Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (pronounced [?a?m?r xa?n]; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, film director and producer who works in Hindi films. Through his career spanning over 30 years, Khan has established himself as one of the most popular and influential actors of Indian cinema.[1][2] Khan is the recipient of numerous awards, including nine Filmfare Awards, four National Film Awards, and an AACTA Award, with one of his film productions also receiving an Academy Award nomination. He was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Shri in 2003 and the Padma Bhushan in 2010,[3] and received an honorary title from the Government of China in 2017.[4]
Khan first appeared on screen as a child actor in his uncle Nasir Hussain's film Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973). As an adult, his first feature film role was in Holi (1984). He began a full-time acting career with a leading role in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988). His performance in Raakh earned him a National Film Award in the Special Mention category. He established himself as a leading actor in the 1990s by appearing in a number of commercially successful films, including Dil, Raja Hindustani—for which he won his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor—and Sarfarosh.[5][6]
In 1999 he founded Aamir Khan Productions, whose first film, Lagaan (2001), was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and earned him a National Film Award for Best Popular Film and two more Filmfare Awards (Best Actor and Best Film). After a four-year hiatus, Khan returned to appear in leading roles, notably in Fanaa and Rang De Basanti. He made his directorial debut with Taare Zameen Par (2007), which won him the Filmfare Awards for Best Film and Best Director. Khan's biggest commercial successes came with Ghajini, 3 Idiots, Dhoom 3, PK, and Dangal, each having held the record for being the highest-grossing Indian film.[7] Khan won his third Best Actor award at Filmfare for Dangal.[8]
He has a large global following, especially in India and China, and has been described by Newsweek as "the biggest movie star"[9][10] in the world.[11][12][13] He has been regularly listed among The 500 Most Influential Muslims of the world.[14][15] Khan is an activist and humanitarian,[16] and has spoken out for various social causes, some of which have sparked political controversy.[17] He also created and hosted the television talk show Satyamev Jayate. His work as a social reformer earned him an appearance on the Time 100 list of most influential people in the world in 2013.[16] Khan has been married twice and he has three children.
Khan at a promotional event for Taare Zameen Par
Khan co-wrote the screenplay and script for Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, where he also starred in the lead role.[160] Khan began working as a producer after he set up Aamir Khan Productions in 1999, with Lagaan being its first film. It was selected as India's official entry to the 74th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category, for which it became India's third nominee ever; it eventually lost the award to Bosnian film No Man's Land. Lagaan won numerous awards at several Indian award functions such as Filmfare and IIFA, and won the National Film Award for Most Popular Film, an award shared between Khan and the film's director, Ashutosh Gowariker.[161] For producing the documentary Madness in the Desert on the making of Lagaan, Khan and director Satyajit Bhatkal were awarded the National Film Award for Best Exploration/Adventure Film at the 51st National Film Awards ceremony.[162] Khan wrote the climax of Rang De Basanti (2006), which he also starred in.[163]
In 2007, he directed and produced Taare Zameen Par, which marked his directorial debut. Khan also played a supporting role in the film. The film was conceived and developed by Amole Gupte and Deepa Bhatia. The movie was critically acclaimed[164] and a box office success. Taare Zameen Par won the 2008 Filmfare Best Movie Award as well as a number of other Filmfare and Star Screen Awards. Khan's work also won him the Best Director. In 2008, his nephew Imran Khan debuted in the film Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na under his production house. The film was a big hit in India, and earned Khan another nomination for Best Film at Filmfare.[165] He also co-wrote the blockbuster film Ghajini, which he starred in; Khan made alterations to the original 2005 Tamil film and rewrote the climax.[166] In 2010, he released Peepli Live, which was selected as India's official entry for the 83rd Academy Awards' Best Foreign Film category.[167][168]
In 2011, Khan released his home production Dhobi Ghat,[169] an art house film directed by Rao. In the same year, Khan co-produced the English language black comedy film Delhi Belly with UTV Motion Pictures.[170] The film opened to critical acclaim and was a commercial success, with a domestic revenue of over ?550 million (US$11.78 million).[171] In 2012, Khan starred in Reema Kagti's neo-noir mystery film Talaash, which was a joint production of Excel Entertainment and Aamir Khan Productions. The film was declared a semi-hit in India and accumulated a worldwide gross of ?1.74 billion (US$32.56 million).[172]
Khan, who debuted as a child actor in the first masala film, Yaadon Ki Baaraat, in 1973,[173] has been credited with redefining and modernising the masala film with his own distinct brand of cinema in the early 21st century.[174] His films blur the distinction between commercial masala films and realistic parallel cinema, and combine the entertainment and production values of the former with the believable narratives and strong messages of the latter, earning both commercial success and critical acclaim in India and overseas.[175]
His most successful production has been Dangal, which became the highest-grossing Indian film of all time. See 2008–present: Resurgence and global success section above for further details on the film.
His next production was Secret Superstar, which became one of the most profitable films ever in proportion to its limited budget.[176] In China, Secret Superstar broke Dangal's record for the highest-grossing opening weekend by an Indian film,[177] cementing Khan's status as a superstar in China[178] and as "a king of the Chinese box office".[177] Secret Superstar is the third highest-grossing Indian film of all time[179][180] and the second highest-grossing Indian film ever overseas,[181] behind only Dangal.[182] With his films giving serious competition to Hollywood in the Chinese market,[183] the success of films such as Dangal and Secret Superstar drove up the buyout prices of Indian film imports for Chinese distributors.[184] With Secret Superstar, Khan has become the only Indian actor with four films in the ?500 crore club, after Dhoom 3 (2013), PK (2014), and Dangal,[185] as well as the only Indian actor with three $100 million grossers, after PK and Dangal.[180] Secret Superstar grossed more than ?900 crore (US$131.6 million) worldwide on a budget of ?15 crore (US$2.3 million).[186] Khan's earnings for Secret Superstar from the Chinese box office is estimated to be ?190 crore (US$27.78 million),[187] higher than what any other Indian actor-producer has ever earned from a film.[188] The film has increased Aamir Khan's Chinese box office total to $346.5 million (?2,231 crore).[187]
Further information: Satyamev Jayate (TV series)
Around August 2011, Khan started talks with Siddhartha Basu's BIG Synergy to host a talk show similar to The Oprah Winfrey Show.[189]
Khan made his television debut with his talk show, Satyamev Jayate, which dealt with social issues, on 6 May 2012. Khan was paid Rs. 30 million per episode to host, making him the highest paid host in Indian television industry as of June 2012.[190] On the radio, Khan said that in view of a phenomenal public response, he would come up with a second season of the show.[191] The show went live simultaneously on StarPlus, Star World, and national broadcaster Doordarshan in the 11 am Sunday slot in eight languages, being the first to do so in India.[192]
Satyamev Jayate opened to positive reviews and feedback from social activists, media houses, doctors, and film and television personalities. Khan was also praised for his effort.[193] In her review, Ritu Singh of IBN Live stated: "Aamir Khan deserves an applause for bringing up such a sensitive issue and presenting it in a hard hitting way. The amount of research Aamir and his team has put into the show was clearly visible with the facts and figures presented. Every aspect of the issue was covered with great diligence."[194] Parmita Uniyal from Hindustan Times praised the content and Khan for "step[ing] in to do what journalists are supposed to do – make a difference. The show is a classic example of that."[195] Despite the initial hype and being labelled as the channel's most ambitious project to date, the initial viewership figures were not very encouraging; the show received an average television rating of 2.9 (with a sample size of 14.4 million, it was watched by only 20% of TV viewers) in the six metros in its debut episode on 6 May. The rating was lower than those of most other celebrity-hosted shows at the time.[196][197]
Ratings for the show eventually picked up and it became very successful. The first season of Satyamev Jayate garnered over a billion digital impressions from 165 countries.[198] The second season of Satyamev Jayate drew an audience of 600 million viewers in India.[199] The issues discussed on the show caught national attention, with several being discussed in parliament and influencing politicians and lawmakers to take action. For example, Ashok Gehlot, the Rajasthan chief minister, urged public representatives and non-governmental organisations to take actions to stop the illegal practice of female foeticide after the first episode.[200] Khan met Gehlot over the issue, who accepted the request to expedite court processes to deal the case of the sting operation featured on the show.[201][202] Following the second episode, the helpline for children received an increased number of calls from across the country, reporting child abuse.[203] The legislation to protect children below 18 years of age from sexual abuse became a reality with the Lok Sabha passing the bill.[204] After exposing medical malpractice in another episode, Khan became the first non-MP to be invited to the Indian parliament, where he and his creative team presented research on the subject and discussed core issues related to the medical fraternity.[205][206]
Khan has made a number of appearances on other TV shows. In October 2013, Khan appeared as a guest celebrity contestant in the show Kaun Banega Crorepati for the promotion of his film Dhoom 3.[207][208] In early 2016, following the intolerance controversy, he made an appearance on Aap Ki Adalat, where he clarified his remarks and views.[209] In 2017, he was the subject of an episode of the Al Jazeera documentary series Witness entitled "The Snake Charmer", focusing on his work on Satyamev Jayate as well as Dangal.[210]
Khan at Satyamev Jayate press conference
In a 2009 interview, Khan stated that he tends to take an independent approach to the world of filmmaking, noting that he does not "do different things; I try to do it in a different manner. I think every person should follow his/her dream and try and make it possible to create an ability to achieve it backed by its practicality." He also said that he is more interested in the process of filmmaking than in the result: "For me, the process is more important, more joyful. I would like to have my entire concentration on the process right from the first step."
Khan has a reputation for avoiding award ceremonies and not accepting any popular Indian film awards. Although he has been nominated many times, Khan has not attended any Indian film award ceremonies and has stated that "Indian film awards lack credibility".[211] When asked about the selection procedure and authenticity of popular Indian film awards, he replied, "Fact is that I have no objections to film awards. I just feel that if I don't value a particular film award, then I won't attend it either. Apart from the National Film Awards, I don't see any other award ceremony that I should give value to. My personal experience about these award ceremonies is that I don't trust them. I have no faith in them so I would prefer to stay away."[212][213][214]
In 2007, Khan was invited to have a wax imitation of himself put on display at Madame Tussauds in London.[215] Khan declined, saying, "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."[216] Khan also endorsed brands including Coca-Cola,[217] Godrej,[218] Titan Watches,[219] Tata Sky,[220] Toyota Innova,[221] Samsung,[222] Monaco Biscuits,[223] and Snapdeal.[224]
In April 2013, he was among Time magazine's list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.[225][226] Khan was featured on the cover of Time's Asia edition in the September 2012 issue with the title "Khan's Quest" – "He is breaking the Bollywood mold by tackling India's social evils. Can an actor change a nation?"[227] In addition to being highly popular in India, he is also highly popular overseas, particularly in China,[228][229] the second largest movie market.[230] He is the most followed Indian national on Chinese social media site Sina Weibo, above Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.[231] Khan is also popular in Turkey,[232] Hong Kong,[233] and Singapore,[234] among many other countries.
In February 2015, Khan stated his views on a popular online comedy group All India Bakchod for its celebrity roast episode. He said, "I completely believe in freedom of speech, no issues. But we have to understand that we all have a certain responsibility. When I heard what was being described to me I felt it was a violent event." He further said violence is not just physical but it has verbal aspects to it. He called the roast a shameless act, and even called out his friends from the film industry—Karan, Ranveer, and Arjun.[235]
In Indian media, he is often referred to as "Mr. Perfectionist" for his dedication to his work.[236][237] In Chinese media, he is often referred to as a "national treasure of India" or "conscience of India", due to much of his work tackling various social issues that are pervasive in Indian society, some of which are also relevant to Chinese society, in a way that domestic Chinese films often do not portray. His work is highly regarded in China, with films such as Taare Zameen Par (2007), 3 Idiots (2009) and Dangal (2016), as well as his television show Satyamev Jayate (2012–2014), being some of the highest-rated productions on Douban.[238][239] In China, Khan is known for being associated with quality cinema and committed to social causes,[240] and is often seen as an activist-actor.[241] In the past, Chinese media used to refer to him as "India's Andy Lau", but as Khan gained more familiarity with mainstream Chinese audiences, younger fans have often referred to him by the moniker "Uncle Aamir”[242] or "Mishu".[241] He has become a household name in China,[243] where he is currently[needs update] the most famous Indian.[244] His book I'll Do it My Way is commonly found in bookstores across China, while Chinese retailers sell merchandise ranging from "Uncle Aamir" smartphone cases to Dhoom 3-style black hats.[178] His effect in China has drawn comparisons with previous Indian cultural icons in the country, including the Buddha, Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore, and actors Raj Kapoor and Nargis.[245]
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Aamir Khan
Khan won 9 Filmfare Awards, out of 32 nominations,[a] including the Best Actor award[320] for Raja Hindustani (1996),[321] Lagaan (2001), and Dangal (2016);[73] the Best Actor (Critics) award for Rang De Basanti (2006); the Best Film award for Lagaan, Taare Zameen Par (2007), and Dangal; and the Best Director award for Taare Zameen Par. He also won four National Film Awards: as an actor in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) and Raakh (1989), as the producer of Lagaan and Madness in the Desert (2004), and as the director and producer of Taare Zameen Par.
Overseas, Lagaan[322] earned an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 74th Academy Awards in 2002.[323] Khan later commented on the loss of Lagaan at the Oscars: "Certainly we were disappointed. But the thing that really kept us in our spirits was that the entire country was behind us".[324] In addition to an Oscar nomination, Lagaan received a European Film Award nomination for Best Non-European Film,[325] and won awards at a number of international film festivals, including the Bergen International Film Festival,[326] Leeds International Film Festival,[327] Locarno International Film Festival,[328] NatFilm Festival,[329] and Portland International Film Festival.[330] Taare Zameen Par was also India's submission to the Oscars, but did not receive a nomination.[331] Another Khan production, Peepli Live (2010), was India's submission to the Oscars,[167][168] while Dhobi Ghat (2011) was longlisted for the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language,[332] though neither were nominated. In 2017, Dangal won Khan the inaugural Best Asian Film award at Australia's 7th AACTA Awards,[333][334] as well as Movie of the Year and Top Foreign Actor from China's Douban Film Awards,[335][336] and it was an award nominee for the 68th Berlin International Film Festival.[337]
Khan has received honorary accolades, including the Government of India's Padma Shri in 2003[338] and Padma Bhushan in 2010,[339] and an Honorary Doctorate by the Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) for his distinguished contributions to the Indian cinema and entertainment industry.[340] In 2011, he accepted an invitation from the Berlin Film Festival to be a member of the jury, after having previously turned down their offer three times since 2008.[341] In 2012, he appeared on the Time 100 list of most influential people in the world.[16] In 2017, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited Khan to be a member,[342] and he received an award for "National Treasure of India" from the Government of China.[4]
Despite having won numerous awards and honors, Aamir Khan is known for refusing to attend, or accept awards from, Indian film award ceremonies. This has occasionally led to controversy, notably at the 2017 National Film Awards, where Khan was snubbed from the Best Actor award for his performance in Dangal. Committee member Priyadarshan explained that they did not want to award him because of his refusal to attend the award ceremony.[343][344][345] Despite avoiding Indian award ceremonies, he made an exception for the 2002 Academy Awards; his reasoning was that he saw it as an opportunity for his film Lagaan to reach a wider audience, but did not care much about the award itself.[346]
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