AMIR stars in his Wife's Directorial Debut!

You may stop speculating. The lead actor of the hush-hush Dhobi Ghat that director Kiran Rao has written, produced and is now shooting in Mumbai is her superstar husband Aamir Khan!

He didn't naturally get the role, his status as Bollywood's most recognised face and body notwithstanding; the petite and sensitive Kiran actually put Aamir through a screen test before giving him a part in her film alongside Prateik Babbar and two other newcomers. Aamir told the story: "She was keen to have a fresh cast. I respected that. But when she wasn't convinced by the actor playing the lead character, I suggested she test me, I would give her some ideas about how this role could be done. That was my sly way of entering the film! On an emotional level, though, I wanted to be part of Dhobi Ghat because this is Kiran's first film. But otherwise she's very capable of handling it on her own."

He was shooting for Ghajini in Hyderabad when Kiran arrived there on an off day in March and made Aamir give her an audition. "I put him on tape, did two scenes with him, he's highly skilled as an actor and was able to give the character many variations," revealed Kiran. This character is not the dhobi ' for that role, Kiran had selected Prateik; Aamir plays a painter who lives and works from a tiny studio apartment in noisy and congested Bhendi Bazar. She required him for 20 days of shooting. So, they checked into the same apartment one night when the hustle and bustle of Muslim Mumbai had died down and the neighbourhood was sleeping. Next morning, when the muezzin called the faithful out to pray from the minarets of the mosque across, Kiran woke up her husband and began shooting.

They lived there in relative anonymity ' unknown even to the residents of the building, shooting over three weeks, with Aamir slipping in and out of curious and close Bhendi Bazar by wearing a helmet and riding pillion on a bike! The film is about Mumbai, and the lives of the four characters, with Mohammed Ali Road, Marine Drive, the dhobi ghat of Mahalaxmi being its famous backdrops.

Some outdoor scenes were shot near Minara Masjid during the holy month of Ramazan, among the famous eat streets during the iftaar, when even the bravest commend their souls to Allah before venturing into the frenzied sea of hungry humanity. "It took serious planning, with a four camera set-up, me up a building staircase hiding behind a curtain, the people moving constantly ' a fresh crowd before the camera all the time, and Aamir suddenly arriving on a motorbike and going through the shot. The police were on standby. But by the time the people realised what was happening, and who was there, it was over and he was whisked away," said Kiran.

This is how Kiran's making Dhobi Ghat, in a guerrila-like manner, with a small unit, by shooting on real locations. Aamir just fit the role, though she never wanted an established star, she wanted a real person to just be the character rather than get an actor to play a part. Directing her husband was a great experience. "He's superb," admitted Kiran without a blush, "more than a director's delight. When he's on the sets, he's all focussed, it's like somebody turned on a power switch ' he has that effect.

He's very interested in hearing the director's naration, very keen to see what's in your head. All good actors have a degree of skill and they use this skill to give you what you want. But Aamir goes beyond that, he is very concerned about the whole making of a film, he's aware of what the cameraman wants, the sound expert, how the director needs him to be, he maintains continuity from take to take of what he's doing... he's a real treat." And Aamir, who has been directed by Bollywood's best, handsomely paid back the compliment: "Kiran's very good, she has great understanding, is very clear and confident. I could sense from her without her saying where I'd gone wrong, what she wanted me to do differently. She's also very relaxed... definitely my most loving director."

Aamir's work on the film is over, though Kiran has much left to do; she's looking at editing the film herself, doing the first cut, getting into its distribution and going the film circuit way before releasing it locally and commercially. It is Christmas in their cosy home at Pali Hill, Bandra, wine glasses are clinking, fairy lights dance on a decorated tree. The couple is taking a break, it is their wedding anniversary today, they are going to Panchgani for a few days, then he reports to Raju Hirani's sets of 3 Idiots and Kiran goes back to Dhobi Ghat. "The cast and crew miss him," said Kiran,

he had become an integral part of everybody working on the film, they weren't overawed by his presence because they had all warmed to
him. Now they miss that power switch effect."