Aamir Khan

Aamir Khan
AamirKhan.jpg
Aamir Khan at the promotional event of his film Taare Zameen Par (2007).
Born March 14, 1965 (1965-03-14) (age 44)
Mumbai, Maharashtra , India
Occupation Actor, Film Producer & Director, Writer
Years active 1973 - 1974, 1984, 1988 - 2001, 2005 - present
Spouse(s) Kiran Rao (2005 - present)
Reena Dutta (1987 - 2002)

Aamir Khan (pronounced [ɑːmɪr xɑːn]; Devanāgarī: आमिर ख़ान; Urdu: عامر خان, born Aamir Hussain Khan on March 14, 1965) is an Indian actor, film director and film producer. Khan was part of several commercially successful movies and has established himself as one of the leading actors of Hindi cinema, delivering a number of highly acclaimed performances.[1][2]

Appearing as a child actor in his uncle Nasir Hussain's film Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Khan began his professional career eleven years later, with the film, Holi (1984). He received his first commercial success with his cousin Mansoor Khan's film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) and won a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for his performance in the film. After eight previous nominations during the 1980s and 1990s, Khan received his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in Raja Hindustani (1996), his biggest commercial success so far.[3]

He later earned his second Best Actor award at the Filmfare ceremony for his performance in the 2001 Academy Award nominated Lagaan. After a four year break from acting, Khan made his comeback with Ketan Mehta's The Rising (2005). In 2007, he made his directorial debut with Taare Zameen Par, for which he received a Filmfare Best Director Award. Khan is the founder-owner of Aamir Khan Productions.

Contents

Early life

Aamir Khan was born in Bandra's Holy Family Hospital, Mumbai, India in a Muslim family that has been actively involved in the Indian motion picture industry for several decades. His father, Tahir Hussain, is a film producer while his deceased uncle, Nasir Hussain, was a film producer as well as a director.

He is a descendant of the Muslim scholar and politician, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.[4] He is also a descendant of former President of India, Dr. Zakir Hussain and a second cousin to former Chairperson of Rajya Sabha, Dr Najma Heptullah.

Film career

Khan began his film career as a child actor in a home production, produced and directed by Nasir Hussain, titled Yaadon Ki Baraat (1973) and Madhosh (1974). Eleven years later, he made his adult acting debut in a role that went quite unnoticed in Ketan Mehta's Holi (1984).

Khan's first notable leading role came in 1988 in the film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak which was directed by his cousin and Nasir Hussain's son Mansoor Khan. This film was a breakthrough commercial success, effectively launching Khan's career as a leading actor. Having the typical 'chocolate hero' looks, he was publicised as a teen idol. After that, he went on to appear in several other films in the late '80s and early '90s: Dil (1990), which became the highest grossing film of the year,[5] Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin (1991), Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992), Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993) (for which he also wrote the screenplay), and Rangeela (1995). Most of these films were successful critically and commercially.[6][7][8] Other successes include Andaz Apna Apna, co-starring Salman Khan. At the time of its release the movie was reviewed unfavorably by critics, but over the years has gained a cult status.[9]

Khan continued to act in just one or two films a year, an unusual trait for a mainstream Hindi Cinema actor. His only release in 1996 was the Dharmesh Darshan directed commercial blockbuster Raja Hindustani in which he was paired opposite Karisma Kapoor. The film earned him his first Filmfare Best Actor Award, after eight previous nominations, and went on to become the biggest hit of the year, as well as the third highest grossing Indian film of the 1990s.[10] Khan's career had seemed to hit a plateau at this point of time, and most of the films to follow for the next few years were only partially successful. In 1997, he co-starred with Ajay Devgan and was paired opposite Juhi Chawla in the film Ishq, which performed well at the box office. In 1998, Khan appeared in the moderately successful Ghulam, for which he also did playback singing.[11] John Mathew Matthan's Sarfarosh (1999) was Khan's first release in 1999 which was also moderately successful gaining an above average box office verdict, although the film was highly appreciated amongst the critics and Khan's role as a dedicated, honest and an uncorrupt cop engaged in fighting border terrorism, was well received, as did his role in Deepa Mehta's art house film Earth. His first release for the new millennium, Mela, in which he acted alongside his real-life brother Faisal Khan, was both a box-office and critical bomb.[12]

Khan founded his own production company, Aamir Khan Productions, to help finance his long time friend Ashutosh Gowariker's dream of making the film Lagaan. The movie was released in 2001, starring Khan as the lead actor. The film was a major critical and commercial success,[13] and was selected as India's official entry to the 74th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. It was eventually chosen and nominated in that category along with four other foreign films, but lost to No Man's Land. Additionally, the film gathered critical acclaim at several international film festivals, apart from winning numerous Bollywood awards, including National Film Awards. Khan himself won his second Filmfare Best Actor Award and commented on loss of Lagaan at the Oscars, saying, "Certainly we were disappointed. But the thing that really kept us in our spirits was that the entire country was behind us".

The success of Lagaan was followed by Dil Chahta Hai later that year, in which Khan co-starred with Akshaye Khanna and Saif Ali Khan, with Preity Zinta playing his love interest. The film was written and directed by the then newcomer Farhan Akhtar. According to critics, the film broke new grounds by showing Indian urban youth as they really are today. The characters depicted were modern, suave and cosmopolitan. The film did moderately well and was a success mostly in urban cities.[13]

Khan then took a four year break citing personal problems, and returned in 2005 with Ketan Mehta's Mangal Pandey: The Rising playing the title role of a real-life sepoy and a martyr who helped spark the Indian Rebellion of 1857 or the 'First War of Indian Independence'.

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's award-winning, Rang De Basanti, was Khan's first release in 2006. His role was critically acclaimed,[14] earning him a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance and various nominations for Best Actor. The film went on to become one of the highest grossing films of the year,[15] and was selected as India's official entry to the Oscars. Although the film was not shortlisted as a nominee, it received a nomination for Best Foreign Film at the BAFTA Awards in England. Khan's work in his next movie, Fanaa (2006) was also appreciated,[16] and the film went on to become one of the highest grossing Indian films of 2006.[15]

His 2007 film, Taare Zameen Par (about a teacher who befriends and helps a dyslexic child), which Khan produced and also starred in, marked his directorial debut. The film, which was the second offering from Aamir Khan Productions, opened to excellent responses from critics and audiences alike. His work won him two awards at the Filmfare, the Best Movie and the Best Director awards, and established his status as a competent director and a story-teller. The film was also selected as India's official entry to the 2009 Oscars.[17]

In 2008, Khan launched his nephew Imran Khan's debut in the film Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. The film was a major critical and commercial success.[18]

Personal life

During the years of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Khan married Reena Dutta. His parents did not approve of their marriage because of her not being a Muslim. As a result, Khan's marriage stayed a secret both from his parents and the media for a while. Dutta made a brief appearance in the popular song sequence Papa Kehte Hain in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. The story of Khan's marriage garnered major public attention when it was first revealed. Even so, Reena Dutta maintained a low profile and continued her job at a travel agency. They had two children, a son named Junaid and a daughter, Ira, and led a quiet family life away from the public eye. Reena was involved, briefly, in Khan's career when she worked as a producer for Lagaan. In December 2002, Aamir filed for divorce, ending the 15-year marriage, with Reena taking the custody of both their children.

On December 28, 2005, Aamir married Kiran Rao who had been an assistant director to Ashutosh Gowariker during the filming of Lagaan.[19]

Recently, his brother Faisal caused a media scandal by accusing Khan of mistreating him and forcing him to take medication. Faisal has been said to be mentally unstable. On October 31, 2007, the Bombay high court granted temporary custody of Faisal to their father, Tahir Hussain. Khan's family came out in a public statement, supporting him on all counts in this matter. The statement was also signed by his former wife, Reena Dutta.[20]

Although he has received numerous Indian awards, Khan rarely attends Indian award functions, and says that he does not believe in the authenticity of the selection and winning process. He made an exception when he attended the Oscars for the nomination of Lagaan. In 2007, Khan was invited to have a wax imitation of himself put on display at Madame Tussauds in London.[21] However, Khan politely declined stating that, "It's not important to me... people will see my films if they want to. Also, I cannot deal with so many things, I have bandwidth only for that much."[22]

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of Aamir Khan's awards and nominations

Filmography

Actor

Year Film Role Other notes
1973 Yaadon Ki Baaraat Young Ratan
1974 Madhosh Child artist
1984 Holi Madan Sharma
1988 Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak Raj Winner, Filmfare Best Male Debut Award
Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
1989 Raakh Aamir Hussein Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Love Love Love Amit
1990 Awwal Number Sunny
Tum Mere Ho Shiva
Dil Raja Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin Ajay Sharma
Jawani Zindabad Shashi
1991 Afsana Pyaar Ka Raj
Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin Raghu Jetley Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Isi Ka Naam Zindagi Chotu
Daulat Ki Jung Rajesh Chaudhry
1992 Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar Sanjaylal Sharma Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
1993 Parampara Ranbir Prithvi Singh Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke Rahul Malhotra Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
1994 Andaz Apna Apna Amar Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
1995 Baazi Inspector Amar Damjee
Aatank Hi Aatank Rohan
Rangeela Munna Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Akele Hum Akele Tum Rohit Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
1996 Raja Hindustani Raja Hindustani Winner, Filmfare Best Actor Award
1997 Ishq Raja Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
1998 Ghulam Siddharth Marathe Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Nominated, Filmfare Best Male Playback Award
1999 Sarfarosh Ajay Singh Rathod Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Mann Dev Karan Singh
Earth (1947) Dil Navaz Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
2000 Mela Kishan Pyare
2001 Lagaan Bhuvan Winner, Filmfare Best Actor Award
India's official entry to the Oscars
Dil Chahta Hai Akash Malhotra Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
2005 Mangal Pandey: The Rising Mangal Pandey Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
2006 Rang De Basanti Daljit Singh (DJ) Winner, Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance
Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Fanaa Rehan Khan
2007 Taare Zameen Par Ram Shankar Nikumbh Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award
India's official entry to the Oscars
2008 Ghajini Sanjay Ramaswamy Releasing on December 25, 2008
2009 Three Idiots Filming

Playback singing

Year Film Song
1998 Ghulam Aati Kya Khandala
2000 Mela Dekho 2000 Zamana Aa Gaya
2005 The Rising Holi Re
2006 Rang De Basanti Lalkaar
Fanaa Chanda Chamke, Mere Haath Mein
2007 Taare Zameen Par Bum Bum Bole

Producer

Year Film Director
2001 Lagaan Ashutosh Gowariker
Winner, Filmfare Best Movie Award
2007 Taare Zameen Par Aamir Khan
Winner, Filmfare Best Movie Award
2008 Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na Abbas Tyrewala
2008 Ghajini A. R. Murugadoss

Writer/Director

Year Film Notes
1988 Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak Story writer
1993 Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke Screenwriter
2007 Taare Zameen Par Director
Winner, Filmfare Best Director Award

See also

Awards and achievements
Filmfare Awards
Preceded by
TBD
Best Male Debut
for Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak

1989
Succeeded by
Salman Khan
for Maine Pyar Kiya
Preceded by
Shahrukh Khan
for Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
Best Actor
for Raja Hindustani

1997
Succeeded by
Shahrukh Khan
for Dil To Pagal Hai
Preceded by
Hrithik Roshan
for Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai
Best Actor
for Lagaan

2002
Succeeded by
Shahrukh Khan
for Devdas
Preceded by
Rakesh Roshan
for Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai
Best Movie
for Lagaan

2002
Succeeded by
Sanjay Leela Bhansali
for Devdas
Preceded by
Amitabh Bachchan
for Black
Best Actor (Critics)
for Rang De Basanti

2007
Succeeded by
Darsheel Safary
for Taare Zameen Par
Preceded by
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
for Rang De Basanti
Best Director
for Taare Zameen Par

2008
Succeeded by
TBD
Preceded by
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
for Rang De Basanti
Best Movie
for Taare Zameen Par

2008
Succeeded by
TBD

References

  1. rediff.com: Readers' Picks: Top Bollywood Actors
  2. rediff.com: The Powerlist: Top Bollywood Actors
  3. "All Time Earners Inflation Adjusted (Figures in Ind Rs)". BoxOfficeIndia.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-12.
  4. Kidwai, Rasheed (2004-05-31). "Badshah at durbar and dinner - I am really proud of you, Shah Rukh tells Sonia". The Telegraph. Retrieved on 6 December 2008.
  5. "Box Office 1990". BoxOfficeIndia.Com. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
  6. "Box Office 1992". BoxOfficeIndia.Com. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
  7. "Box Office 1993". BoxOfficeIndia.Com. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
  8. "Box Office 1995". BoxOfficeIndia.Com. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
  9. Planet-Bollywood - Film Review - Andaz Apna Apna
  10. "Box Office 1996". BoxOfficeIndia.Com. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
  11. "Box Office 1998". BoxOfficeIndia.Com. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
  12. "Box Office 2000". BoxOfficeIndia.Com. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
  13. 13.0 13.1 "Box Office 2001". BoxOfficeIndia.Com. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
  14. Rang De Basanti : Movie Review by Taran Adarsh
  15. 15.0 15.1 "Box Office 2006". BoxOfficeIndia.Com. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
  16. Fanaa : Movie Review by Taran Adarsh
  17. Jamkhandikar, Shilpa (2008-09-21). "Taare Zameen Par is India's entry to the Oscars". Reuters India. Retrieved on 2008-10-18.
  18. http://www.planetbollywood.com/displayArticle.php?id=n061008093720 +
  19. Grand reception for Aamir Khan-Kiran Rao wedding
  20. Aamir's family supports him against father-India-The Times of India
  21. Aamir declines Madame Tussauds- News-News & Gossip-Indiatimes - Movies
  22. Aamir Khan turned down Madame Tussauds!

External links

Persondata
NAME Khan, Aamir
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Actor, Film Producer & Director, Writer
DATE OF BIRTH 1965-3-14
PLACE OF BIRTH Mumbai, Maharashtra , India
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH