Mumbai — Aamir Khan gave an in-depth, two-hour interview about “PK” from the Taj Land’s End in Mumbai.
Excerpts from the interview.
Q: How much do you keep the international audiences in mind now?
A: I have never kept any other audience in mind besides the Indian – till date! Which does not mean that I am not happy that the international audiences like my films, for “Lagaan” was the first wild horse that flew, so to speak. It was released even in Korea, Japan and China. If a film is well-made and good, it travels. Cinema is never restricted by languages or physical boundaries. A “Life Is Beautiful” may be made in Italy and be about Jews, but as a human being I connect with it. The same was the case with “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” “Taare Zameen Par” and “3 Idiots” also traveled a lot.
Q: Where do you see Hollywood’s growing influence in India on audiences?
A: I do not think that it will ever be a threat to our cinema, unlike in other countries, even if our viewership of Hollywood films has grown to nine percent from almost zero. The cinema in all our languages offers much more than they possibly can.
Q: Shah Rukh Khan says that it is the star system and worship and the consequent blurring of lines between reel and real that has kept Indian cinema safe from Hollywood.
A: (After a pause): I don’t know if that is true. I have a different opinion: I think that at the core our emotional key is different. We therefore react differently. I may want to try a steak or Chinese food once in a while, but what I really enjoy is Indian food and I want to keep coming back to it. Within that is the preference for our actors. Like, there would be no emotional connect with a Hugh Jackman, but we would love our actors, from a Rajinikanth to a belt-shaking Salman Khan, who are Indian and more larger-than-life compared to, say, a Spider-Man.
I remember this scene of Dustin Hoffman in “Kramer Vs. Kramer,” in which he comes to know on the phone that he cannot get custody of his child. He leaves the room eating popcorn! Now, that’s all right for Americans. But in India, any father would be shattered, and my character did not eat popcorn after doing a similar scene in our version, “Akele Hum Akele Tum”! (Laughs)
Q: Your uncle, the late Nasir Husain, was a famous writer-producer and director, who obviously worked in the old way and yet made classics. What did you think of his brand of filmmaking and what did he think of your new way of working?
A: I was his assistant for four years and also loved watching his films, which made you feel you were on a holiday. They had wonderful music, great humor and charming actors. His genre was just one kind of cinema but he was a very good writer.
He really liked the work I was doing and loved “Lagaan.” He was a vivacious man, very humorous and a great leader. I remember assisting him on “Zabardast,” and reminding Amrish Puri-ji repeatedly that his continuity was going wrong during the takes because of the wrong position of his hand. After four reminders, Amrish-ji shouted at me in his resonant voice, “Haan, haan! Mujhe pataa hai (Yes, yes, I know that)!” The whole set fell silent and I could not talk back to a big star like him.
A few seconds later, we heard my uncle’s voice: “Amrish-ji, I have told my assistants that actors chaahe unhein kitna bhi daante aap apna kaam karte raho (Keep doing your job even if actors scold you!)!” This was a nice way of telling Amrish-ji that I was right and merely doing my job, without being rude to him and yet standing up for his assistants. And Amrish-ji apologized to me.
My uncle’s films have been a big influence on me too. Some of my own tastes and instincts come from there. I too love great entertainment and humor and I am a sucker for mushy romances!
Q: How much has mainstream entertainment changed in India?
A: I think that the change began in the late ‘80s itself with my uncle producing and co-writing my “Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak,” which was directed by cousin Mansoor Khan. It gave a fresh sensibility to the kind of cinema made before that. Since then there has a gradual bloom that is faster now. Basically, the definition of what is mainstream cinema has widened a lot more, for a “Queen” or a “Taare…” would not have even got a release at one point.
Q: For someone so clear in views, how were you as a kid and how was your childhood?
A: I was always certain of what I wanted, or felt, as a kid. A lot of the credit for that goes to my parents. Ammi (my mother) was my biggest influence — very instinctive, caring and strong at the same time. Abbajaan (Aamir’s father, the late filmmaker Tahir Husain) also had a role in making me what I was.
Q: How is the Aamir Khan of 2014 different from the earlier Aamir Khan?
A: (Laughs) I have loosened up because of certain humbling experiences. I cannot tell you what they are because it’s not nice to know these things! At one time I was quite unforgiving, strict and judgmental about both others and myself. I had very high standards, until I did what I did not like about myself!
Then the second big change was my wife Kiran coming into my life. She has so much positive energy that I have learnt to relax. I used to be a bit uptight! (Smiles)
Q: The big change since you came in is the proliferation of the media. What are your views on it?
A: I think the sheer brute force of the media has brought in a lot of spotlight on wrong things, and action has been taken, especially against people in power and politics. But at the same time, the media likes to be like a judiciary and they announce the trial as well as verdict! Still, some good journalism is happening.
The other big problem is the selling of editorial space in newspapers and in slots on television. That’s indeed alarmingly dangerous and unfair to readers too.
Q: Finally, is there any other paradigm change you feel must come into this industry?
A: Yes, and this is something the industry has to come together as a team to tackle. In a population of 1.2 billion, we find less than five percent have watched record-breaking hits like “Dhoom:3” or “3 Idiots.” I think that at least twenty percent of our populace should be able to watch all films. So the big step is to enlarge the audience base. Apart from multiplexes and single-screens, there should be a third level of clean, technically standard cinema halls that can cater to an audience that can afford only Rs. 25 per ticket and not more. That will be the game-changer because it will also be the death-knell for piracy.