'Family Didn't Want Me To Act': Aamir Khan Recalls Early Years Of His Career

Aamir Khan is one of the superstars of the Hindi film industry. Recently, on the latest episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show, actor Aamir Khan had a candid chat with host Kapil Sharma. He revealed a personal story about how he started acting because of a Maharashtra bandh. Despite having a family background in the film industry, Aamir shared that his father and uncle didn’t back his acting ambitions. He confessed to feeling anxious about discussing his desire to act with his father.

Recalling his early years, Aamir Khan shared, “I spent eighteen months working backstage and also performed in two plays. In my family, my parents and uncle Nasir Husain, a well-known filmmaker, didn’t want us, their children, to pursue careers in the film industry. They thought it was too uncertain and wanted us to study. My father had a quick temper, so I never dared to tell him about my interest in acting. Despite being a top-ranked sub-junior tennis player in Maharashtra, I often struggled in school. When I failed in two subjects, my father stopped my tennis training.”

Speaking about his acting journey, Aamir Khan shared, “Becoming an actor was unexpected for me. Even though I didn’t make it through college auditions, I got my first break in a Gujarati play with just one line. I had rehearsed for it for 3 months, but 2 days before the play, there was Maharashtra bandh so I couldn’t go for rehearsals. However, this setback opened doors for me. I got an offer to work in a diploma film for an FTII student in Pune. Eventually, I was cast in Holi by Ketan Mehta. After Mansoor and Nasir Sahab saw Holi, they decided to work with me on Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak”.

Aamir Khan made his debut as a child actor in 1973 with Nasir Hussain’s film Yaadon Ki Baaraat. His breakthrough as a lead actor came in 1988 with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. In the 1990s, he cemented his stature with blockbuster hits like Dil (1990) and Raja Hindustani (1996), earning his Filmfare Award for Best Actor.

Aamir disclosed that despite his uncle producing Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, he had to undergo a screen test and various other procedures. Aamir Khan’s last film Laal Singh Chaddha bombed at the box office. Currently, the actor is working on Sitaare Zameen Par.