Bollywood superstar Aamir khan who turns 57 has been in the movie industry for more than three decades. Khan has been part of some of the landmark films that defined the journey of Bollywood. Popularly known as Mr Perfectionist, although he prefers the term ‘Passionate’, his efforts for a role and the movie has been impactful and has ushered in huge changes for the industry.
Method Acting and Iconic Roles
While there has been an expectation on Laal Singh Chaddha, the official adaptation of Forrest Gump. From being part of the first 100 crore film- Ghajini where he underwent intense body transformation to introduce a new wave of cinema in Dil Chahta Hai, he captured the audience’s heart in all. Aamir Khan’s directorial debut Taare Zameen Par showed the world his love for the craft of film-making.
When the script had no takers, it was Aamir Khan who stepped up to produce and star in Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Lagaan which was India’s nomination to the Academic Awards in 2001. The iconic tale of Bhuvan and his team to defeat the Britishers continue to give goosebumps even today. In Dangal, one of India’s biggest blockbusters, he played a retired wrestler training his daughters to glory. Pulling off a Bhojpuri-speaking alien in PK, a social drama focussing on religion and superstitions. From the silent brooding police officer in Sarfarosh to the Tapori act in Rangeela. The list only continues…
Comic Timing
Although appreciated for his method acting and the intense efforts put in, people often forget the effortless comic timing that Aamir has. Rangeela, Ishq, Andaz Apna Apna, Dil Chahta Hai, are some of the films that give us a glimpse into his funny side. Andaz Apna Apna enjoys a cult status and has a lot of fans even today for Aamir’s act as a brilliant nincompoop.
Publicity
Known for his sharp eye for publicity, Aamir Khan has always looked and thinks out of the box. As part of promotional strategies, he went nude for the poster of PK, he had gone missing to match his character in 3 Idiots. Shaved off the audience’s hair during Ghajini promotions. Anecdotes from his contemporaries say that he was a bit of a self-promoter from his early days. One story goes that he along with Rajendranath Zutshi personally posted Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak posters on the back of auto-rickshaws and buses and Khan would introduce himself as the actor.
Commercials
Aamir Khan has promoted a lot of brands and continues to remain much in demand due to his popularity and connection with fans. The many commercials of Coca-Cola where he used to come in a new avatar every time, the Godrej commercials where he dresses up as a woman, The innovative Tata Sky advertisements or even the current PhonePe ads have all been well received.
Attention towards Social Causes
The success of Kaun Banega Crorepati ushered in a wave of reality TV shows on Indian screens. Almost every big and small actor in the industry have jumped on the bandwagon of hosting or participating in these shows. However, Aamir Khan chose to do something different. He hosted the Satyameva Jayate which focussed on social issues in the country that had to be addressed. Exposing the ugly truth led to the show facing trouble and legal notices but he continued to support and host the show nevertheless.
