Wish I Knew What Drew Me to a Project: Aamir On Picking His Films

Aamir Khan talks about the the process of choosing his films.

Aamir Khan during the promotions of Secret Superstar in Delhi.

(Photo: Yogen Shah)

Aamir Khan has continued his steady run of successful hits since the release of Lagaan in 2001. He has taken on roles that no other commercial “star” has dared to - be it his body transformation in Dangal or the decision to devote all his time on a single project. In an interview with LiveMint, Aamir opens up about the process of choosing his projects.

I wish I knew what drew me to a project. I’ve often said yes (to a movie) very quickly. Sometimes I’ve taken my time. But I’ve realised I always go through that dilemma: do I really want to do it, am I making a mistake? It’s like a journey, before I commit myself, in my heart, because I’m so conscious of the fact that for one-and-a-half to two years, this is going to be my life, so is this really what I want it to be?

But Khan hasn’t always had it easy. The actor struggled with choosing the right kind of films, director and script.

“For Aamir, the difficult scenes involved dancing or loud comedy,” said his cousin, Mansoor Khan to LiveMint. And soon, Aamir realised that he needed to choose the right script above all else.

The turning point in his career came when he said no to Mahesh Bhatt for a film he didn’t believe in. “When I went to meet him, I said I couldn’t do it. I was nobody to say no to him but the script didn’t work for me. That one day was a turning point in my career. Had I compromised my beliefs, I suspect my career would have gone in a different direction,” said Aamir, in an interview with LiveMint.

And because Aamir wanted more agency when it came to the process of filmmaking, he turned producer for his films as well.

When I turned producer, I could take these decisions. Shooting in one schedule, using sync sound, making sure the production value is in tune with what the material requires. I think these things played a role in how Lagaan turned out. A certain quality of work happened, and thereafter too I’ve been working that way, even if I’m not the producer.

Aamir Khan

Aamir’s path-breaking decisions have set trends for the current crop of actors, who not only devote a long time for each film, but also for audiences, who are now more accepting of unconventional cinematic experiences on the big screen.

(Source: LiveMint)