Aamir Khan,his bentley & his Woman
June 1, 2011 by FSJ
Aamir Khan
The Bentley Class Gentleman & His Women
It's once again a woman who's directing him today.
But the security detail contouring the route to Aamir Khan is quite the opposite – Ronit Roy's uniformed boys are hefty, don't-mess-with-me types armed with wireless headphones. They are also trained to be polite as you pass half-a-dozen before you find Aamir Khan in a Mumbai cop uniform, a thick moustache and a wide welcoming smile.
Call it the kiran (ray) of sunshine effect for Aamir Khan grins, laughs and chuckles a lot more today than he did in his earlier years.
"As a film person or as an individual, Anusha Rizvi has every right to her opinion. I just don't agree with her!"
"As a film person or as an individual, Anusha Rizvi has every right to her opinion. I just don't agree with her!"
As per habit, Aamir Khan has been doing some dedicated shooting only on one film – for Reema Kagti's Zakhmi which is produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar, costarring two stunning, professional actresses, Rani Mukherjee and Kareena Kapoor.
We're at the Parsee Gymkhana in Dadar and Aamir is in a tiny, un-airconditioned room waiting to be summoned for his next shot. All he has for company are his specs, a book and bottles of mineral water. (That is his daily elixir from the fountain of youth.)
Lesser actors would've been plaintive about the heat or the compromise with creature comforts. And this is Aamir Khan, the best-selling name in Hindi cinema, the only actor who has an unbeaten row of blockbusters, the man who commands the top buck from the best banners of the day. And he is smiling, comfortable where he is, unpatronisingly oblivious to any compromise.
"Delhi Belly was written as an English film, it's been shot as an English film. Like all English films, it will be dubbed in Hindi. We are even considering dubbing it in Tamil and Telugu"
"Delhi Belly was written as an English film, it's been shot as an English film. Like all English films, it will be dubbed in Hindi. We are even considering dubbing it in Tamil and Telugu"
The day's work is over (the shoot is, unsurprisingly, going off like clockwork).
He goes behind the glass door and does a quick dress change, getting into a Tee and a pair of shorts, puts on two pairs of socks, slips on his Nike shoes. And bends to tie the shoelaces.
What? You tie your laces yourself?
He grins. Aamir and I have been around long enough to have seen umpteen lesser actors stick out a foot as a batman puts on the socks, shoes and ties the shoelaces for the master.
Aamir says, "If it's okay with you, since we're in a club, I'd like to play badminton for a while. And we can chat in the car on the way back to Bandra."
A home in Bandra is perhaps the only thing we have in common as later, when his regal Bentley with the curious number plate 0007, pulls away from the shoot with both of us in it, my little Chevrolet Beat follows valiantly.
"Who am I to change anyone's name? Kiran and Reena chose to keep their maiden names and I wouldn't have it any other way"
"Who am I to change anyone's name? Kiran and Reena chose to keep their maiden names and I wouldn't have it any other way"
When Aamir settles down in the car, you can see the adrenaline flush on his face. For the last 35 minutes he has played badminton non-stop, he's played a doubles game and several singles, the opponents have been many on the other side of the net, all of them obviously at least 10 years younger. But Aamir has quietly beaten every one of them, winning every game without tiring.
Everybody knows that Hindi cinema's renowned perfectionist excels at whatever he does. Few know that Aamir was also a badminton champ who has played at the State level even if that was a couple of decades ago.
This is definitely a superior player, certainly different in all that he does. Zakhmi will be his third film with a woman director, an equation that he hasn't even really noticed.
He counts, "The first was Deepa Mehta (Earth), then Kiran (Dhobi Ghat) and now Reema. As an actor to director it's the third time. But otherwise I have also worked with Anusha (Rizvi). She is also a woman director and I've worked with her, not as an actor but as a producer."
"If I were to direct my next film, it would take another four years before it comes out. I am sure Kiran will make one before that"
"If I were to direct my next film, it would take another four years before it comes out. I am sure Kiran will make one before that"
Is there a difference when you work with a female director?
"Hmm, not really, you know. For me what's more important is, is the director capable? The gender of the director is not important. There is a general understanding of the difference between males and females but that's not necessarily true. In the sense that the sensitivity that you have or the ability to go into detail or the ability to layer a moment is not linked to your gender.
You could be a male and be extremely sensitive and perceptive about human emotions. Yes, what does come in with a woman director is a woman's perspective. That is something which is unique to a woman. I think I saw it more with Kiran perhaps.
"Kiran's ability to look at things differently surprised me on a number of occasions""Kiran's ability to look at things differently surprised me on a number of occasions"
"First of all, for far too long in Indian cinema, we have seen a male perspective. So even if you are seeing a mother's emotion, it is a male view of a mother's emotion. Women certainly bring in a different perspective and I found Kiran to be extremely unusual. Her ability to look at things differently surprised me on a number of occasions. Perhaps it is also because of the kind of film she was making. Her film was very bareek, very fine, sensitive and delicate. Her material was that. So maybe that's also why I felt it more strongly about her."
"It's a small little thing that Reema came and told me but it helped my performance. In almost every scene she has done that. I feel she has a very good eye for performances"
"It's a small little thing that Reema came and told me but it helped my performance. In almost every scene she has done that. I feel she has a very good eye for performances"
But don't you think that with people like Farah Khan, the kind of films she has made, there's been nothing female about it?
"You know, I haven't seen her films!" Laughs. "I haven't seen Om Shanti Om, I've not seen Main Hoon Naa."
She's going to bash you up.
"Ya," he agrees. "The last time I met her, she said, you haven't seen my films? I promised her I would. Actually my problem is that I don't watch films. It's not that I don't enjoy watching films, I love watching films. When I am watching a film, I'm really engrossed in it. When I feel sad, I start crying, when I feel happy, I start clapping, I am a very responsive audience.
"But the thing is that I enjoy reading a lot more.
When I come home, I pick up a book. I never come home and pick up a DVD and put it on. Cinema jaana mushkil hai. So I don't end up watching that many films. You will be surprised at the number of films I've missed as a result of being a reading fanatic."
"I can't pretend that I haven't found them attractive. Madhuri, Juhi, Kareena, Rani, Preity. I've found them all very attractive but yes, it's never gone beyond that"
"I can't pretend that I haven't found them attractive. Madhuri, Juhi, Kareena, Rani, Preity. I've found them all very attractive but yes, it's never gone beyond that"
There's another noticeably different trait in Aamir. Unlike all actors who fall in love with a glamorous costar, whether it was marriage or a serious link-up, Aamir has always gone for a working girl. It's always been a writer or Reena Dutta who worked in a travel agency or Kiran Rao who was an assistant director.
He laughs, a trifle embarrassed, "Ya, that's true. I've never thought about it. But if you are asking me if I am attracted only to working women, it's not entirely true. I find a lot of women attractive who may not be working. I don't even know whether they are working. I haven't really thought about it but I don't think there is a conscious link. But yes, certainly my serious relationships have been with women who have a lot of substance. Both Reena and Kiran are women for whom I have very high regard and both are very strong women.
"If you are asking me if I am attracted only to working women, it's not entirely true. I find a lot of women attractive"
"If you are asking me if I am attracted only to working women, it's not entirely true. I find a lot of women attractive"
"I think there has also been a lot of influence on me in my growing years from women who are very strong. For example my mother, or Nuzat, my cousin Mansoor's sister (Imran's mom), she is another very strong person. We've always been very close.
"My mum is very soft-spoken but don't let that fool you," he laughs. "She is very soft-hearted also, a very sensitive person, but she is a very strong person. So even in my growing years I've been around women who have been very strong. Mansoor's mom (Nasir Hussain's wife), Asha aunty, I called her Chachijaan, she was also very strong. They have all influenced me in their own way."
"My mum is very soft-spoken but don't let that fool you"
"My mum is very soft-spoken but don't let that fool you"
One has noticed that you've never really fallen hard for any costar.
"No, I haven't."
They are not going to like you very much.
Laughs. "No, I am very fond of all of them. I have a very good relationship with them. I've worked with extremely attractive women and I can't pretend that I haven't found them attractive. Madhuri, Juhi, Kareena, Rani, Preity. I've found them all very attractive but yes, it's never gone beyond that."
It's also been noticed that whether it's Reena or Kiran, they have always had their own names. It was never Reena Khan, she's always been Reena Dutta, like Kiran Rao is not Kiran Khan.
"Ya, that's right both of them have pretty much maintained their maiden names, Kiran and Reena both."
You never wanted it to be otherwise?
"No, certainly not. Personally I don't feel the need to change anyone's name. Who am I to change anyone's name? Quite honestly I don't think so much about these things. Kiran and Reena are both extremely independent women. They chose to keep their maiden names and I would not have it any other way. Those are not things that we really discussed in detail. It came quite naturally to us."
"I haven't seen any of Farah's films. I haven't seen Om Shanti Om or Main Hoon Naa"
"I haven't seen any of Farah's films. I haven't seen Om Shanti Om or Main Hoon Naa"
Does it bother you when somebody whom you backed like Anusha is not very ecstatic about your contribution to the film?
He laughs at the polite phrasing of the question before replying, "Well, what can I say? To each his own. At the end of the day, you know each person is different and I don't want to judge anyone. What I can say is that I think as a producer she made a good film for me. As a director, she shouldered the responsibility of what she set out to make, I was happy with it. How she is as a person is not important.
At the end of the day, the audience is not concerned with my relationship with her or how I am as a person or how she is as a person.
What's important is that they have come to see a film and has the film worked for them? As far as I am concerned, I am very clear about what my responsibilities are as a producer and I intend to shoulder them no matter what other people's opinions are.
My responsibilities are to my audience, my responsibilities are to my entire cast and crew and not just to my director. And they are to the market, to the industry and like I said, firstly and primarily, to my audience."
Anusha has said that the marketing of Peepli Live was wrong though according to me, the film got its audience because of the marketing.
"Well, as I said, to each his own. As a film person or as an individual, she has every right to her opinion. I just don't agree with her!"
"What is most important for me is that each and every individual who comes into the theatre to watch my film should get his money's worth. I take that responsibility very seriously"
"What is most important for me is that each and every individual who comes into the theatre to watch my film should get his money's worth. I take that responsibility very seriously"
It doesn't put you off wanting to back other people?
"No. That's not the kind of person I am. I don't think I can judge everybody with the same yardstick. Each person is unique, each person is an individual."
You've backed another new person, Abhinay Deo. His last film Game was not very exciting. Did you see that?
"No, I haven't seen Game. But I believe it was not well-received at the box-office, that's what I hear."
Are you happy with his work in Delhi Belly? Apparently you were not happy with the first promo and shot a fresh one?
A short laugh as he answers, "No, no, these are all rumours. I am very happy with the way Abhinay has directed Delhi Belly. Again I think what we set out to make, what was on script, he has really managed to bring it out well on screen. So I am happy with his work. And I have not had any problems with his promo. Marketing is something that I always work on jointly with my directors irrespective of what some of them might comment later on. Whether Ashutosh, Abhinay or Anusha, all of them have been involved in the marketing of their films."
Believe Delhi Belly was shown to a test audience and because they felt it was an angrezi film, there has been a concerted attempt to bring more Hindi into it?
"No, it was never meant to be Hindi. It's an English film. All English films are dubbed. So like all English films, Delhi Belly has also been dubbed. When you see Spider Man, you can choose to see the English version or you can choose to see the dubbed version.
Delhi Belly was written as an English film, it's been shot as an English film, we all knew what we were making. It's not 100 per cent English but it's primarily English in the sense the three boys are English-speaking boys. It's only some of the characters who would naturally speak Hindi, who have remained in Hindi, we've been true to the characters. But primarily about 70 per cent of it is in English. And the other 30 per cent is naturally in Hindi.
But for certain audiences and certain areas, we will be releasing the Hindi print. We are even considering dubbing Delhi Belly in Tamil and Telugu. That's how English films are released. They dub it in three languages, in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
"Time-wise I don't know if we can manage Tamil and Telugu, but the Hindi dubbing is going on right now. So it's not as a result of our test-screenings, it was always on the cards."
Wasn't a song added, choreographed by Farah Khan, to make Delhi Belly a little more commercial?
Laughs hugely, "You know I don't think it can get any more commercial than Delhi Belly. It's a very kamina commercial. The song was not added to make it more commercial, certainly not. Yes, that particular song was added later on because we felt that in that situation we had a great moment for a song. Even earlier it was in our thoughts and we'd decided to see the cut and then make up our minds. We saw the cut and we felt ya, let's go for a song. So we got in Farah, Farah has stopped shooting songs as such because she is directing her own films but she did this as a favour. It was really nice of her.
"In fact our test screenings have gone really well. We've had a very good response to our test screenings."
After the kamina commercial, which he produces but does not act in, it'll be Reema Kagti's Zakhmi. Ghajini broke all kinds of records, then 3 Idiots brought in even more bumper collections than Ghajini. Now the expectations are that the next Aamir Khan film will outdo even 3 Idiots.
He laughs wickedly, "So there is a lot of pressure on Reema then!"
Then goes on to state, "Well, I don't look at it that way. Personally what is most important for me is that each and every person, each and every individual who comes into the theatre to watch my film should get his money's worth. That is my attempt, that's my main concern. I don't get excited by numbers. It makes me happy to know that my film has done really well and the box-office is an easy yardstick which tells you how much your film is loved. But I am not looking at that yardstick when I am setting out to make a film or when I am waiting for its release. I am really looking at how happy my audience is.
"Before the release of my film I make certain promises to my audience and I want to stick to those promises. For example, when I made a film like Dhobi Ghat, I told people that it was an art film. Most producers hide the fact that they have made an art film. They'll say, nahin, nahin, thoda mainstream hai. I am saying it's an art film. I have no other agenda except to be honest and tell people that guys, this is what I've made. So tomorrow if they come in, they know what they have come in for. They may not like the film but I know I haven't let them down. I haven't misled them. The promo, the promotions, the kind of interviews that we give will accurately tell you what the film is about. I take that responsibility very seriously."
Even if it's not your production?
"Even if it is not my production, even if I am just acting in it. It's very important for people to know what kind of film we have made. So that is what is of concern to me, it's not about breaking records. Will Reema's film break the record of 3 Idiots? I hope so. I will be happy if it does, but who knows?"
But do you anticipate it to be a big blockbuster?
"It is very much a mainstream film and so I would hope that it does big business, I hope it entertains a huge amount of people. I believe it has the potential to. I believe that it's an extremely engaging and entertaining film. It's a suspense drama which means it's a kind of film which hasn't come in a long time. I have never done suspense drama and I can't remember in recent times any suspense drama having come out of Indian cinema. So it's one of a kind, I think. It's an unusual film for audiences to see, I don't think they have seen a film like this."
Is that why you chose it from a roomful of scripts?
"Well, I liked it very much. It's a very exciting script and it's also very emotional. It's got a strong emotional base." With two women in it, it had better be.
Coming back to our original question, does Reema also bring in any kind of finer sensibilities that you find only in a woman director?
"Well, I have to say that Reema as a director has really contributed to my performance in many ways. She's got a very good eye for watching the shot and she comes and tells me little things, little pointers that guide me in the right direction."
Such as?
"You know it's difficult to give examples. For example in today's scene, I am a cop and my senior is not very happy with what I've just done. He's kind of pulling me up for it and there is a line that I speak which is a little too strong. I am upset, so I am also saying something to him a little strongly. Reema came up to me and she said, you want to try saying this third line a little softly, almost with a little sadness instead of getting angry? I said, ya, I never thought of that and I tried it and it really worked. It gave that line a lot more emphasis, a lot more weight. I didn't say that line with anger, I said it softly, actually with sorrow.
"So it's a small little thing she came and told me but it helped my performance. Like this almost in every scene she has come and told me something. You try this line this way, over here don't look at the person, she points out correct little things. I feel she has a very good eye for performances."
We've reached Destination Pali Hill. Run up the stairs. Kiran Rao is busy on her laptop. She extends a warm welcome wearing her favourite accessory – a wide sunny smile that reaches her eyes.
Aamir resumes the conversation, a bottle of water by his side.
One last question. Will the next Aamir Khan production will be a Kiran film or an Aamir film?
"Well, I don't think it will be an Aamir Khan film directed by me. It's unlikely because strictly based on the fact that I am doing Reema's film as an actor and then I'll be doing Dhoom: 3 which is starting next January and will go on till June-July, for at least one year plus I am not going to be available as a director.
After 15 months, I may start thinking of what to make as a director. Count three more years after that if I am to direct a film. So if I were to direct my next film, it would take another four years before it comes out. I am sure," he smiles, "Kiran will make one before that."
Ah, a woman director again.
– Bharathi S Pradhan
https://www.thefilmstreetjournal.com/2011/06/aamir-khanhis-bentley-his-woman/
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