Aamir Khan is a Bollywood superstar with an instinct for hit films, such as the Oscar-nominated “Lagaan” from 2001. Last month, the actor returned to the silver screen for the first time in two years with a powerful performance in Reema Kagti’s “Talaash.”
Mr. Khan spoke to The Wall Street Journal’s India Real Time about why he chose “Talaash” after being away from the screen for a while, the experience of working with Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukherjee, and why he believes he is not a perfectionist. Edited excerpts:
The Wall Street Journal: Your films have a strong hold on the audience – there’s this general expectation that an Aamir Khan movie must be a good movie. What made ‘Talaash’ so special that you selected it as a project?
Aamir Khan: ‘Talaash’ is a suspense drama, a genre that we have not seen for a while and a genre that I haven’t really done. Despite the suspense, drama and action in the film, at its core it is about coming to terms with loss, and the intense and overwhelming emotions that are a part of that process.
I was attracted to the film because while reading the script, I was always excitedly waiting to find out what happened next. If a script has that affect on me during a reading, then it is definitely a film I want to be part of.
Losing someone we love, or the fear of losing someone we love one day is a difficult experience and we can all relate to it. None of us are an exception to this reality and I believe that ‘Talaash’ will tug at everyone’s heartstrings, maybe even help someone cope with a difficult experience. The film just reached out to me and connected with me emotionally.
WSJ: You have worked with Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukherjee before, how was the experience of working with them in ‘Talaash’?
Mr. Khan: When you work with a good actor, there is this natural rapport and chemistry that develops over time. That chemistry helps your characters come alive and makes the story of the film that much more convincing.
This is what describes my relationship working with Kareena and Rani – there is a give and take of ideas, positivity and energy that helps us all give a good performance. Both women are extremely talented actresses and beyond that they are beautiful human beings. I have shared a very good professional and personal relationship with both.
WSJ: Your past few releases, such as ‘Taare Zameen Par’ and ‘3 Idiots,’ have made social statements. Are you generally drawn to scripts and films that have a social message?
Mr. Khan: That’s an interesting question. If a film has a social message, it is very important for me to know what the message is and how it’s going to be delivered, but it’s not something I look for all the time. In fact, many of my films have not had social messages, such as ‘Delhi Belly,’ ‘Fanaa’ or even ‘Ghajini’ for that matter – these films are more powered by strong love stories and strong emotions.
The rule I have when choosing films is the excitement factor, I need to feel excited about the story and whatever message the film has – only then do I sign on the dotted line. I don’t do films because they tell a particular kind of story, I do films with stories that touch me.
WSJ: There’s this belief that Aamir Khan is an intense perfectionist and he brings that to all his projects. Do you believe you are a perfectionist when it comes to your craft, or in general for that matter?
Mr. Khan: I always laugh at this, because I do not believe that I am a perfectionist one bit. I truly believe that perfection is something that no one can achieve. I am very passionate about being an actor, and I allow my passion to find its outlet in the work I do. I don’t believe that it can be called perfection. It is true that when I am intensely passionate about my films, which I am, I don’t leave any stone unturned and I put every ounce of my energy into that project.
Filmmaking is a creative process so there is a lot of collaboration that happens on set between an actor and director, but at the end of the day, we’re there to actualize the director’s vision and things happen organically. The truth is that no matter how many retakes you do, each will be different and that is the nature of any creative medium. There’s no such thing as perfection.
WSJ: The box office and its figures are powerful factors today. Do you let the numbers and how much money a film makes decide whether your films are successful or not?
Mr. Khan: Box office figures are not something that can decide the success of a film on its own, but they are one of the many yardsticks that help me measure how well a film has been received. To be quite honest, numbers don’t tell you everything because audience reactions differ. Some of the biggest films at the box office are not necessarily films that everyone has loved, they just opened to a good response.
If I looked at the box office potential every time I chose a film, then I would have never done films such as ‘Lagaan,’ ‘Sarfarosh,’ or ‘Taare Zameen Par.’ All of these films did superb at the box office, but there wasn’t any reason for them to do so well because they didn’t fit the Bollywood conventions generally associated with a ‘100 crore film.’ ‘Lagaan’ even went so far as to be nominated for an Oscar award. I am honestly just grateful that good projects have come my way and I have been able to be a part of them.
WSJ: So what is the true factor of success for you, in terms of a film?
Mr. Khan: The true marker of success is when the creative minds behind a film can sit down and feel that they have succeeded in the mission they set out to accomplish – and that is to make good cinema. If we feel that we have achieved that as a team, then we have all been successful.
A film just doesn’t involve actors, a director and a producer, there is also the cameraman, the sound engineer, the music composer, the lyric writer. So many people come together to make a film. When we all feel satisfied with the film that we have created it’s a win for all of us. With that said, I am extremely proud of ‘Talaash’ and I believe that we have all succeeded in making a great film.
