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GULF MADHYAMAM l No1 IN THE GULF l 2012 JULY 4 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 55

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ere is a star who doesnt believe in stardom. Actor, director, producer and, yes, avid blogger, Aamir Khan is one of those rare actors who want to make a difference to society rather than retreat to the splendid isolation of a superstar. And, while it can be said that Aamir took quite a while to establish his niche under the arc lights of Bollywood, none can dispute that he has evolved into one of the finest actors of this generation who has made a habit of espousing social causes in cinema and in life. After critiquing the education system in his 3 Idiots, Aamir has now shrunk the size of the screen to the telly but expanded the lens-view to turn the spotlight on the social maladies of the nation in his recently-launched television series Satyamev Jayate. Barely into its first few episodes, Satyamev Jayate is already one of the most widely watched, talked-about and, of course, written-about programmes currently on air. To many, this series is Indias answer to the Oprah Winfrey show on US television. During the course of his Bollywood rollercoaster ride, it was perhaps self-belief, patience and perseverance that has helped Aamir scale the heights he has reached today. For instance, there have been low points in his career in the 1990s where a lesser person would have easily melted into oblivion. During this difficult period, most of his films were either modest hits or duds at the Box Office. With Lagaan (2001), which he also produced, we got to see the first glimpses of Aamir Khan

Version 2.0. It was at this point (which also saw the release of the hit Dil Chahtha Hai) that Aaamir took a four-year break. While Lagaan was a major critical and commercial success, bagging a nomination for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 74th Academy Awards in addition to winning numerous Indian awards, including the National Film Awards and a second Filmfare Best Actor Award for Aamir, what followed in subsequent years was a breathtaking exposition of his artistry in films such as Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005), Fanaa, Rang De Basanti (2006)which was Indias official entry at the Oscars Tare Zameen Par (2007 as director-actor) and 3 Idiots (2009). A stand-out feature of these films has been the fine blending of the arty and the commercial elements that are often seen as disparate factors in mainstream cinema. Not to forget, Aamir Khan also starred in the commercial blockbuster Ghajini in 2008. Not many today can make a connection between Aamir and the 1973 classic Yaadonki Baaraat. But, that film produced by his uncle Nasir Hussain marked his debut as

an eight-year-old child artiste. He would reappear on the big screen over a decade later in Ketan Mehtas Holi (1984). Soon, film audiences got what would turn out to be a mere curtain-raiser on his prowess in the roaring hit Qayyamat se QayyamatTak (1988). Playing the character of Raj in that romantic tragedy, Aamir was quite the rage in campuses of that time as he waltzed his way into teen hearts singing Papa kehthe- Jyothi Varma hai... Contrast that scene with the image of Ranchhoddas Shamaldas Chanchad (Rancho) aka Phunsukh Wangdu in 3 Idiots and you will realise how far Amir Khan has travelled and how much he has reinvented himself in pursuit of perfection. Isnt he called Mr Perfectionist, after all? n

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