Aamir Khan is back from a vacation in Coonoor and Bali, after taking a break from Reema Kagti’s film co-starring Rani and Kareena. He returned last week to resume work and also get in shape for Dhoom 3. Aamir took time out to talk about the success of Delhi Belly, his take on the return of the action genre and working with Salman once again. Excerpts from the conversation.

Salman and Ajay have both made solid returns to the action genre.
Both Ajay and Salman have had huge successes in the action genre of late and my congratulations to them. But if you want to be accurate about which film brought back the action genre, it was Ghajini.

Is the Andaz Apna Apna remake happening ?
I doubt it very much. Though it would be a pleasure to work once again with Salman.

You were on vacation in Bali. Give us a glimpse into your holiday mode..
Well, I was in Conoor and Bali. Bali was most relaxing. I spent time sleeping, reading, swimming, eating, working out, playing board games and watching films.

How are you prepping for Dhoom 3? Will it be your most challenging role, physically?
Currently, my prep work is physical in nature. I am trying to achieve a particular look for the character.

If asked to, would you ever spoof Shah Rukh in a song, should the script require it?
I’m not very good at mimicking people.

Do you feel the success of Delhi Belly has proved detractors wrong ?
Well, I didn’t produce the film with detractors in mind, so it does not concern me what they think. I am just happy that audiences all across liked the film so much. Like all my films, I have watched DB in the theatre with an audience and it was a joy to listen to the auditorium explode into laughter every few lines.

What do you say to those who claim Imran is piggybacking on your success?
Nothing. I don’t need to say anything to them. I am very proud of the work he has done in DB.

How different will the satellite version be from the theatrical one?
The satellite version will be identical but without the bad language. We have replaced all swear words without losing the humour.

Any plans on a sequel to DB?
I think a sequel would be great but that will depend on Akshat, the writer. If and when he comes up with a great idea for the sequel, I would be happy to put the team together again.

You think DB has paved the way for other filmmakers to use foul language in their films ?
DB is not the first film to use expletives. Bandit Queen, Omkara and Ishqiya, are just a few in a host of other films that have used expletives.

The first time I met Indian cinema Superstar Aamir Khan was in NYC, this past July, while he was on a press tour to promote Peepli [Live], an Aamir Khan Productions film. I’ve since had a few interactions with Mr. Khan and, in the process, have grown very fond of his down to earth manner as well as his no-holds barred answers.

At that first meeting, when I got up, ready to pack up my recording device after the interview and bid Khan adieu, he insisted “no please, have a seat. I would like to ask you a couple of questions. Do you have the time?” Of course I did, for the greatest star in the firmament of Indian cinema! And so for the next fifteen minutes, Khan unassumingly asked about my background, my love for Arab cinema and my passion for India.

This time, we catch up over the phone, from Berlin where Khan has been on the jury of the 61st Berlinale. It’s the day after the Golden Bear has been bestowed upon the Iranian Nader and Simin, A Separation which he describes as “a very moving film.” He talks about how the jury chose it “this decision was unanimous and it is a film that touched all of us on a lot of levels. I think it was a clear favorite for each of us individually.” He describes the film further by saying “it is a very human story, it has great characters, great moments, it is complex. It’s about common people and each one of them is a hero and each one of them is flawed.”

When I ask him about the frigid weather in Berlin, he does not complain about himself and wife Kiran Rao feeling cold in their elegant red carpet outfits, rather he talks of his fans “it broke my heart to see them waiting in the cold. I’m so touched! It was heartbreaking for me to see them, so cold outside, standing outside my hotel. I felt so bad to see them waiting for hours, some having traveled from different parts of Germany to meet me and they would wait for me at the red carpets.” While it was mentioned in the media that Khan’s beard had allowed him for some anonymity while in Berlin, he laughs and quickly clears that up by saying “my fans in Germany kept me really busy and I was happy with that!”

Also on the Jury at this year’s Berlinale was the very famously absent Jafar Panahi, the brilliant filmmaker who has been sentenced to six years in jail in his native Iran, while also being blocked from making films, speaking to the media or traveling outside the country for the next twenty. A chair was left vacant amidst the jurors in honor of Panahi whom Khan describes as “a very fine human being, someone who is gentle, very dignified and a very intelligent filmmaker.” He continues “I’ve been on a jury with him earlier in Locarno in 2002 and found him to be a great ambassador for his own country and culture. He is a very proud Iranian and represents his culture with a lot of dignity. It’s ironical that the administration there does not allow him to do that.”

When I indicate that he also represents the very best of his own India to the world, he answers with an overwhelmed “wow…” I continue that undeniably he is changing the landscape of Indian cinema with films like Anusha Rizvi’s Peepli [Live] and Rao’s Dhobi Ghat — which incidentally was picked up for distribution in Germany by Rapid Eye Movies during Berlinale and could see a release “possibly in April… I would also say the sooner the better, my fans here are really looking forward to it” confirms Khan.

He continues, indulging my previous statement without an ounce of self-importance “I guess I’m just following my creative instinct and doing what I enjoy doing really. And I think these are films which are very difficult and very, very unusual to make for Indian cinema but that doesn’t deter me. Because I actually have a lot of faith in the audience and I think that the Indian audience is one which is mature and is looking for interesting stuff.”

Khan’s dream project remains a film version of the Mahabharata which he admits “scares me because the scale of the material is so vast and so deep that it would take me twenty years to do. If I were to commit to it in my head, it would take twenty years of my life, and all my fans would kill me… They want me to make more than one film a year and here I would be taking twenty for just one!”

But his fans need not worry for now, as there are already two films in Khan’s future, one the immediate, yet untitled project by Reema Kagti — a longtime collaborator — which Khan says “starts shooting in less than a week, on the first of March. Reema’s film is with Kareena [Kapoor] and Rani [Mukherjee]. It’s a suspense drama and a very exciting script [by Kagti and Zoya Akhtar] so I’m looking forward to be working on that.” And Dhoom 3 — where Khan plays a villain again after his turn as the charismatically bad Rehan in Fanaa — is in the cards as well but not until “January of next year so we are roughly a year away from shooting”.

Was the Berlinale a source of inspiration for Khan? He leaves me with these famous last words, for now “It has been a most enriching experience watching all these films, interacting with people from different parts of the world and with my fellow jury members who are really fine, well spoken and clear thinking people. I think that the experience in itself, because it’s been so nice and enriching, will affect me and my thinking in different ways which I may not even be aware of now”.

E. Nina Rothe
Contributor, Bespoke magazine

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan says freedom of expression is a continuous struggle for artistes around the world and he also wonders why the Berlinale chose him as the jury member for the prestigious film festival.

“American artistes fought McCarthyism in the 1950s. India artistes braved the emergency imposed by the state on artistic expression,” said Aamir Thursday at a press conference held in the German capital to introduce members of the international jury of the 61st Berlinale which opened Thursday.

“And today Jafar Panahi (an Iranian director who is also on the judges panel) is imprisoned by the government in Iran and unable to be with us at the Berlinale,” he added. Aamir also said that artistes have to be very patient when faced with censorship by the state without giving up their struggle against the throttling of artistic expression.

The Berlinale fell in love with Aamir after having watched his production venture “Peepli Live”, which was screened at the fest last year. The seven-person jury, headed by Italian-American actress Isabella Rossellini, includes Australian film producer Jan Chapman, German actress Nina Hoss, Canadian film-maker Guy Maddin, British costume designer Sandy Powell, Aamir and Jafar Panahi.

However Panahi is unable to travel to Berlin as he is in prison since last December serving a six year term and is banned from making films or leaving Iran for 20 years. Rosellini said that the Berlinale has not given up hope that Panahi will join them and in the same spirit his place in the jury is symbolically left empty.

Aamir said that he was not sure why the Berlinale chose him as a jury member. “I wonder why I am selected to be a member on this jury. I make films instinctively. I have not studied films. I have no formal education in filmmaking. “For me, filmmaking is very subjective. It is about the art of story telling. I make films because I like the thought of touching people’s emotions with a good story. I like my films to make the audience laugh and to cry. I will look out for films that touch my core and make me enlightened about myself,” Aamir replied to a question as to the kind of cinema he looked forward to seeing at the Berlinale.

Asked why the Indian film industry that makes more films than any other in the world is so poorly represented at international film festivals Aamir said: “I think it is because Indian film makers know that there is a large and healthy audience at home for their films and they are not looking for audiences outside of India.”

“But this attitude is now changing. Many talented filmmakers in India want to reach out to a more diverse audience. Since Indian film makers themselves want to communicate with a more international audience now, there will be a larger presence of Indian films at international platforms such as the Berlinale in the future.” Aamir added that perhaps the kind of grammar and language that is typical of at least mainstream Indian cinema does not communicate with some non-Indian audiences.

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, whose recent films 3 Idiots and Peepli Live has hit the right notes with the audience, says that Indian cinema is going through a change and there is demand for varied content.

Nothing is static. It is nice to see that the audience wants to see varied subjects and different kinds of movies,” Aamir told PTI.

In London for the release on September 24 of Peepli Live, a political satire about farmer suicides in India, Aamir, who has produced the film, said it has done “really well” in India, USA, Middle East and Australia.

“I am happy with the way Anusha Rizvi has made the film. This is her first film as writer and director and I think she has been able to translate the script onto the screen very well,” said Aamir.

Aamir KhanAamir, who made his directorial debut with Taare Zameen Par in 2007 and starred in a supporting role, said that the film was not expected to do well.

“That is a new phenomena. Ten years back you would not expect a film like that to do well,” he said.

When asked whether it is the social issue or any particular message that drives him to do a film, the actor-director-producer replied in the negative.

While admitting that Peepli Live has a specific message, his next film Dhobi Ghat, written and directed by his wife Kiran Rao, has no message.

“It is just about the lives of people. Dhobi Ghat is about the life of four characters in the city of Mumbai and how their lives affect each other. It is also about the city itself which is the 5th character of the film. Again there is no social issue or message in it,” said Aamir.

When a script is offered to the 45-year-old actor, it is important for him to react to it instinctively to be able to say yes to the film.

“Me being attracted to a script is a very instinctive reaction. When I am reading a script, I am like an audience. The script which touches me, moves me, makes me laugh or cry, enriches me in any way or I get excited, that is the kind of film I have been doing all along,” said Aamir.

“Each film is an experience because I get to learn more. The field of film-making is quite fascinating. While producing Taare Zameen Par, I had to do a lot of research about education and children with learning disabilities,” he added.

The actor further said that his 1998 film Sarfarosh, in which he played an honest cop engaged in fighting border terrorism, was also a learning experience.

“I came to know so much about the police force and their problems. We constantly complain about them but we don’t understand what they go through,” said Aamir, adding that he got superb feed back after the film’s released.

“Every cop I met told me it is such an accurate story showing exactly what happens. At least someone is showing police in the proper light,” said Aamir.

Similarly, after the runaway success of Taare Zameen Par, “the way parents and teachers reacted and the way the education system reacted was tremendous. There have been a lot of policy changes after that.”

“That is what I like about cinema. You touch people’s lives, you make them laugh, you make them cry, you make them think, you make them feel. I find that fascinating,” said Aamir.

On September 15th, the bollytastic duo Raj&Pablo of BBC Asian Network’s Love Bollywood sat down for a special on stage interview with Aamir Khan titled In Conversation with Aamir Khan. The actor is in the UK promoting Peepli [Live], which opens this Friday. Our writer Amrita Tanna was there and gives us a first hand report of the fabulous event.

When one thinks of Raj&Pablo, the words witty, fun and entertainment galore come to mind. When one thinks of Aamir Khan, one thinks of perfectionism, poise and must-see Indian cinema. Bring the two entities together and what do you get? Enthralling and articulate conversation. This, coupled with enthusiastic audience participation was unforgettable viewing… and I had the privilege of witnessing it all in person.

As the dynamic duo came onto the stage, the theatre was filled with cheers and applause. Chic and stylish as ever, the pair thanked the audience for such an overwhelming welcome and emphasised that the event was about the audience interacting with Khan. After a brief introduction, the audio trailer of Aamir Khan produced Peepli [Live] was played. Following this, the two introduced the Khan with the Midas touch onto the stage.

Khan walked onto the stage with yet more cheering and waved to the crowds awaiting him. Dressed in a Burgundy shirt and jeans, it seemed this “In conversation” was to be a hugely informal affair. His relaxed style was somewhat charming and made me think that this is actually just a normal man within the acting profession. It was surreal sitting in front of such a cinematic great who has been a part of some of the hugest movies in Indian cinema over recent years.

When asked about whom he would say his favourite “Khan” was, the actor-cum-producer gave a fairly safe response in stating it would have to be Yusuf Khan. Raj confirmed soon after, the name, of course, referred to the yesteryear actor Mr Dilip Kumar. I’ve got to admit, I half-expected his answer to be his nephew Imran Khan – would that have been seen as loyalty… or nepotism? Well, this Khan chose not to get so controversial, and rightly so!

The “idiot” – a title affirmed by 3 Idiots, of course – had flown into London straight from the Toronto Film Festival where his wife’s film Dhobi Gaat had been showcased. He revealed that when he fell for Kiran Rao, he was totally oblivious to her writing talents, “I knew she was a nice person because that’s what made me fall for her but I didn’t know how talented she was”. At this point, he was asked whether this hidden talent of hers made him love her more. He chose not to answer that question but instead talked about how she insisted on giving him a screen test for his role in her film.

As the questions kept coming, it seems this audience had caught Khan totally unaware as he was taking a few moments to really think before answering some of the questions. Not only did he answer, he also sang and it really was special moment to hear an actor of his calibre sing his favourite song at the request of a fan.

As the show came to an end, the trio was showered with cheering and applause yet again. As they stood for photos and with the cameras clicking away, Khan was still answering questions being asked by those who were in the audience. A truly memorable experience with the man with the Midas Touch… and Peepli [Live] is sure to strike gold yet again.

You can hear the show on Love Bollywood on the BBC Asian Network on 25th September 9am-12pm. Also keep your eyes peeled on www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork for a video of the whole conversation.