It doesn’t feel like that 30 years have gone, says Aamir Khan on completing three decades in Bollywood

There is no denying the fact that Aamir Khan is one of the most powerful forces to reckon with in Hindi cinema. The actor, who began his journey in films with Mansoor Khan’s romantic movie Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), has been entertaining the audience world over for 30 years now. But even after spending three decades in showbiz, his energy, enthusiasm and passion for cinema haven’t waned even by an ounce. By adding one mega-blockbuster to his repertoire after another, he still gives young actors a run for their money at the cash counters.  

Recently, when Eastern Eye caught up with the megastar in Mumbai and asked how does he see his 30-year-long journey in Bollywood, he said, “It feels like yesterday. It doesn’t feel like that 30 years have gone. I think time has that quality. When it passes, it passes in a flash.”

Over the years, Khan has emerged as an actor who never disappoints his audience with his content. Be it his offerings in theatres or a reality series like Satyamev Jayate, the audience looks forward to his work, thinking that if Aamir is there, it must be something great.

Upon being asked, how did he manage to build such unheard-of goodwill and trust among the audience, he averred, “You know, I am not sure that I can claim that I actively tried to build that. Actually, what I have followed really through my career is that I have been very demanding of myself. So, the work that I do has to first stand up to my own standards. That is what I am most concerned about - that am I happy with the work that I am doing? And that has been my primary driving force in terms of quality check on my work. I want to do good work. I want to do work which I feel I am happy about. That is what I have tried towards. And that perhaps has resulted in that (building goodwill).

The superstar went on to say, “Fortunately, when we look back in time, when I am in the process of doing the work, I don’t know what is happening. But having been in the industry for 30 years now, when we look back, we can see that because the work was of good quality, it also ended up building a goodwill for me, over time. To build a goodwill in the film industry or any field takes a certain amount of time. When you are consistent over time, only then you build certain faith in people, and goodwill. But I cannot claim that I tried to do that. What I did try to do is to satisfy myself as a creative person. And I think that ended up, also, creating that trust in my audience.”

Khan is currently busy shooting for his next big-ticket film, Thugs Of Hindostan, scheduled to roll into cinemas on 7th November.