I should not have been a star, I broke all rules and made everything impractical: Aamir Khan
Panaji (PTI): I don't know how I became a star, says actor Aamir Khan, stressing that in his career of over 30 years, he did everything that broke the many "rules" of stardom.
Speaking at a session during the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), the 60-year-old actor said his filmography comprises of films that were "impractical".
"I don't know how I became a star. By all logic, I should not have been a star. I broke all the rules and I made everything impractical. So, I feel grateful that I received so much respect and success. Otherwise, practically speaking, none of the steps I took were from the point of view of achieving success," Aamir said.
Whether it was "Sarfarosh", "Lagaan", "Ghajini", "Taare Zameen Par", or his latest "Sitaare Zameen Par", the actor said all of them were experimental and shouldn't have worked at the box office.
"In fact, almost every film I used to pick, I used to be like, 'I don't know whether this is going to work.' Like 'Sarfarosh' and 'Lagaan', when we were releasing the film, we had no idea if people are going to like it or not.
"Then 'Lagaan', there was even 'Dil Chahta Hai' which was very unusual for its time and now 'Sitaare Zameen Par', all these films that I have picked, they were not meant to be successful," he added.
During the session, titled "The Narrative Architect of Social Transformation", Aamir said he likes to "surprise my audience and myself" as an actor.
"I don't want to do the same thing again and again. It's just out of how I am as a personality that I have picked different scripts. And I have always gone with what excites me, personally."
Aamir said these days a lot of film people tend to try and second guess the audience.
"They are like, 'What is it that I should make today?' The obvious answer is what people are watching and what are the films running nowadays in the market. So, you try and make that genre.
"If it's action, you make action. If it's comedy, you try and pick up a comedy film. But I have never thought that way. I have not been able to think that way. I pick films based on my own personal excitement towards the story. And most often, that goes against what is the norm at that time."
Aamir said when he did "Ghajini" in 2008, action films were not being made in the industry.
"Everyone told me that, 'Man, you are doing action now. Action films are not running nowadays.' So, 'Ghajini' came in and with it, action came in to fashion," he said.
Aamir's last release was "Sitaare Zameen Par", which released in theatres in June, followed by its digital release on YouTube under pay per view model.
Directed by R S Prasanna, the movie featured Aamir as Gulshan, an assistant coach of a major basketball team. After being fired from his job, he is ordered to either go to jail or do 90 days of community service as the coach of a team of specially-abled basketball players.
Aamir said he was surprised by the success of the film, which earned over Rs 250 crore at the box office.
"The audience has proved everyone wrong in the way the film got a reaction. The kind of love and respect the film got was unprecedented. So, I am really happy that audiences don't only want to watch one kind of film.
"At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what genre you are making it, what genre you are working in, but every film that you make has to be really hitting on the right notes. So, even if you are making an action film, at the end of the day, you need a good story for that."
Aamir's films have often been praised for providing entertainment with a dose of message, whether it was "Sitaare Zameen Par", which spoke about neurodivergent children or his earlier films like "Taare Zameen Par", "Dangal" and "3 Idiots".
The actor, however, stressed that he is not someone who picks up social causes actively.
"I am not an activist and nor am I someone who is interested in actively taking up issues. That's not me. What is me is storytelling, what is me is films. That's my world. And I am very sharply aware that when a person comes to a cinema hall, he or she is not coming there for a lesson in sociology. For that, they would go to a college," he said.
His first and primary responsibility is to entertain audiences and Aamir said he is aware of that.
"But the word entertain is not just make you laugh. I can make you cry also and entertain you. Basically, I want to engage you in one way or the other. I can scare you by making a horror film. I can make a suspense thriller. I can make a family drama. I can make different genres."
The actor said he is now looking for his next film.
"I am deciding which one to do. So, I am not thinking and have never thought that which is the next social topic I should pick up. That does not occur to me at all. So, the first attraction for me is the great script. And if that great script is also telling us something which is socially relevant, it's all the better. But I am not trying to look for social themes," Aamir said.
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Protests against Khamenei's killing: Curbs remain in force in Kashmir
Srinagar (PTI): Strict restrictions remained imposed in many areas of Kashmir for the third consecutive day on Wednesday following massive protests across the valley against the killing of Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, officials said.
As a precautionary measure, the government shut educational institutions till Saturday, while mobile internet speed continued to remain throttled.
"Restrictions on the movement and assembly of the people continued in many parts of Kashmir on Wednesday," the officials said.
They said strict restrictions were being enforced especially in the parts having large Shia population and those areas which have witnessed massive protests over the last three days.
A large number of police and paramilitary CRPF personnel were deployed across the city to prevent gatherings of protestors, the officials said.
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They added that concertina wires and barricades were placed at important intersections leading into the city, while asserting that these were precautionary measures imposed to maintain law and order.
The iconic Ghanta Ghar in the city centre of Lal Chowk here continued to remain a no-go zone after the authorities sealed area with barricades erected all around it on late Sunday night.
The move to seal the Ghanta Ghar came after it witnessed massive protests on Sunday after Khamenei's assassination in the joint air strikes by the US and Israel.
This is the first time since August 2019 that protests on such a large scale have taken place in Kashmir.
The government had first ordered the closure of schools, colleges and universities for two days. However, on Tuesday it decided to close the educational institutions till Saturday as a precautionary measure in view of the protests.
Mobile internet speeds continued to remain throttled while some prepaid mobile connections were also barred, the officials added.
On Tuesday, protests rocked several places in the valley, including Sumbal and Pattan areas of North Kashmir.
In Sumbal of Bandipora district, security forces had to resort to force to disperse the demonstrators.
Some media outlets and individuals, including National Conference Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, and former Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu, faced police heat for allegedly circulating misleading information.
A case was filed against Mehdi and Mattu under BNS sections 197(1)(d) and 353(1)(b) at Cyber Police Station, Srinagar, for allegedly circulating "false, fabricated and misleading content" on digital and social media platforms.
"The content in question, prima facie, reflects the dissemination of distorted narratives and unverified information capable of causing public unrest and societal disharmony. Such deliberate attempts to spread misinformation pose a serious threat to peace, security, and overall stability," the police said in a statement.
Both have been condemning the killing of Khameinei and the attacks by the US and Israel on Iran.
However, hours after the registration of the case, Mehdi, an influential Shia leader, said he would not be deterred from speaking the truth.
"The people of Srinagar did not elect their MP to recite government-approved condolences. They elected him to speak truth. That mandate does not expire with an FIR," he said in a post on X.
Police has issued an appeal to people to refrain from violence and provocation.
"We appeal to all sections of the society to exercise restraint and refrain from violence and provocation," it said.
Police said they will take strict legal action against instigators of violence and those involved in unlawful activities.
On Tuesday, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha directed officials to be on high alert and chaired a meeting of top officials of the police and army here.
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"Chaired a meeting of senior police & civil administration officials at the Police Control Room, Kashmir, to review the law and order situation. Directed the officers to remain on heightened alert and take all necessary measures to ensure public peace and tranquillity," Sinha said on X.
He appealed to the people and community leaders to maintain peace.
"I also appeal to the citizens and community leaders to uphold harmony and contribute to an atmosphere of calm and goodwill in society. Preserving peace and sustaining the progress of society is a shared responsibility that rests equally upon each one of us," he said.
