~ ll Imran Khan (Actor) Fan Club ll ~ Join In!

Imran Khan Pal was born on January 13th,1983 in Madison, Wisconsin to Nuzhat Khan and Anil Pal. His parents divorced before he was two and he lived with his mother. They moved to Bombay and he attended many different schools, starting with the Bombay Scottish School, but things did not go well there. Imran said, "By the time I was in Class IV, I had a stammer, all kinds of nervous tics. I was close to flunking." So Nuzhat moved him to Blue Mountain School in Coonoor and when the headmaster started his own school in the jungles of Ooty, Nuzhat enrolled him there. Imran gave some details about the school saying, "From 10 to 15, I was in a school in the Nilgiris. They didn't even have a name and on an average there were about 25 students. It was in a village called Geddai, about 3 hours down the hill from Ooty. Where we were staying was outside the village, about 6 km in the jungle. There was no electricity, no water and there were wild animals. You didn't have to walk far to see wild boars. We had kerosene lamps for light, we got water from the stream, we grew our own vegetable and cooked our food and washed our clothes. We had built the dorms we stayed in; we actually built our own swimming pool. I was there for 8 months of the year. After every four months I would back to Bombay for 2 months. But when you spend so much time in nature, you get a little frazzled when you come here. The noise, pollution and the overwhelming energies of the people...Also there it was scarcely populated." Nuzhat also used to go visit him, "I used to go visit him every semester. He was a real Mowgli, long hair, barefoot, running around in shorts."

Reading this part of his history you would not think he is part of a filmi family, however his grandfather was director Nasir Hussain and he has some pretty impressive uncles, including the famous director Mansoor Khan, as well as the superstar Aamir Khan. Since he was part of that illustrious family, being in films was his destiny. It was Mansoor Khan who gave him his first break in Bollywood at the tender age of three, when Imran starred as the younger version of Aamir Khan's character Raj in Qaymat Se Qaymat Tak. As a young boy, Imran would also be seen in another Aamir Khan film, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. Imran said, "I had a slightly larger role. There was direction, different kinds of scene. That was great fun to do. Mansoor mamu put a lot of care into my performance. Aamir mamu would make it a point to put my make up on himself. When he would come on set he would personally do my makeup."

The film industry bug had bitten and as he grew he became more and more interested in acting and films. He had a star on his door and his family once had to buy tickets to see his production of "The Three Little Pigs" performed in his bedroom. Throughout his teens he would make his own videos: "As a child, I was into writing and making short films. One of the first few films I made was along the lines of Star Wars. I used a handycam to shoot a short film about a few friends and me exploring another planet. People at home were very supportive. Mansoor mamu would advise me on the technical aspects of film-making."

At age 16 he moved to California to live with his father in Freemont to finish high school. His next step would start him on the path of being part of the industry he loved since he was a child. Imran went to film school and studied directing and writing at the prestigious New York Film Academy in Los Angles and graduated with a degree in Film Studies-Direction

So how did a boy who studied in the jungles of India and learned film direction in LA come to star in one of the biggest hits in 2008? After film school, when Imran returned to Mumbai, he had no desire to be an actor but then came the fateful meeting with Abbas Tyrewala. "I wanted to be a director. I've studied in L.A. And worked there for a while. I came back to Mumbai and was meeting people to find work. And throughout all this, I met Abbas. We just really clicked from day one. I loved the script and my character and he was so convinced that I was the right guy for it that I went with it. " After a couple of screen tests Abbas knew Imran was perfect for the part. About first hearing the script Imran said that he identified with the character, a normal simple boy, "When I first heard the script I felt that Abbas has seen me and based the character on me." Imran took one day to think and then said haa.n.

After that first picture on Aamir's blog and before Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na even premiered, his fans at Imran-Khan.org tried to decide what it was about him that they loved, even if they had not yet heard him utter a word. First and foremost, as fans are of course going to think, is that he is just down right cute, but can also be really handsome and sexy at the same time. Many mentioned that they loved his expressions, with one fan saying, "He can deliver so many emotions at once, I just loved it! He looks adorable, full of energy and youth." His screen presence that was another biggie! They all saw a huge potential in him! Another said, "Well, I've been thinking about him since a year or so, since I heard Aamir will be launching his nephew. I didn't know anything about him but already had great expectations as I trust Aamir's taste and intuitions 100%. Then, when I saw the trailers, his look, and how excited and involved Aamir was about him, I knew I was going to loooove him." Once the first promo premiered, the buzz around Jaane Tu got bigger and bigger, the expectations for him got higher, and we still hadn't heard him speak. Then came the voice, the sighs were heard all over again (even more this time) and it was clear that a new rising star was on the horizon.

In a chat Imran revealed his first shot in Jaane Tu, "The first was with Jai and Meghna walking in the park. The scene was ultimately cut from the film but you will probably find it on the DVD. I was not at all nervous." He also revealed what favorite scene was: "My favourite scene in Jaane Tu was what we on set called 'The Farewell Scene'. Jai and Aditi sitting by the waterfront, talking about her going to America, and Jai finally noticing the bruise on her face. I did that scene in my original audition for the film, and then again with several actresses who tested for the film, and I've loved it every time."

Finally after months of counting off the days, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na premiered in theaters on July 4th, 2008 and everyone, critics and fans alike, knew a star was born. In his review for Bollyspice.com Aly Kassam wrote, "Immense anticipation has accompanied the debut of Imran Khan, as he bears the weighty title of being 'Aamir Khan's nephew'. He certainly impresses, and you can tell he's worked hard to make his performance work. His facial expressions and body language is fantastic, he looks the part completely. For the most part he's wonderful, but there are a few sequences in which you wish he'd try to get into the skin of the character more. Sometimes, and I mean only during a few lines here and there, his acting was slightly superficial. Nevertheless, the man has a long and extremely promising future ahead of him. It doesn't matter what he does next or how many films he signs, 'Rats' will always be an iconic character for him." Jaane Tu had a huge opening weekend and is one of the biggest hits of 2008.

Aamir mamu, who stepped in as producer for Jaane Tu, was impressed with Imran's performance saying, "Imran has a good screen presence. The camera loves him and that's a big asset for any actor. He's also a good dancer; but he still has a long way to go. He should extract the optimum out of the opportunity that he has got at a young age." However, Imran is a true nephew of Aamir and was not at all happy with his performance, "I do feel that my performance was very raw. Honestly I cringe whenever I watch the film but I'm not going to give up. I'm going to work harder and get better. However some of the rawness seems to have worked in favour of the character. And ultimately if it suits the film nothing else matters."

Imran is continuing on the acting path and he has a great way of deciding what films he would like to be a part of. "I read a script or listen to a narration and imagine I'm watching a film. By the end, if I think I'd spend money to watch it, I go ahead."

Apparently Kidnap met that requirement, and on October 2nd fans saw Imran take on a character on the opposite side of the spectrum from Jai. "My role in Kidnap is as different as it is possible to get from Jaane Tu. It didn't just come to me, nor did it come easy. I put a lot into preparing for that movie..." The film also stars Sanjay Dutt and on the first day of filming Imran was a bit nervous, "I was nervous and kept fumbling my lines. So I apologized to him. He reacted by giving me a hug and telling me to chill." In talking a bit more about the character he said, "Kabir was tough for me just because he's such a broken, damaged person. When I finished the film, I felt very tired, like I needed to come out into the sun and get reenergized." Though the film was not a hit, Imran's performance was praised by critics with Taran Adarsh saying, "Kidnap belongs to Imran Khan. Watch this youngster take giant strides and you know that he has arrived. He carries the cold look effortlessly."

Also in the pipeline is Luck which is directed by Soham (Kaal). The action adventure film, also stars Shruti Hassan, Mithun Chakraborty, Danny Denzongpa and Sanjay Dutt. The film was shot on location in South Africa. About the concept of the film he said, "Well the film film deals with luck as an actual commodity. What effect it has on those round you and how luck can effect your life more than you realise. Its an adventure film." He also said, "I think it's a helluva concept. No one has done any film like Luck before." The film is has some heavy action and martial arts sequences, which Imran had to train hard in order to perform them in the film.

Will also be seen in another Aamir Khan Productions film Delhi Belly which began shooting on October 11th.

Imran was recently asked what the difference was between his characters in Jaane Tu, Kidnap andLuck and he replied, "I found my character in Kidnap the hardest, simply because I couldn't find any common ground with him. Jai was easy for me to relate to, and my character in Luck is also easier for me to understand. Kidnap, though... I loved the script, loved the character, but man, was I in over my head. Major credit to Sanjay Gadhvi, the director, for having more faith in me than I did, and helping me through the film. Ultimately though, I'm mostly happy with the work I've done, and I've got a good feeling about it."

His fans have a good feeling about it too! With his gorgeous looks, soulful eyes and incredible intelligence, Imran Khan has made his mark in Bollywood, with only two films. Though he comes from a filmi family, they each tread their own path, and Imran certainly seems to be going the right way. After his phenomenal debut one can only expect this young actor to grow and give audiences some brilliant performances. All his fans can do now is wait and watch and cheer when each new film comes out! We here at ImranKhan.org know that he will continue to thrill us with his performances to come and one day with the films he directs himself! We wish him happiness, much success and many blessings now and always.

Favourite directors include Michael Mannand Vidhu Vinod Chopra

Favourite Actors: Aamir Khan (of course),James Dean, Jack Nicholson, Sushant Singh, Atul Kulkarni and "Hrithik Roshan. I haven't missed out even a single film of his. I follow his works thoroughly because for me he is an object of admiration."

Favourite Acvtresses: Kareena Kapoor,Madhuri Dixit, Charlize Theron, Konkona Sen Sharma and "Juhi Chawla. I even proposed marriage to her when I was three years old. I even gave her a small ring. She accepted my proposal but three days back, I wanted the ring back. I'm pretty ashamed of myself. Till this day, Juhi jokes that I broke her heart."

Favourite Bands: The Beatles, Hendrix,Led Zepplin & Springsteen

Favorite Holiday Spot: Mauritius

Comfort Food: Daal-Chawal (Rice-Lentil), also loves vada pav. Loves to cook and claims to make really good Chili con Carne.

How he met Abbas Tyrewala: "I knew the lady who is now Abbas' mother-in-law. At the time, Pakhi, the casting director for the film, wasn't married to Abbas, but I used to take Hindi classes from her mom, Mrs Reena Mehta. And so, when she found out that Abbas was looking for a new boy for his film, she remembered and recommended me, and Abbas tracked me down and called me. I recognised Abbas' name, because of his lyrics. That was about three years ago. Some production person called me and said that Mr Tyrewala wanted to meet me. And I didn't know what the context was ' I was looking to assist a director, and I thought that was probably what it was all about. I went to meet him, and over the course of that meeting, I realised that he actually wanted me to act in his film."

Since the cast of Jaane Tu was full of young actors, Abbas decided to take a unique approach to prepare them all for the film, "Abbas took all six of us plus Manju, who is not in the poster, to Panchgani and we spent about a week or ten days there doing workshops. He put the boys in one room and the girls in a separate room. He told us to live together and learn to deal with one another and wanted us to come out eventually as a team. We did scene breakdowns, team-building exercises and came out of it as one unit. We were like a team, which works perfectly, and the chemistry was just remarkable," Imran explained.

Jaane Tu actually took 3 years to come to the screen and it was only when Aamir took over as producer and brought in Mansoor Khan that it finally was completed. After they saw the first cut of Jaane Tu Abbas and Imran hated it, but Ammir and Mansoor said, "Relax. It's a damn good movie and you just can't see it yet!"

Favourite song in Jaane Tu was "Kahin To... cheesy, I know, but I love it. Sue me. I love to sing, but I'm honestly not much of a singer... I don't have the range in my voice. I do intend to develop it though, and maybe I'll sing in the future." Imran thrilled one fan after she asked if he would ever sing in a film for real by saying: "I would love to sing for a movie, always wanted to. And when I do I will remember you asked me first."

When Abbas wanted him to wear the red sari, he told him he had lost his mind.

Voted the Most Promising Newcomer at Buzz 18.

About the pre-interval scene in Kidnap, Imran said, "From the moment we arrived on set, Lamba and I kept conversation to a minimum. We went through a basic blocking of the scene (camera will move from here to here, we will move from a to b, etc.) and then we stopped speaking entirely. I don't know what she did, but I had to sit alone in a corner and work myself into a rage. Then we moved to the start point, which was the door, I would grab her arm and start shoving her around, she would punch me (really) to work herself up. Gadhvi yelled action, and we just went for it. No acting, no planning. One endless take, beginning to end. Then cut, then retake. We spent the whole day doing the same shot over and over. Camera would change angle a bit, or the lens would be changed, but we did the same thing. And then I went home and broke down."

At the chat on Buzz 18 with fans, Imran was asked what the hardest thing about acting is, and he replied. "For me, the two hardest things about acting (in no particular order) are: 1. Light, charming, flamboyant scenes. I'm such a somber person; the darkness comes easily to me, but not the other stuff. I have to work hard at that. And 2. Makeup. I hate it. More than anything. It's sticky, it rubs off on your clothes, on your hands if you happen to touch your face during a scene, on the walls if... you happen to rub your face on a wall. For whatever reason."

When asked about the preparation before a film he answered: "Well it depends. I like to rehearse before starting a film, but the director, producer and some costars may not feel the same way. You all know we rehearsed a lot before JT, and the same for Kidnap as well. I didn't get the chance to do any readings at all before Luck, but that's ok. It's an action film, so you don't have to worry too much about the subtle nuances of your character. ("Everything's blowing up, run Imran, RUN!!!"). For Delhi Belly, we spent a week doing rehearsals with all the actors, the director, even the cinematographer. I'm happy."

One of the stunts supposedly in Luck is Imran swimming with sharks!

Plans to direct films one day but feels that acting will teach him and give him a lot of experience: "Abbas just shifted me away from direction but that is not to say that I won't go back to direction. It's on the cards but just don't know when."

Aamir revealed about Jo Jeeta, "He is the first Indian hero to show his rear to the audience." Imran replied, " ...Even before Saawariya. Whatever happens, Ranbir can't take that from me.

He never liked Aamir growing up. Aamir used to tease him and he also would take him out and use him to meet girls.

Best advice from Aamir mamu: "Find your own way. From choosing your director and script, learn everything the hard way."

While at the New York Film Academy in LA, he made many short films and about those first films he said they were, "clichs full of static shots of cigarette smoke."

When he was 14, he worked at a crocodile farm.

He is a book addict and can have 50-60 books stacked around his room.

Avid movie buff...mainly Western films but is catching up on his Hindi films. His favorites include: A Fish Called Wanda, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Life is Beautiful, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Amar, Akbar, Anthony, and Rebel Without a Cause.

He and girlfriend Avantika have been dating for 6 years. She actually had a cameo in Jaane Tu. "We met at a friend's place. He had invited a bunch of people over for dinner, and there we all were. I'd never seen her before; she'd never seen me. We just ended up chatting with one another, and kind of kept on chatting. One thing led to another, next thing I knew it was six years later and journalists are asking me how we met... strange."

He revealed on IK.org "The only meaningful thing I keep with me is a ring I wear on the middle finger of my right hand. Avantika wears the same one, it's something I designed myself and got made for one of our anniversaries." Awwwww!

"My friends call me the most boring person on Earth. I hate parties, hate clubs, and am not really fond of going places so I tend to drag them all over to my house."

Said, "I'm not really a shy person, I'd say I'm reserved. I can sit with a group of people I don't know and not feel at all uncomfortable. But I won't say anything either. Personally, I don't find it that hard to put my personality aside while acting. That's kind of what I like about acting, that I get to be someone else for a while."

He lives in a yellow house, his favorite couch is blue, and every 6 months he changes the color scheme inside his house.

Has a dog named Kajri, a cat called Bonnet(so named because he was found in the bonnet of Avantika's car) and two more cats.

"Ten adjectives to describe me... Quiet, stubborn, loyal, introspective, cheesy, calm, amiable, polite, frank, simple. As you learn more about me (through various means) you'll understand why."

Also a trained bartender, and was trained by the guy who taught Tom Cruise for Cocktail.

Hates pranks on set.

Before coming to Mumbai he worked as a camera operator for a few months on a reality show that never got picked up.

Also had a script stolen by a TV channel. "I actually came back from USA because Vandana my girlfriends, Avantika's mom, told me this particular channel had a show they wanted to revamp and they were looking for young writers and directors. So I went and met them. It was a horror thriller suspense kind of show; those one-hour stand alone episodes. I wrote down 3 sample episodes just plots and I showed them a couple of short films I had made. They were very impressed and said, 'We'll get back to you'. They never did but a short while later an actress friend of mine Sonali who acted in Taare Zameen Par called me and said that she got cast in a show which sound like the story I had once told her. She turned up with the script and when I read it I said yeah they have expanded my idea into a full fledged script."

On the Buzz 18 chat he wrote "Am always glad to interact with fans, it's my second favourite thing to do (after the actual process of making films... sorry, that takes precedence). You're the reason I'm in the movies; it's all about entertaining people."

At the beginning of that chat gave a shout-out to Imran-Khan.org: "Big welcome to all IK.org members. You guys were supporting me long before anyone else, and for that you'll always hold a special place in my heart." In ours too, Imran, in ours too!

He proposed to Juhi Chawla :
"Juhi Chawla. I even proposed marriage to her when I was three years old. I even gave her a small ring. She accepted my proposal but three days back, I wanted the ring back. I'm pretty ashamed of myself. Till this day, Juhi jokes that I broke her heart."

He hates Yoga :
"A lot of people have told me about Yoga. I remember in school also they used to teach Yoga. It is supposed to be good for flexibility and relaxing. I might get into trouble for this but I hate Yoga! I never liked it, it never gelled with my personality."

He's a computer geek and a movie buff:
"I have two computers side by side. Sometimes, I watch two movies at a time. I love music but I do not play any instruments. I was sent for piano lessons when I was younger but did not have the patience to learn it. I played unusual sports'I used to skateboard and I would roller blade. I have even damaged my left knee in a skateboard accident."