Monday, July 2, 2012

Aamir Khan on Teekhi Baat / IBN7/June 30, 2012



Interview with Betaaj Badshah of Bollywood, Aamir Khan on IBN7

PC: All other Khan’s wear Taaj, hence you are betaaj badshah

AK: Laughs. I do not wear Taj, nor am I the Badshah

PC: For the first time, some actor presented before a parliament committee. I saw green t shirt, jeans, like my son wears, a casual approach to such a serious subject, how the motivation does come

AK: I remember when I went, I did not wear t shirt, but a shirt. But I was called as they wanted to listen to my thoughts, not look at my clothes.

PC: It is also true that people in white clothes go there, which have stains on them.

AK: I don’t remember

PC: I saw you had worn casual sneakers, but subject was so serious. Aamir Khan can carry off everything, message was more important.

AK: The issue that we were to talk about was more important, I did not pay attention on clothes.

PC: I read Kiran Rao’s statement that this program has made my life hell, so many people come home talk about it.

AK: All this planning of Satyamev Jayte, was happening from home for the past two years. The whole house was upside down.

PC: From the time Kiran has come into your life, good work is happening it seems

AK: I find myself lucky that Kiran is in my life

PC: After that you gave hits one by one, all sixes, not gours

AK: Well, professional success was there before that also. But seeing her nature I feel lucky that she has come into my life

PC: What is the motivation behind Satyamev Jayte , because film star’s work is to do entertainment, what will you call this. Entertainment, reality show,

AK: This is a personal journey for me. I am trying to learn, get more closer to people of my country, understanding their feelings. And I want more people to join this journey, like when I came in tv, the people seeing it joined me. Hence this is a attempt to understand the issue first then highlight it. Highlight those who have fought solution to their problems so we also get a road to move ahead.

PC: There must be a conflict, is Aamir Khan’s personality of actor, entertainer, social activist

AK: There is no conflict because I am not naming what I am doing.

PC: Social

AK: All issues are important and are the ones that touch every Indian. But we try to present it in interesting way, so that people join it emotionally. And not only emotionally but also because humanly. People should feel enriched by seeing this show I as feel enriched form the experiences, people in the two years.

PC: What was the mission, because these issues are not a new thing in India, but you way is new.

AK: I feel Prabhuji, that when we understand a issue completely. Then the action we take on that issue also completely changes. And many times I feel we don’t understand the issue completely. Hence, our attempt was to understand those issues first, from every angle and when we put those issues in front of people and I feel that people many change the way they look at things. Like in the society, many people don’t want the girl child,

PC: There were television serious on that issue, Like Laado was a serial on that issue,

AK: No, I have not watched it

PC: Many of the shows that are currently on are on women and children issues. But all these issues like child foeticide, disability these are there in the country for long, you critics will say that this is a way for publicity or you feel at this stage you must put yourself to do this work,

AK: I felt Prabhuji that I have got so much in this life and due to gods greatness I have got some much love, name and fame, I should be able to make good use of it and return something to society. I should give something, contribute to society from my side. I felt that the medium of television is so strong, I should attempt to use it in a good manner.

PC: Like in flims

AK: We did it via films too, like in three idiots we highlighted education, in Taare Zameen Par we concentrated on primary education

PC: Child Care

AK: On child care we did. Have done this in films and television too

PC: Other people buy cricket teams via the medium of films, but you have not commercial interests like these.

AK: I do not have this interest, I have not much interest towards business, that I buy a team and do business, that is not wrong, I do not say it is wrong, I think every man has his own interest, every man his own passion, every man has a bent of mind, my bent of mind is that I feel happy if I can get happiness into any person’s life, some man can tell me that after watching your show my life changed, like after watching Taare Zameen Par, lots of parents tell me, till now they say that after watching that film, our relations with our children changed. Now this is a big thing

PC: Certainly there is an effect. But do you think that people will see the kind of programs that you are doing, that you are doing 13 now, will do 26, then there will be an effect for 2-4 months, people will forget after that. Aamir Khan will doing some other work then.

AK : No, I do not think that the people will forget, I think that the people will remember. I feel that when something touches your heart then you do not forget it soon. And it has been more than five years to Taare Zameen Par, people have not forgotten,

PC: Many people start crying after seeing

AK: Because, you have one perspective on something, when your perspective changes, then your thought changes and then for life it changes. It will not change only for four months.

PC: After you took after the issue then many schools there were changes, facilities were improved,

AK: There have been lot of changes, in the teaching profession, many teachers did not have knowledge about learning disabilities, many teaches had the knowledge, but many did not. They have realized that children have some special kind of problems, now their behaviour towards children has changed, parents behaviour towards children has changed, they have started getting additional help, in many states nobody knew what is dyslexia.

PC: I saw that when you become emotionally involved in the show, like to make show special Aamir cries and then moves out of studio. Is this special effect or for real, because there are many friends of yours, people who are sceptical like me who must be thinking, why does Aamir Khan needs to cry in this when the medium and message is so strong

AK: You said rightly that there is no need for crying and I am not crying because there is a need. Tears roll out because the person besides whom I am sitting and when he is telling his story sitting next to me, like when a mother tells me how his son died, or when a sister tells me how his brother died, or when a woman tells me how did his husband assault her,

PC: First hand information, there are many stories like this but first hand information

AK: And because the person is telling you what he has faced, and do not think any person, I think even if you sit there you will cry.

PC: Many times even watching serious people cry

AK: There are some people who cry less, or late or not at all.

PC: Like many times one sees like Kaun Banega Crorepati, Salman did something different

AK: As a contestant I have been to KBC but not as a host

PC: As you are growing younger, by age, you are getting a security by moving from big screen to the small screen, or message, or popularity you have to earn. What is behind this as all other actors are commercial shows totally? I don’t know if you have commercial interest in this

AK: In this I am actually losing money.

PC: You have left other work

AK: Like normally, what I could earn in two year by doing two films, or the advertisements that I was doing I am not doing, for a year, all these things I have not done, that what I could earn I am not earning, but, I am not even thinking about that Prabhuji

PC: You are charging nothing from the channel

AK: We are charging, the cost of our show is so much.

PC: So Aamir Khan is not charging anything in this

AK: Mentally I have kept nothing for me in this, in fact I am at a loss via this show. Normally, I do not say this but am saying this because you are asking.

PC: Am asking because what the people feel about you they should now that he is not commercial

AK: This is not at all commercial, I am not earning, on the contrary, I am losing.

PC: So many big sponsors are there, the way you travel, money is being spent

AK: There is a lot of money being spent on this show.

PC: Hence you are doing no profit no loss like NGO

AK: No profit no loss is not the case, I am in loss, I am telling this to you. I am not doing for that hence I am not thinking not am I sad because of that, the aim with which I am doing the show, on that I am very clear.

PC: Let me ask in one sentence, why you raised an issue like this, a show like this, what is your mission

AK: If you have seen my first show, I have answered these questions. I believe that every Indian loves his country, and everybody feels that some things in our country, can we make them better, we read newspaper in the morning, speak to people, some things come in front of us, which disturb us, and we feel how to change this, this thing is in me like others. I thought that I should use these feelings in a good manner, Uday Shankarji, who is the head of start network came, he offered me a game show, I said no, I have not interest. I told him I want to do a show by which we can get a change in society, and atleast attempt to do it. That I why I am doing

PC: You raised many social issues, Narmada Bachao, Anna Hazare you were with them, after that you step back

AK: I do not step back. You gave a symbolic support elsewhere, but you were very active in Narmada.

PC: Like you are doing this now, you will start doing films and then, hence what you are doing now socially will be there, or it will be a the end for this

AK: As far as Narmada or Annaji is concerned, whereall I feel that some things are correct, where I should support, as an Indian I support, that does not mean that I have become an activist. Or I do a promise that I will leave everything and immerse myself in Narmada Bachao Andolan, I never said this. But I felt that this issue needs to be highlighted, hence as an Indian I supported it. People who are getting homeless, even Supreme Court has said that they should be rehabilitated, and I supported that. The poor people who are getting affected, I have not become an activist but issued my voice of support on that issue. Like I feel that every Indian must support through his voice and that is democracy. When you feel something is right, at enjoin through your voice support. Like Annaji is saying that a strong Anti Corruption Law should come, I am not supporting Annaji, but the cause, I too feel that a strong anti corrupting law should come, every Indian must be wanting that, a strong anti corruption law must come into being. Hence, I am giving voice support like others. But when did I say that I will leave everything and join the andolan, I never promised this. Hence, when you say that I moved ahead and stepped back, I never stepped back.

PC: You said you did as much you felt like doing, then you went to other mission

AK: Certainly, there I one thing in which I must give voice support, and in a democracy, I want everybody to give their voice support. When you feel something is right, you must enlist your voice support. This does not mean that you leave your work and join that. The people who have made that their life mission they are social activist. They like to do that work continually and we support them.

PC: That means that there is no dream that Aamir Khan has of becoming a social avticist. I will support a cause but not join full time.

AK: Yes, because I do not consider myself a social activist.

PC: A good citizen of India

AK: I consider myself a responsible citizen of India. Whenever I feel I can support a cause I do it. Talking about Satyamev Jayte, this is a very big thing for me, I have put in more than two years of my life in this,

PC: In any cause you haven’t put so much time

AK: Yes, in any cause I have not put so much time. Hence, it is an important journey for me.

PC: Your films Talassh Dhoom are ready and waiting

AK: I will do films films give me strength, my popularity today Is due to films. Love and respect I got is through films. I have importance and respect for that. I want to move ahead in the movement that we started known as Satyamev Jayte.

PC: You are using film popularity to forward social mission

AK: Am trying,

PC: You commitment, acting, you serious style of films is seen in this, be it yours tears, your communication skills, these things have not as much effect but you said them and touched hearts of crores of people. But you would have on benefit in two years, you would have got many ideas to make films

AK: Actually I have not thought about that, but maybe I may get some ideas.

PC: Like films are entertainment, but while doing Satyamev Jayate, you would have got 20-25 ideas, when I saw i found ideas that can be made into films

AK: They can be made but when I did the show I did not see form that angle, nor my mind or thinking is going on that way, and I am not a writer, because for the films I do, the writer is somebody else, I hear stories when I like them, I join

PC: You have your own production house, you can tell people to find out something, you have not thought anything

AK: I have not got any idea, and the films I do I think that the ideas should come organically. I don’t like to pick them differently and work.

PC: You spoke on generic medicines should be free, you went and met people, do you want to get endorsement by meeting political activists. Mamta is praising one Khan, Gehlot is praising another.

AK: Our aim is that our work moves ahead in the thing that we are trying to do. We have intrest in this, we do not want anyone to be at a loss, we want the people to benefit, and we are trying to do that

PC: You slogan Dil Pe Lag Rahi Hain Nayee Soch Jag Rahi Hain. Uday Shankar would have put his mind to this. Normally Dil pe lag rahi is talked in romance, now in this it seems for real.

AK: Our effort is to touch people’s hearts, and tough people emotionally, this is our effort, certainly

PC: Like many doctors were behind you, do you feel many times things are exaggerated, many times showing in the show. That every doctor is bad, an impression like that was given

AK: One, I did not say anything like that on the show

PC: You did not say that was the impression

AK: I will send you the clip too you can show on your show when I said freely that every doctor is not like that and many doctors are doing very good work and they care and worry for patients are at the back of their mind every time and we salute them, this I said on the show. Hence, it is evident that I am not talking about all doctors. When we are keeping social problems in front of the people, then there are some people behind those problems, that is why we face these problems. Hence when we open up any issue, there are some people who are behind that problem, surely, they will not feel good that we are saying it,

PC: People like exposure

AK: We do not take anybody’s name normally, unless you people have already talked about it in the media, we make an effort that we should not get personal and show anybody’s face, we talk in general. But when we even speak in general , the people behind the same may not like it.

PC: Like when you are attacking a profession

AK: We are not at all attacking a profession, we don’t attack progession

PC: Medical profession

AK: We have not attacked medical profession, in my heart, I have utmost respect for medical profession, we have attacked those doctors who do unethical practices, and do not attach it to medical profession please, we have utmost respect for medical profession, but those doctors who do unethical practices, we do not have respect for them in our hearts

PC: Am asking a personal question, is Aamir Khan social, meeting people,

AK: Yes surely. And yes you said why we did not call doctors on our show, in fact on our show there were many doctors. On our show there was Dr. Gulati, Dr. Sharma, Dr. Devishetty, many doctors, were there on the show.

PC: Like personally when you go to Delhi, you saw film with Advaniji and otherwise what personal relations you have

AK: Yes, I know Advaniji, I know his family.

PC: You do not have social relationship with anybody

AK: There is social relationship with many people,

PC: But there is no political ambition

AK: No political ambition

PC: Not today or will never be

AK: Will never be

PC: You have never thought

AK: No, I have thought, I don’t want to go there

PC: Will never go

AK: That I not for me

PC: No there are so many awards, in flim industry, “ Yeh inaamo ki baraat main, Aamir Khan dulha kabhi nahi banaa’

AK: In fact, two time I have got award and I have gone to receive it, one time I got Deenanath Mangeshkar Award, I was very happy to receive that award from the hands of Lata Didi. And the next award I have got I golapuri award

PC:Nobody knows that, these fashionable awards, of glamour

AK: Glamour award I have not gone to take, or I would not have got it.

PC: Nobody gave you

AK: Actually, I do not go, hence I don’t know what happens there. But when you asked whether I went to take award or no, I said that two awards

PC: Not awards like these, but the names you told me I heard for the first time, I spent so much time in industry

AK: You would have not heard about these award but for me

PC: No I have heard about the Mangeshkar award it is very prestigious

AK: I have lot of respect in my heart for these two awards

PC: You do not like other awards

AK: Yes, I do not go

PC: In future also there are no plans of going

AK: There is no inclination

PC: May you show run well, thank you for coming to our studio

AK: Thank you, Prabhuji !

No comments: