'Shah Rukh will realise I was right' Aamir

How was the experience of moving around the country?

It was the most amazing and enriching experience.

Which place was the best experience? Was there a problem in Gujarat due to Narendra Modi's ban on you during Fanaa?

Gujarat is not forbidden for me. The entire experience was enriching, wherever I went – Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. There were three layers to this. One was the marketing angle. The other was to connect with my motherland and see my country very closely. It was a rare opportunity for me. And the third layer was the issues I wanted to bring to fore.

What kind of issues?

For example in Chanderi, I brought the plight of the weavers to fore. One-and-a-half years ago, someone had told me how are weavers are out of job. So the idea to go to a weaver's house was to help the art form stay alive. Also, in Gujarat, I went to a school to show there was free education up to the seventh standard, and the girl child's schooling is encouraged. I wanted to use my presence to highlight these issues.

Was everything planned?

No, I had not planned anything. For example, Varanasi was an emotional experience for me since I went to the place where my mother grew up. I actually decided to spend the night at Varanasi station to highlight the railways, which are the lifeline of the country. But one thing led to another and I went in search of my mother's house. But yes, we had sent four teams to do a recce of all the places three months ago. So the team helped me all along. I was in disguise so my code name was Phantom.

Is there any particular incident that remains in your mind apart from Varanasi?

In Mahabalipuram, there was this guide, Lakshman. I had a problem revealing myself in front of him. He did not watch Hindi films, and the stars he knew were only Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra. He did not know who Aamir Khan or Shah Rukh Khan was, leaving me in a fix. I had to tell him I've been acting for 20 years, and have invited him to the premiere in Mumbai. He will be there.

Shah Rukh Khan has condemned your 'vanishing act'…

Shah Rukh might not agree with what I've done now. But he will realise later that I was right.

Did anyone recognise you in the trip?

There was this girl in Mahabalipuram who recognised me through the disguise. She kept saying to her family that this is Aamir Khan, oblivious to the fact that my security guards were standing right behind her in plain clothes. She started coming up to me when I had not revealed myself to Lakshman (only to realise later that it didn't matter to him). I called my guards and they told her she could meet me later.

Have you invited the girl to the premiere, like some others?

No, I didn't. I didn't interact with her. But I could've. I have invited 24 people I've met in my journey to the premiere.

You had some health problems in your journey…

Yes, my journey was very tough. I travelled by road a lot and sometimes took a jet plane.

Do you think people in the remote areas understood the name of your film 3 Idiots? How did you explain the film to them?

I did not talk about the film with them. The idea was to connect with the people.

Whose idea was this?

It was my idea (Vidhu Vinod Chopra added that he's the one who spent money on it!). I don't think this kind of exercise has been carried out anywhere in the world. I'm very happy to be a part of it.

So, will it translate into more box office collections?

Promotions don't help a bad film. Only if the film is good, it works.

Aamir Khan's film 3 Idiots releases on the evening of December 24, 2009.