3 Idiots is also expected to be the first Indian film to be officially released on You Tube, within 12 weeks of releasing in theatres.[1] It is also the “highest grossing Bollywood movie of all time.”[2]

BOLLYWOOD is on a high. The world’s biggest film industry ended the last year of the first decade of the 21st century on a most optimistic note, having notched a record US$50mil (RM170mil) from Aamir Khan’s frothy film, 3 Idiots, in under two weeks from global exhibition.

Never before has an Indian movie created so much buzz, and collected so much moolah in so short a time.

The simple story of three friends through college and work also dislodged the 35-year-old record of the top Bollywood grosser, Sholay, to become the biggest hit in the history of Hindi cinema.

In an industry where luck plays a major role in determining the success or failure of a movie, 2009 saw Bollywood’s fortunes on the up­­swing, with both theatre occupancy and gate collections rising handsomely.

Box office collections during the year were well over US$320mil (RM1.1bil) despite a two-month shutdown of all cinema halls over the discord with exhibitors on revenue-sharing.

A record 125 Hindi films were released last year, a good number of them box-office hits. Some of the successful films were: Love Aaj Kal, Wanted, New York, Kaminey, Ajab Prem Ki Ajab Kahani, Wake Up Sid, Paa, Dev D and, of course, 3 Idiots.

Though 68-year-old Amitabh Bachchan playing a teenager suffering from progeria, a debilitating disease stunting growth, in Paa got rave reviews for his histrionic talents, it was the super-duper success of Aamir Khan’s act in 3 Idiots that set a new benchmark in quality cinema emanating from the formula factory called Bollywood.

Based on a racy novel, Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat, the largest-selling English-language novelist in India at present, the film is about three friends who meet as students at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and go on to bond for the rest of their lives.

It is their innocent and not-so-innocent capers at the IIT and afterwards which seem to be bringing in eager viewers who stay glued to their seats in 1,500 cinema halls in India and some 300-odd overseas as Aamir and his buddies make them laugh, cry and wince in surprise with them.

Following an overwhelming demand even in the second week, a number of theatres in metros increased ticket prices by over 25%. Yet, such was the pull of the movie that it did not dampen ticket sales.

Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, the celebrated maker of the two Munnabhai movies, the film showcases the energies of a new India as epitomized by Aamir Khan’s character, hailing from a poor family who gains admission in the prestigious IIT thanks only to his extraordinary talent.

3 Idiots focuses on indigenous inventions and their application to everyday life. There is the scooter-powered flour mill, an exercise cycle-cum-washing machine and a bicycle-powered horse-shaver to keep the viewers engrossed.

The 40-something Aamir Khan playing a 20-something character, Ranchodas Shyamaldas Chanchad a.k.a. Rancho, does not for a moment seem unconvincing.

The film also offers an insight into the pressure-cooker student life on the IIT campus what with the fear of failure driving some to commit suicide.

Within days of the box-office success of the film, Chetan Bhagat, a real-life IIT alumnus, complained that he was short-changed by the film makers who acknowledged his novel on which the movie was based in small print in rolling titles at the end of the film.

Aamir Khan and the director of the film pooh-poohed the novelist’s claim, arguing that he was not only adequately compensated financially but his prior consent was secured before the movie went on the sets.

While Khan claimed that only 5%-10% of the novel was adapted in the film story, Bhagat countered that 70%-80% of the film was based on his novel.

A very angry Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the producer of 3 Idiots, had the entire media braying for his blood when he shouted at a persistent journalist questioning him about Bhagat’s charge, asking the latter to shut up.

The Bhagat-Chopra spat, played in the full glare of the television media, further added to the appeal of the film. The controversy also renewed public interest in Bhagat’s 2004 novel with the publishers bringing out its 156th impression within days of the spat.

Television commentators urged viewers to read the novel and then see the film to find out for themselves whether the film maker or the novelist was speaking the truth.

Meanwhile, the super-duper success of 3 Idiots has further consolidated the position of Aamir Khan as Bollywood’s numero uno star-actor. A perfectionist who does only a film or two a year, the diminutive Khan is heads and shoulders above the competition when it comes to sheer acting talent.

Indeed, it has been said about Bollywood’s most accomplished hero that had he been four inches taller, he would have been the tallest actor in the history of Bollywood.

Yes, Amitabah Bachchan is gifted. So is Dilip Kumar. But both Bachchan and Kumar belong to the method school of acting while Aamir Khan epitomizes the natural school of acting. Before Aamir, the late Sanjeev Kumar and Motilal were ranking members of the natural school of acting.

Lest this column read like a PR plug for Aamir Khan and his latest celluloid offering, one must take note of the other two Khan heroes, Shah Rukh and Salman.

Well, Shah Rukh has been promoting his film My Name Is Khan, due for release next month, while Salman’s Veer is set to be released later this month.

Both Khans are huge draws on the box-office, but even they acknowledge publicly that Aamir is a more accomplished actor.

Meanwhile, the year 2009 finally settled the question about the next superstar. With the aging crop of heroes from the Khans to Akshay Kumar, the Deol brothers and Sanjay Dutt in their early or late forties, the 27-year-old Ranbir Kapur seems to have consolidated his place as the next super star with three successful films.

Wake Up Sid and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani were box-office hits, while Salesman Rocket Singh won cri­­ti­­cal acclaim for his acting talents.

Aamir Khan

Aamir Khan (Hindi: आमिर ख़ान, Urdu: عامر خان, pronounced [ˈaːmɪr ˈxaːn]; born Aamir Hussain Khan on 14 March 1965) is an Indian film actor, director and producer. Khan has worked in a number of critically and commercially successful films and has established himself as one of the leading actors of Hindi cinema. He is also the founder-owner of Aamir Khan Productions.

Starting his career as a child actor in his uncle Nasir Hussain’s film Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Khan began his professional career eleven years later with the film, Holi (1984). He had his first commercial success with his cousin Mansoor Khan’s film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), for which he won a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award. After seven previous nominations during the 1980s and 1990s, Khan received his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in the major grosser Raja Hindustani (1996).

In 2001, he made his debut as a film producer with the Academy Award-nominated Lagaan. Khan played the lead role in the film and earned his second Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance. After a four-year break from acting, Khan made his comeback with Ketan Mehta’s Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005), and later won a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance for his role in Rang De Basanti (2006). In 2007, he made his directorial debut with Taare Zameen Par (Like Stars On Earth), for which he received a Filmfare Best Director Award. This was followed by Ghajini (2008), which became the highest grossing film of that year. In 2009 Khan appeared in a commercially and critically acclaimed film 3 Idiots, which became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all-time, unadjusted for inflation.

Early life

Khan was born in Bandra’s Holy Family Hospital, Mumbai, India, to a Muslim family that has been actively involved in the Indian motion picture industry for several decades. His father, Tahir Hussain, was a film producer while his uncle, Nasir Hussain, was a film producer as well as a director and a actor.

He is a descendant of the Muslim scholar and politician Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and a second cousin to former Chairperson of Rajya Sabha Dr Najma Heptullah.

Film career

Actor

Khan began his film career as a child actor in a home production, made by Nasir Hussain, titled Yaadon Ki Baraat (1973) and Madhosh (1974). Eleven years later, he made his adult acting debut in a role that went quite unnoticed in Ketan Mehta’s Holi (1984).

Khan’s first notable leading role came in 1988 in the film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak which was directed by his cousin and Nasir Hussain’s son Mansoor Khan. This film was a breakthrough commercial success, effectively launching Khan’s career as a leading actor. Having the typical ‘chocolate hero’ looks, he was publicised as a teen idol. He also starred in critically acclaimed film Raakh, for which Khan got his first National Award for Special Jury Award. After that, he went on to appear in several other films in the late ’80s and early ’90s: Dil (1990), which became the highest grossing film of the year, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin (1991), Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992), Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993) (for which he also wrote the screenplay), and Rangeela (1995). Most of these films were successful critically and commercially. Other successes include Andaz Apna Apna, co-starring Salman Khan. At the time of its release the movie was reviewed unfavorably by critics, but over the years has gained a cult status.

Khan continued to act in just one or two films a year, an unusual trait for a mainstream Hindi cinema actor. His only release in 1996 was the Dharmesh Darshan directed commercial blockbuster Raja Hindustani in which he was paired opposite Karisma Kapoor. The film earned him his first Filmfare Best Actor Award, after seven previous nominations, and went on to become the biggest hit of the year, as well as the third highest grossing Indian film of the 1990s. Khan’s career had seemed to hit a plateau at this point of time, and most of the films to follow for the next few years were only partially successful. In 1997, he co-starred with Ajay Devgan and was paired opposite Juhi Chawla in the film Ishq, which performed well at the box office. In 1998, Khan appeared in the moderately successful Ghulam, for which he also did playback singing. John Mathew Matthan’s Sarfarosh (1999), Khan’s first release in 1999, was also moderately successful, gaining an above average box office verdict. The film was highly appreciated amongst the critics and Khan’s role as a dedicated, honest and uncorrupted cop engaged in fighting border terrorism, was well received, as was his role in Deepa Mehta’s art house film Earth. His first release for the new millennium, Mela, in which he acted alongside his real-life brother Faisal Khan, was both a box-office and critical bomb.

In 2001 he appeared in Lagaan. The film was a major critical and commercial success, and received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 74th Academy Awards. Additionally, the film gathered critical acclaim at several international film festivals, in addition to winning numerous Indian awards, including the National Film Awards. Khan himself won his second Filmfare Best Actor Award. The film continues to be one of the most popular Hindi films in the west.

The success of Lagaan was followed by Dil Chahta Hai later that year, in which Khan co-starred with Akshaye Khanna and Saif Ali Khan, with Preity Zinta playing his love interest. The film was written and directed by the then newcomer Farhan Akhtar. According to critics, the film broke new grounds by showing Indian urban youth as they really are today. The characters depicted were modern, suave and cosmopolitan. The film did moderately well and was a success mostly in urban cities.

Khan then took a four year break citing personal problems, and returned in 2005 with Ketan Mehta’s Mangal Pandey: The Rising playing the title role of a real-life sepoy and a martyr who helped spark the Indian Rebellion of 1857 or the ‘First War of Indian Independence’.

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s award-winning, Rang De Basanti, was Khan’s first release in 2006. His role was critically acclaimed, earning him a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance and various nominations for Best Actor. The film went on to become one of the highest grossing films of the year, and was selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars. Although the film was not shortlisted as a nominee, it received a nomination for Best Foreign Film at the BAFTA Awards in England. Khan’s work in his next movie, Fanaa (2006) was also appreciated, and the film went on to become one of the highest grossing Indian films of 2006.

His 2007 film, Taare Zameen Par, was also produced by him and marked his directorial debut. The film, which was the second offering from Aamir Khan Productions, starred Khan in a supporting role as a teacher who befriends and helps a dyslexic child. It opened to excellent responses from critics and audiences alike. Khan’s performance was well-received, although he was particularly applauded for his directing.

In 2008, Khan appeared in the movie Ghajini. The film was a major commercial success and became the highest grossing Bollywood movie of that year. For his performance in the film, Khan received several Best Actor nominations at various award ceremonies as well as his fifteenth Filmfare Best Actor nomination.

In 2009 Khan appeared in the commercially and critically acclaimed film 3 Idiots. Khan’s role of Ranchodas Chanchar was well appreciated by the audience. The film became the highest grossing Bollywood film ever.

Producer

In 2001 Khan set up a production company known as Aamir Khan Productions. Its first film was Lagaan. The movie was released in 2001, starring Khan as the lead actor. The film was selected as India’s official entry to the 74th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. It was eventually chosen and nominated in that category but lost to No Man’s Land. The film won numerous awards at several Indian award functions such as Filmfare and IIFA, and won the National Film Award for Most Popular Film, an award shared between Khan and the film’s director, Ashutosh Gowarikar. Khan later commented on the loss of Lagaan at the Oscars: “Certainly we were disappointed. But the thing that really kept us in our spirits was that the entire country was behind us”.

In 2007 he produced the drama Taare Zameen Par which marked his directorial debut. Khan also played a supporting role in the film, sharing the screen with the debut of child actor Darsheel Safary. The film was initially conceived of and developed by the husband and wife team, Amole Gupte and Deepa Bhatia. It was a story of a young child who suffers in school until a teacher identifies him as dyslexic. The movie was critically acclaimed, as well as a box office success. Taare Zameen Par won the 2008 Filmfare Best Movie Award as well as a number of other Filmfare and Star Screen Awards. Khan’s work won him two awards at the Filmfare, the Best Movie and the Best Director awards, which established his status as a competent filmmaker in Bollywood.

In 2008, Khan launched his nephew Imran Khan’s debut in the film Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na under his production house. The film was a big hit in India, and eventually earned Khan another nomination for Best Movie at the Filmfare.

Personal life

Aamir with United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2009.

During the years of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Khan married Reena Dutta. They had two children, a son named Junaid and a daughter, Ira. Reena was involved, briefly, in Khan’s career when she worked as a producer for Lagaan. In December 2002, Khan filed for divorce, ending the 15-year marriage, with Reena taking the custody of both their children. On 28 December 2005, he married Kiran Rao who had been an assistant director to Ashutosh Gowariker during the filming of Lagaan.

Though nominated many times, Khan does not attend any Indian film award ceremony as he feels “Indian film awards lack credibility”. In 2007, Khan was invited to have a wax imitation of himself put on display at Madame Tussauds in London. However, Khan declined stating that, “It’s not important to me… people will see my films if they want to. Also, I cannot deal with so many things, I have bandwidth only for that much.”

In 2007, Khan lost a custody battle for his younger brother Faisal to their father, Tahir Hussain. His father passed away on February 2, 2010.

In a 2009 interview, Khan states that he tends to take an independent approach to the world of filmmaking, noting that he does not “do different things; I try to do it in a different manner. I think every person should follow his/her dream and try and make it possible to create an ability to achieve it backed by its practicality.” He has also indicated that he is more interested in the process of filmmaking than in the end result: “For me, the process is more important, more joyful. I would like to have my entire concentration on the process right from the first step.” When asked about his role model, he stated that, “Gandhiji is one person who inspires me!.”

Filmography

Actor

Playback singing

Producer

Writer/Director