Priyanka Sinha
I like the success, the love and affection of the audience that comes with being a star but being a very private person, I am extremely uncomfortable with attending big functions or being in the limelight
rtistic isolation, artist MF Husain had once mentioned, was no fun. He preferred instead to paint in full view of his family, friends and admirers. Watching actor Aamir Khan, attired in jeans and Tee, tap away unperturbed on his laptop with two intrepid photographers, publicists and this interviewer lurking in the background, brought to mind the maestro. In fact, a while before the interviews began, Khan, barefoot, had walked word wizard Javed Akhtar to the gate of his Pali Hill residence. The similarities would end there but for the fact that both qualify as maverick. Being in the vortex of a media flurry is not something one associates with the reticent actor even around the release of his films so this unconditional access is a rarity. But then this is a rare occasion-Aamir Khan in the forthcoming Taare Zameen Par is cast as actor, director, producer and a singer too, if that counts. Aamir plays an art teacher to Darsheel Safary, a child who was handpicked from Shiamak Davar's summer funk group. He even had educationists Medha Lotlekar and Kate Caraval (they have been invited to the premiere in Delhi) help him with his role. The multitasking is not a first-actors like Raj Kapoor have been that way-it actually seems a natural progression for an actor who in a career spanning 19 years has repeatedly established himself as a thinking actor, something of a perfectionist. In more recent years he's acquired a reputation for ghost-directing most films of which he has been a part. "Actually I am not a perfectionist. I focus solely on getting the heart of the story, the moments of the film right and not, say, technical aspects," avers Khan, adding, "Also, I am aware of the practicalities involved so I am not indulgent. I make a schedule and stick to it." In his view, translating a good idea onto screen is always the most challenging part. It was also the reason why Amole Gupte, the writer of the film, stepped down in favour of Aamir as director. The actor was not happy with the way the story was shaping up and eventually took over the project in its entirety. Gupte continued to be part of the team though. TZP, Khan's reiterated, is not a children's film. In fact it is about encouraging children with different skills and he's keen that parents and children watch it. Not quite the subject that one would imagine the hard-nosed distributors to warm up to but Bollywood watchers are upbeat. With about 500 prints, and a production budget of about 14 crore, it's slated to be a modest release but keeping in mind that he's synonymous with good films, most key players in the industry are keeping an eye on the film's box-office fate. According to Amod Mehra, "Good cinema is welcomed by audience and because of Aamir Khan, the film depite a serious theme is being looked forward to." However, the actor's not letting the high expectations wear him down. But for the cigarette he is puffing away at, all very measured of course, there are few signs that hint at anxiety. "I have always picked up scripts that were unusual for their time so it's not something that worries me. I am happy with the way my work has taken shape. We have made a good film and (am) hoping that people like it," he says while requesting photographers to not click him with the cancer stick as it sends out a wrong message to the youngsters. If he's uncomfortable about being a star, it only shows up in his cautious responses. There is a watchfulness about him, a reluctance even as he attempts brevity and wit. "I like the success, the love and affection of the audience that comes with being a star but being a very private person, I am extremely uncomfortable with attending big functions or being in the limelight," he lets on. However, he says that the reticence is not born of an intolerance of criticism directed at stars. "I am extremely open to criticism especially from the audience. I see my films in the theater with the audience. They, of course, are unaware of my presence so I get a first-hand response and you can't get a more brutally honest feedback than that." So why the unforgiving attitude towards award functions in India, which he stopped attending after his initial years in the industry though he made an exception when Lagaan was nominated in the Best Foreign Film Category for the Oscars? "I attended the Oscars because I value them. Award functions in India have lost their value for me," he sallies, reasoning, "While in case of the former, one may disagree with the choice of the winner but it's an indisputable fact that all nominated films deserve to be there but it's not true of the awards here. Even a film that's obviously tacky finds its way to the nominations." "I like the way I have used my success to do films like Rang De Basanti and Lagaan that are not merely entertaining. It is when I have tried to second-guess the audience that I have gone wrong. Films that have been honest where I have done what I believe in, have succeeded with the audience." If that be true then perhaps he has reason to be optimistic about Taare Zameen Par. |
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