Recession had no impact: Aamir Khan

Aamir Khan is sick in bed, mere days away from the release of his new production, "Peepli Live".

The Indian actor’s latest Facebook update states the obvious: “Am feeling very helpless lying in bed a few days before the release. All the last lap interviews and promotions are cancelled :-( doomed.”

What few know is that sitting across from him a week ago, all the telltale signs were visible even then. But what’s a scratchy throat for the ‘perfectionist’ Khan who couldn’t curb his enthusiasm while narrating snippets of his new political satire.

"“Peepli Live" is such a simple story, told in a way that will connect with audiences across the world,” Khan told Emirates 24|7. “But don’t be fooled by the packaging, because farmer suicides and the ever increasing intrusion of electronic media in our lives are the harsh realities we face every day.”

Quiz him over the recent reports that "Peepli Live" is a platform used by the actor to engage in a bit of media bashing and he’s quick to deny this. “Yes, we have highlighted certain elements of the press because it is an essential ingredient to the story. And ultimately, it is not mine to tell but that of the director, Anusha Rizvi. It was her idea, her concept. I simply realised its potential and backed it up.”

Mr Perfectionist

The film, which has already won rave reviews at the Sundance and Berlin film festivals, also picked the top prize for Best Film in the recently concluded Durban Film Festival too.

Could these trophies have been possible without Khan’s impeccable reputation as an actor and producer extraordinaire? He believes so.

“Look, of course my popularity as an actor has helped the film in its publicity drive across the world. But ultimately, no big star can save a movie if it has no story. A script is still king,” said the 45-year-old actor, who was recently described by the Wall Street Journal as an “Indian Titanic”.

When informed of his newly acquired title, a surprised Khan simply laughed it off saying: “These titles don’t mean anything. Different people perceive you in different ways. That’s their perception. The way I perceive myself is in the form of a constant struggler looking to do good work.”

Khan, whose last two films "3 Idiots" and "Ghajini" have broken box office records, says it is very difficult to get good work these days.

“And there’s no one way of doing it even if it comes your way,” he quickly reiterates. “Ultimately it boils down to your own belief system. And it is important to remember that no matter which part of the process you are in, your decisions will impact the film – good or bad is relative.”

For the record

The actor who started out his Bollywood career as a child artiste in 1973’s "Yaadon Ki Baraat", launched his career innings 11 years later with the dark thriller, "Holi". But it was the 1988 romantic drama, "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak" that saw him taste his first commercial success. Nearly 25 years later, his calculated climb into super stardom has turned Khan into one of the highest paid actors of Indian cinema, rumoured to demand a whopping Rs700 million from his filmmakers.

Is this starry salary warranted or not can be judged from the returns of his last two films, "Ghajini" (2008) and 3 Idiots (2009). According to Boxofficemojo.com, the former action-thriller netted a tidy Rs1.1 billion, making it the second highest grossing movies of all time in Bollywood. Meanwhile, topping the top 10 list is "3 Idiots", which has become Indian cinemas most successful film of all time with a whopping Rs2.2bn to its name.

At the height of his career, he took another risk by turning director in 2008 with the critically acclaimed "Taare Zameen Par".

Role playing

One man, many hats, yet Khan is unfazed by this role play. He says: “I look at films as films. I think for me it is always the director who’s telling the story and the director’s vision is what we are following and supporting.“It doesn’t matter what I’m doing in the setup. Each of these roles comes with different responsibilities and challenges. If I’m acting, I have to become the part and make it pop on screen.

“If I’m directing, then I have to tell the story right and work with each cast and crew member to bring out their best. It’s almost like being a general in an army. As a director, I suppose I’m commandeering enough.”

He adds that being a producer brings forth other responsibilities because you are taking care of the creative team “who are looking to you for support and to provide them with the resources.”

Quiz Khan if life as a film producer has taught him a thing or two about those precious resources that have become even dearer in the onset of last year’s economic downturn, and the star appears unfazed.

“The recession has not affected me or my films, not even production-wise,” comes the quick response. He explains: “Consider this: the biggest success we had in the history of Indian cinema arrived during a recession with "3 Idiots". Keeping this in mind, I would imagine that even the film industry had not been affected.”

Prompted further and he adds: “If you want to see a learning curve, then it probably came in the form of a maturity in the bizarre business deals the film industry was engaging in. For example, if a project had the potential to make Rs100m at the box office, producers would buy it at Rs120m. What’s the sense in that?”

Post "Peepli Live", the actor’s next is "Dhobi Ghaat", directed by his wife Kiran Rao. “The movie has an amazing storyline and Kiran is turning into a brilliant director,” says a proud husband.

Ask him if during filming he fell into the habit of giving the debutante Rao a few directorial tips, and Khan simply laughs, saying: “I don’t spare other filmmakers, so why single out my wife?”

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