Watching Aamir Khan go down with a makeshift stage where he was standing to convey his intimacy with people unlike him was faintly ironical. More about that later but is it incidental that everytime he has a film or as in this case, a TV show, his persona undergoes a transformation? During the promotions of Rang De Basanti, he was seen throwing his weight behind the Narmada activists, during Taare Zamin Par, he spoke passionately about sensitivity towards the psyche of childhood even though it was Amole Gupte who had spent eight years or more developing the script and then was not seen or heard during the promotions.
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During Dhobi Ghaat, we saw the reclusive star project his love story with wife Kiran Rao in magazines and television interviews because it is never just a product, a film or a concept, that Aamir Khan sells. He also sells the idea of Aamir Khan. Of the conscientious, perfectionist, unusual, down-to-earth, thinking actor who has more than just stardom on his mind. Clever. So while crudely vociferous superstars promote their films, fight in public to protect their bruised ego, spend their energy in maintaining and isolating camps, our man here, focusses on just one thing. Aamir Khan. He stays away from minor skirmishes because he never looks at short term gains. He wants not just superstardom. But immortality.
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He does not just want your love. But your respect. Nothing wrong with that. Except that we never see the real him or the amount of preparation and thought that goes behind every statement and gesture he makes in public. So he was on that ill fated stage to attend the wedding of an auto driver’s son. Just before the launch of a TV show that projects him as the voice of the underprivileged. Never mind that he may have been paid an unheard of amount of money to do the show and to project the stories India needs to hear. But what are the promos about? Aamir Khan.
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You see him nursing cups of tea, stroking his cat, singing to himself, discussing the need to speak the truth even if it hurts the heart. The promos have been shot in his home. How do we know that? A PR story in a newspaper told us. Just how angry his wife was when the cameras were allowed in this house. Even though, interviews have been shot in his house earlier. But you do get the point, don’t you? He wants you to know just how close he is to the show and the show to him. I have no doubt that the show is going to be a great watch but the fact that it is being sold to us as an extension of Aamir Khan is somehow not sitting well like that stage that took him down with it.
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Truth has many layers and Khan has always been careful about revealing only what he wants you and me to know. Truth and lies are both important for an unruffled image. We did not ask but it was he who told us not once just once but many times that he actually fell in love with his second wife after his divorce from the mother of his two children. You can also be sure that no one in the Indian media will ever ask him questions about one Jessica Hines. Not our concern either. It is his creative integrity that should concern us. Too bad that Amole Gupte was someone who chose to let Aamir walk away with his work. Maybe, he had no choice. Even the directors of his production Peepli Live had a few things to say about him but how much play time did they get in the media?
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We do not care about how many little people he passes by on his way to greatness. We are too busy admiring the fact that when Mr Khan commits himself to something, he gives it all of himself. He can gain weight, lose it, acquire the body, the eyebrows and mannerisms of a peasant, a student, a soldier, a revenge seeking, grief crazed monster with eight packs. We are too busy praising him for the fact that he does not compete with his peers. And that he always stands out no matter what he does. Ads, films or a TV show.
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Satyamev Jayate will be a big hit. Both for the content that promises to be stirring and for the man who as always will prove one more time that even though a hurriedly made stage may fall once in a while, the man on it, will always come up smiling. With another game plan, strategy and campaign. Truth may not always win but the truth, according to Aamir Khan always does.
Reema Moudgil is the author of Perfect Eight (http://www.flipkart.com/perfect-eight-9380032870/p/itmdf87fpkhszfkb?pid=9789380032870&_l=A0vO9n9FWsBsMJKAKw47rw–&_r=dyRavyz2qKxOF7Yuc
11 Comments
1 insia dariwala wrote:
wow!!!!1
2 Kunal Talgeri wrote:
There is an urban myth about young Dustin Hoffman preparing for a scene in ‘Marathon Man.’ To look his part in that scene, he didn’t sleep a wink. He came to the film-set untidy, tired and restless. His legendary co-actor Sir Laurence Olivier asked what the matter was, and learned that Hoffman hadn’t slept the whole night to be ready for this scene. Olivier said, “Why doesn’t he try acting!” Hoffman vehemently denies this anecdote.) Somebody should ask Aamir the same question. Beneath his stellar marketing, public imaging and “creative differences,” what shit is he doling out to us? Barring ‘Dhobi Ghat,’ the last film he has actually acted in is ’1947 Earth’!
3 Anu wrote:
Hmm…to some extent I agree with what you have pointed out. But then how much do people know about the Amole Gupte controversy?Amole himself made contradictory statements! At times he said he had issues with Aamir, at times he said the entire issue was media-made! As for Peepli Live, I think the Rizvis’ grouse was unwarranted. Angry because of the way the film was marketed? How? If they were angry then why did they go to TV shows with Aamir Khan to promote the film? At several film festivals it is Anusha Rizvi who went to promote the film, not Aamir Khan! It’s not like he took over the film, took extra credit or didn’t let them make the film their own way!Anusha Rizvi was happily attending all parties Aamir organised for Peepli Live and some time later she announced she was angry! The PL controversy holds no water!
Though agree about Satyamev Jayate, that it should focus on India or the issues, instead of showcasing Aamir Khan or his home, in case the show is indeed about India and its people!
4 lalsub wrote:
I discovered your articles today through another Aamir fan. I consider myself a pretty knowledgable cinema-aamir fan, having followed closely, Indian and international media in these fields.Well, here is my two bit defense piece for Aamir.
The man is producing a show called satyameva jayate; don’t you think he would be well aware of the irony around this title –that his own life should stand the scrutiny of satya-seekers like you and many more who write on the www? And excuse me–but why assume that Aamir walked away with Amole Gupte’s credit? From whatever one has read, Amole was asked to step dowwn from the directorial chair, a week after filming started . Amole was still given plenty of credit, for the concept, the script, a song, fullsomely thanked in the cd album of TZP.
So many directors have made good films with Aamir and disappeared into mediocrity after their stint with Aamir. It was aamir who saw to it that a non-working disinterested Mahesh Bhatt was replaced by ‘ a director who actually worked ‘(his own words from an interview to Man’s world, aug 2005)–and thus it was that newbie director Vikram Bhatt directed Ghulam, with active help from Aamir–and what a treat Ghulam was. Aamir performed brilliantly in a taut entertaining film.
Thankfully, aamir’s director friends like John mathew Mathan ( the adman who made his directorial debut with the exquisite Sarfarosh)
5 lalsub wrote:
Contd–well, Mathan and RDB director Raskyesh Om Prakash Mehra have never shied from openly giving aamir credit for his value added contributions to the two films. After Sarfarosh, Mathan made a well meaning yet weak film called Shikhar, a bout environment-industry clash. mathan is said to have taken some advice from Aamir, during the making of shikhar–which did not work like Sarfarosh did–a hit with audience and critics. Sarfarosh is easily aamir’s best performasnce and film IMO. Aamir was good in1947Earth–but that is not his only good performance or film (as asserted by a commenter here). To state so is snobbish and reveals lack of knowledge about Hindi cinema.
6 lalsub wrote:
And to round off my long 3 part comment–yes, the show should be about people and issues, which i’m sure it will be., from whatever one has heard. Listen to Music director Ram Sampat speak on BH site, about the show’s honesty, his opportunity to have a creative blast through the 14 songs he has made for this show. Prasoon Joshi, the poet-adman friend of Aamir–he has spoken about being glad that his introduction to Bollywood came through Aamir. these are all people of integrity–they wouldn’t associate with fakes–which is the picture of aamir being given here.
Aamir has repeatedly asserted that his Varanasi trip was not for publicity. Methinks it was more a case of opportunity being utilized.
Ah well, now I can expect brickbats. Go ahead.
7 Rachna wrote:
I really enjoyed reading that piece Reema. Thanks
8 Reema Moudgil wrote:
This is not a site we exchange brickbats in
..you are welcome to say what you believe in but what you have said has been said by many of his fans and yes, his fans outnumber his detractors ..we are not his detractors either but we believe that celebrities in India have too much clout and that forbids honest appraisal of their work. We have said that we will not question his personal life even though he has been the one talking about his personal life at selective moments. We have not questioned his talent or his professionalism but it is a fact that people like Amole Gupte have no clout to face someone like Mr Khan and if the choice is between having their film made and leaving it to an uncertain fate, they will choose the former no matter how tough the choice is. Would Gupte have preferred to direct the film he spent 8 years slaving on or should have been happy to be ‘mentioned’ as a creative director is anyone’s guess. Well, he has made a remarkable film like Stanley Ka Dibba and we will have to wait and see if Mr Khan directs another film that is as nuanced as Taare Zamin Par. As for Anusha Rizvi, she had a right to an opinion even if she was up againt the marketing genius of Mr Khan but like we said, it is politically incorrect to voice an opinion against him and that is the power of his image management. His success ofcourse owes itself to his talent but yes, a large part of it is about how well he projects himself. He is a genius. Other actors should learn from him. 
9 Shalini wrote:
He tries to be too perfect which makes him bit distant to connect with. I expect stars to be human too which makes them more associate-able and lovable. I fell in love with Aamir with his first movie QSQT but later when he become too good and perfect he lost that connect. I moved to SRK even though he is not a great actor but his fallaciesand; idiosyncrasies makes him just like an ordinary person to whom you can love and; defend. Same goes for Salman and Big B they have retained the human fallacies which makes them connect to fans. Aamir trying to be super human being is growing distant IMO as I don’t know what is his real face. There are other incidents where his bullying antics appeared his dealing with Chetan Bhagat and spat with Javed Akhtar. In both cases I didnt take his side as he wanted to prove himself right instead of standing by what is right.
10 rohit wrote:
wow! such a cynical take. just for your info though, RDB released in Jan 2006 and he protested for Narmada in April 2006, obviously it couldn’t have helped in promoting a film which released 4 months back. Of course, you missed that fact in trying to project him as all mind and no heart.
11 Reema Moudgil wrote:
I used the word “during”..which means during the time Rang De Basanti was fresh in the minds of people..is he still talking about Narmada? No. Like we said before, the idea is to question some of the image projection our stars indulge in and not always accept what they say on face value. Cynicism is as meaningless as hero worship. Between the two is the space where you question .