Aamir defends his ‘lone ranger’ style
Bollywood star says he’s always swimming against the tide
His box-office credentials are unmatched today, but actor Aamir Khan says despite facing initial scepticism from those in the industry, he has always been someone who believed in experimenting with film roles.
The actor, who has completed 30 years in Bollywood, walked down the memory lane to reflect on the film choices that set him apart from the crowd and made him feel like a “lone ranger”.
“When I came into the industry, I was a minority, I was a lone ranger, who was trying to do films that I believed in, but the market did not believe in it and a host of people also did not believe in it,” Khan said in an interview in Mumbai.
With hits such as Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, Baazi, Earth, Sarfarosh, Lagaan and Dangal, Khan has come to be known as one of the most bankable stars in cinema today, but the actor said it has not been an easy ride. “I was constantly swimming against the tide to do the films I believed in. Now the tide has changed. So the films that I believed in then and no one else did, have actually become more mainstream today,” he said.
Khan, 53, became a star overnight with the success of his debut film as lead actor, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak in 1988, and realised he had become famous when he could no longer use public transport.
“The first time I sensed I had become popular was after Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. It was quite mad. I did a successful film, but I didn’t have the money to buy a car. I used to travel by autorickshaw, bus or a train but after a point, I couldn’t,” he said.