Indian Cinema Series
Aamir Khan is a somewhat mysterious figure on the Bollywood scene. I say that, because he doesn’t play the celebrity game the way many stars do. Take for example, the fact that he won’t attend Indian film award shows, even though he has been a nominee and recipient of many throughout his 20-plus year career. The 44-year-old has said it’s because: ‘Indian film awards lack credibility.’
In another example of Khan going against the grain, in 2007, the actor declined the honour of having a wax replica of himself made for the Madame Tussaud’s Museum, stating, ‘It’s not important to me… people will see my films if they want to.’
This leaves me wondering how Khan, No. 2 on our Indian Actors countdown, continues to have such a loyal following within an industry he has so candidly put down. The star has an astounding 2000 or so comments posted to each entry of his personal blog, which he started in 2007 and updates about every two weeks.
In the past decade the star has worn many professional hats, expanding his acting career to encompass other titles such as director, producer and production company owner. Born into a film industry oriented family (like many of his fellow stars), Khan dabbled in acting as a child but began acting as a career in 1984 with the film, Holi.
After over a decade of roles in successful films, establishing him as a top player in the Bollywood scene, Khan produced his first film, Lagaan in 2001. The outcome was impressive. The movie, which Khan also starred in, was recognized internationally, and nominated for an Academy Award for best foreign language film (although it did not take home the prize). He went on to make his directorial debut in 2007, but the most notable work he has done recently saw him go back to his roots as an actor, training intensively for one year to bulk up for his role in the super hit Ghajini (2008), which became the highest-grossing Indian film of all-time, when unadjusted for inflation.