Aamir Khan is known for his honesty, even when it comes to accepting his mistakes something that’s rare to see in the film industry. Many stars avoid acknowledging when their films don’t perform well or when they make mistakes on screen. However, Aamir Khan feels it’s important to be open about shortcomings, both as a performer and as a filmmaker.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Aamir Khan shared his perspective on taking responsibility for a film’s failure and his public acknowledgment of mistakes. Aamir Khan feels this transparency is just a natural part of his personality and doesn’t see it as an act of bravery.
The actor discussed his approach to owning up to past mistakes like his apology for performing a song ‘Khambe Jaisi Khadi Hai’ in the 1990s film Dil, which many felt objectified women. Aamir Khan later admitted that he regretted being a part of that song and publicly apologized for doing so. And in 2022, when Laal Singh Chaddha didn’t fare well at the box office, in which Aamir Khan played the titular role and also produced. He took responsibility for its flaws, openly admitting that the movie’s length was a problem and that his own performance didn’t meet expectations.
Aamir Khan Feels It’s Just Honesty, Not Courage!
When asked about his ability to admit mistakes when things go wrong, Aamir Khan responded, “You don’t need courage for that.” While Kiran Rao and the interviewer insisted it was brave of him to do so, Aamir continued, “No, no, what is so brave in that? I’m just stating the obvious thing or rather what has occurred to me. When a film goes wrong, you try to understand ‘what went wrong?’” He emphasized that being honest about a film’s shortcomings is not about courage but simply being true to oneself.
Aamir strongly notes, “It doesn’t take courage for me. Its not something I am scared of, its who I am. I don’t think it’s a courageous act. If you ask me a question I should answer it honestly, if you ask me why do you think the film didn’t work? I’ll say ‘I messed up’ that’s the truth. I don’t think it takes courage.”
Aamir Khan feels that in the case of Laal Singh Chaddha, it didn’t follow the usual mainstream formula which may have led to its struggles with audiences. He explained, “When I sat down and thought about it, I felt that as a piece of writing, it doesn’t necessarily fall into the rules. It doesn’t really follow the rules of mainstream. It doesn’t have a clear premise; it premises a question which it doesn’t answer for you.” He noted that the film’s episodic structure and extended runtime after the main story had finished may have turned viewers off.
Aamir also expressed his admiration for the original film Forrest Gump (1994), praising Tom Hanks’ performance as one of the reasons for the film’s success. He acknowledged the pressure of trying to adapt a beloved movie and understood why Laal Singh Chaddha might not have resonated in the same way.
As for his approach to filmmaking, Aamir Khan feels strongly about test screenings. He shared that he never releases a film without first conducting screenings, instead he calls it “courageous” to release a film without previewing it. For him, the real fear lies in releasing a film directly to the audience without any test screenings and he admitted that he’d never take that risk.
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