagaan. This Indian entry for the 2001 Oscars had an unforeseen debut at the Locarno Film Festival, and to my surprise, it won the audience award for best film. From that moment on, it seemed like the movie took on a life of its own, spreading from one country to another, eventually reaching Europe. Everything felt organic, as if the movie was steering its own course. I was just along for the ride.

The triumph of the movie “Lagaan” further encouraged the Bollywood star to conquer his persistent reservations and join his father and other industry mentors in film production. As he stated at the Red Sea event in Jeddah, “At that point in time, I was still wavering about making a decision. I thought, consider these filmmakers you admire, all of them took risks, they followed their hearts.

Khan recounted, ‘If you aim for exceptional work, you must be prepared to take chances, just like those you admire.’ On Thursday evening, the renowned Bollywood actor will be honored in the film industry during the fourth installment of the Red Sea Film Festival.

The Red Sea Film Festival continues through Dec. 14.

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2024-12-05 15:25