Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (pronounced[ˈaːmɪrxaːn]; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, and television personality who works in
Hindi films. Referred to in the media as "Mr. Perfectionist", he is known for his work in a variety of film genres, particularly in films which raise social issues like education and gender equality, or which have a positive impact on society in India or abroad.[1][2][3][4] Through
his career spanning over 30 years, Khan has established himself as one of the most notable actors of Indian cinema.[5][6] Khan is the recipient of
numerous awards, including nine
Filmfare Awards, four
National Film Awards, and an
AACTA Award, with one of his film productions also receiving an
Academy Award nomination. He was honoured by the
Government of India with the
Padma Shri in 2003 and the
Padma Bhushan in 2010,[7] and received an honorary title from the
Government of China in 2017.[8]
Aamir Khan first appeared on screen as a child actor in his uncle
Nasir Hussain's film Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973). As an adult, his first feature film role was in Holi (1984). He began a full-time acting career with a leading role in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988). His performance in Raakh (1989) earned him a National Film Award in the
Special Mention category. He established himself as a leading actor in the 1990s by appearing in a number of commercially successful films, including Dil (1990), Rangeela (1995), Raja Hindustani (1996) for which he won his first
Filmfare Award for Best Actor, and Sarfarosh (1999).[9]
He has a large following, especially in India and China, and has been described by Newsweek as "the biggest movie star in the world".[16][17][18] He has been regularly listed among The 500 Most Influential Muslims of the world.[19][20] He also created and hosted the television talk show Satyamev Jayate. His work as a social reformer earned him an appearance on the
Time 100 list of most influential people in the world in 2013.[21]
As a child actor, he appeared on screen in two minor roles. At the age of eight, he appeared in Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973),[33][34] which was the first
masala film in
Bollywood.[35] The following year, he portrayed the younger version of
Mahendra Sandhu's character in Madhosh.[33] Khan attended J.B. Petit School for his pre-primary education, later switching to
St. Anne's High School, Bandra, until the eighth grade, and completed his ninth and tenth grades at
Bombay Scottish School, Mahim.[36] He played tennis in state level championships and became a state-level champion. He professed he was "much more into sports than studies".[36][37] He completed his twelfth grade at Mumbai's
Narsee Monjee College,[38] and described his childhood as "tough" due to the financial problems his father had, as his film productions were mostly unsuccessful. He said, "There would be at least 30 calls a day from creditors calling for their money," and that he was always at risk of being expelled from school for non-payment of fees.[39]
At the age of sixteen, Khan got involved in the experimental process of making a 40-minute silent film, Paranoia, which was directed by his school friend
Aditya Bhattacharya.[40] The film was funded by filmmaker
Shriram Lagoo, an acquaintance of Bhattacharya, who provided them with a few thousand rupees.[41] His parents did not want him to make films and wished that he would instead pursue a "steady" career as an engineer or doctor;[40] for that reason, the shooting schedule of Paranoia was kept secret.[42] In the film, he played the lead role alongside actors
Neena Gupta and
Victor Banerjee while simultaneously assisting Bhattacharya.[41] He said that the experience of working on it encouraged him to pursue a career in film.[43]
Khan subsequently joined a theatre group called Avantar, where he worked backstage for over a year. He made his stage debut with a small role in the company's
Gujarati play, Kesar Bina, at
Prithvi Theatre.[41][44] He went on to act in two of their Hindi plays, and one English play, which was titled Clearing House.[45] After completing high school, Khan decided to discontinue studying, and work instead as an
assistant director to Hussain on the Hindi films Manzil Manzil and Zabardast.[40][46]
Acting career
1984–1989: Debut and career challenges
In addition to assisting Hussain, he acted in documentaries directed by the students of the
Film and Television Institute of India.[47] Director
Ketan Mehta noticed Khan in those films, and offered him a role in the low-budget experimental film Holi.[47][48] Featuring an ensemble cast of newcomers, Holi was based on a play by Mahesh Elkunchwar, and dealt with the practice of
ragging in India.[49]The New York Times said that the film was "melodramatic" but "very decently and exuberantly performed by the nonprofessional actors".[50] Khan played a rowdy college student, an "insignificant" role[49] that was described by
CNN-IBN as "lack[ing] in finesse".[51]
Holi failed to attract a broad audience, but Hussain and his son
Mansoor cast him as the leading man in Mansoor's directorial debut Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) opposite
Juhi Chawla.[49] The film is a tale of unrequited love and parental opposition, with Aamir Khan portraying Raj, a "clean-cut, wholesome boy-next-door".[52] It became a major commercial success, and catapulted both Khan and Chawla to stardom.[53] It received seven
Filmfare Awards including a
Best Male Debut trophy for him.[54]
Raakh, a crime thriller from Bhattacharya that was filmed before the production of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, was released in 1989.[55] Despite a poor reception at the box office, the film was critically acclaimed.[56] Khan was awarded a
National Film Award – Special Jury Award / Special Mention for his performances in both Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Raakh.[57] Later that year, he reunited with Chawla for the romantic comedy Love Love Love, a commercial failure.[58]
He appeared in several other films in the early 1990s, including 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.[64][65] Other successes include Andaz Apna Apna (1994); at the time of its release, the movie was reviewed unfavorably by critics, but over the years has gained cult status.[66] In 1993, Khan also appeared in
Yash Chopra's
action drama film Parampara.[67] Despite having an ensemble cast that included
Sunil Dutt,
Vinod Khanna,
Raveena Tandon, and
Saif Ali Khan, the film failed to find a wide audience and became a critical and commercial failure.[68] Khan was also cast in
Time Machine; however, due to financial constraints, the film was shelved and remained unreleased.[69]
He continued to act in just one or two films a year, which was an unusual trait for a mainstream Hindi cinema actor. His only release in 1996 was the
Dharmesh Darshan-directed mega blockbuster Raja Hindustani, in which he was paired opposite
Karisma Kapoor.[70][71] The film earned him his first
Filmfare Award for Best Actor 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.[72] Adjusted for inflation, Raja Hindustani is the fourth
highest-grossing film in India since the 1990s.[73] In 1997, he acted in Ishq, which proved to be another blockbuster for him.[74][75] The following year, Khan appeared in
Vikram Bhatt's
action thrillerGhulam, for which he also did
playback singing.[76] The film received positive response from reviewers and went on to become a hit at the box office.[77]
John Mathew Matthan's Sarfarosh, Khan's first film in 1999, was also a commercially successful venture.[78] The film and Khan were highly appreciated by movie critics, as was his role in
Deepa Mehta's Canadian-Indian
art house film Earth (1998).[79]Earth was internationally acclaimed[80] by critics such as
Roger Ebert[81] for Khan's portrayal of Dil Nawaz ("Ice Candy Man").[79] His first release for the 2000s, Mela, in which he acted alongside his brother Faisal, was both a box office and critical failure.[82][83]
In 2001, he produced and starred in Lagaan,[84] and received a nomination for
Best Foreign Language Film at the
74th Academy Awards.[85] The film also received critical acclaim at several international film festivals, in addition to winning numerous Indian awards such as a
National Film Award. Khan also won his second Filmare Award for Best Actor.[86]
His 2007 film, Taare Zameen Par, was also produced by him and marked his directorial debut.[95] The film, which was the second release from Aamir Khan Productions, opened to positive responses from critics and audiences. His performance was well-received, though he was particularly applauded for his directing.[96] He received the Filmfare Awards for Best Director and Best Film of 2007,[97] as well as the
National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare.[98] The film won other awards, including the 2008 Zee Cine Awards[99] and 4th Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards.[100] The film was initially acclaimed as India's official entry for the 2009
Academy Awards Best Foreign Film.[101][102][103]
2008–2017: Global success
In 2008, Khan appeared in the film Ghajini. The film was a major commercial success[104] and became the highest-grossing Bollywood movie of that year. For his performance in the film, he received several Best Actor nominations at various award ceremonies as well as his fifteenth
Filmfare Best Actor nomination.[105]
Aamir Khan has been credited with opening up the
Chinese markets for Indian films. His father Tahir Hussain previously had success in China with Caravan,[122][123] but Indian films declined in the country afterwards, until he opened up the Chinese market for Indian films in the early 21st century.[122][124]Lagaan became the first Indian film to have a nationwide release there.[125][126] When 3 Idiots released in China, the country was only the 15th largest film market partly due to China's widespread pirate DVD distribution at the time, which introduced the film to most Chinese audiences, becoming a
cult hit in the country. It became China's 12th favourite film of all time, according to ratings on Chinese film review site
Douban, with only one domestic Chinese film (Farewell My Concubine) ranked higher. As a result, he gained a large growing Chinese fanbase.[124] After 3 Idiots went viral, several of his other films, such as Taare Zameen Par and Ghajini also gained a cult following.[127] By 2013, China grew to become the world's second largest film market (after the United States), contributing to Khan's box office success with Dhoom 3 (2013), PK (2014), and Dangal (2016).[124]
He appeared next in the
psychological crime thriller, Talaash: The Answer Lies Within. Directed
Reema Kagti and produced by
Excel Entertainment and his own production house, it costarred two of his frequent co-stars;
Kareena Kapoor and
Rani Mukerji.[128] Khan, who never knew how to swim went under rigorous training for this underwater sequence. He was trained for 3 months under a specialist trainer and went well prepared for the shoot.[129] According to Box Office India, Talaash: The Answer Lies Within grossed ₹912 million net by the end of its run and was declared a "semi-hit".[130]
His next venture was Dhoom 3 with
Yash Raj Films, which he considered to be the most difficult role of his career.[131][132] The film was released worldwide on 20 December 2013.[133]Box Office India declared Dhoom 3 "the biggest hit of 2013" after two days of release,[134] with the film grossing ₹2 billion (US$34.13 million) worldwide in three days[135] and ₹4 billion (US$68.26 million) worldwide in ten days, making it the
highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time.[135][136][137]
In 2014, he appeared as the eponymous alien in
Rajkumar Hirani's comedy-drama PK.[138][139] The film received critical acclaim and emerged as the 4th highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time.[140][141][142] Raja Sen called the film a "triumph" and said: "Aamir Khan is exceptional in PK, creating an irresistibly goofy character and playing him with absolute conviction."[143] The film won two Filmfare Awards,[144] and in Japan received a top award at the 9th Tokyo Newspaper Film Awards event held by Tokyo Shimbun.[145][146]
In 2016, he produced and starred in Dangal, and was cast as wrestler
Mahavir Singh Phogat.[147] He played him at different ages, from 20 to 60 years old; he weighed 98 kg to portray the older Phogat before losing weight to play the younger version.[148][149] The film received positive reviews from critics and emerged as the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time domestically, surpassing PK, making it the fifth time he had achieved this feat.[150]Dangal also became an overseas blockbuster success in China, where it was the
16th highest-grossing film of all time,[151] the 8th highest-grossing foreign film,[152] and the highest-grossing non-Hollywood foreign film.[153] Worldwide, it became the fifth highest-grossing non-English language film of all time,[154] and gave him one of the
highest salaries for a non-Hollywood actor at $42 million.[155]Dangal has also been watched over 350million times on Chinese streaming platforms.[156][157][158] The film won him two more Filmfare Awards (Best Film and his third
Best Actor award).[159]
In October 2017, he starred in a supporting role in his production Secret Superstar.[160] The film went on to become one of the most profitable films of all time, grossing
est. ₹876 crore (US$110 million) worldwide on a
limited budget of
est. ₹20 crore (US$2.5 million) and is the highest-grossing Indian film featuring a female protagonist.[161]
2018–present: Decline
In November 2018, he starred alongside
Amitabh Bachchan in the action-adventure film Thugs of Hindostan. The film received negative reviews from critics.[162][163] Produced at an estimated budget of ₹300
crore (US$46.07 million),[164] it is one of the
most expensive Bollywood films.[165] the film grossed ₹335 crore ($45 million) at the worldwide box office and was considered a box office failure.[166]
In March 2019, on his 54th birthday, Aamir Khan confirmed that he would be seen next in Laal Singh Chaddha,[167] an adaptation of Forrest Gump. The film features him in the lead and is directed by Advait Chandan, who previously directed Khan in Secret Superstar.[168] The film's release on 11 August 2022 marked Khan's return after a four-year hiatus, opening to mixed reviews from critics.[169] The film flopped miserably at the box office and was declared a "disaster".[170]
In 2007, he directed and produced Taare Zameen Par, which marked his directorial debut. He also played a supporting role in the film. The film was conceived and developed by
Amole Gupte and
Deepa Bhatia. The movie was critically acclaimed[175] and 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 also won him the
Best Director. In 2008, his nephew Imran Khan debuted in the film Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na under his production house. The film was a big hit in India, and earned Khan another nomination for Best Film at Filmfare.[176] He also co-wrote the blockbuster film Ghajini, which he starred in; Khan made alterations to the original
2005 Tamil film and rewrote the climax.[177] In 2010, he released Peepli Live, which was selected as India's official entry for the
83rd Academy Awards'
Best Foreign Film category.[178][179]
In 2011, he released his home production Dhobi Ghat,[180] an
art house film directed by Rao. In the same year, Khan co-produced the English language
black comedy film Delhi Belly with
UTV Motion Pictures.[181] The film opened to critical acclaim and was a commercial success, with a domestic revenue of over ₹550 million (US$11.78 million).[182] In 2012, he starred in
Reema Kagti's neo-noir mystery film Talaash, which was a joint production of
Excel Entertainment and Aamir Khan Productions. The film was declared a semi-hit in India and accumulated a worldwide gross of ₹1.74 billion (US$32.56 million).[183]
His next production was Secret Superstar, which became one of the most profitable films ever in proportion to its limited budget.[184] In China, Secret Superstar broke Dangal's record for the highest-grossing opening weekend by an Indian film,[185] cementing Khan's status as a
superstar in China[186]Secret Superstar is the third highest-grossing Indian film of all time[187][188] With his films giving serious competition to Hollywood in the Chinese market,[189][190] the success of films such as Dangal and Secret Superstar drove up the buyout prices of Indian film imports for Chinese distributors.[191] Khan's earnings for Secret Superstar from the Chinese box office is estimated to be ₹190 crore (US$27.78 million),[192] higher than what any other Indian actor-producer has ever earned from a film.[193] The film has increased Aamir Khan's Chinese box office total to $346.5million (₹2,231crore).[192]
Television
Aamir Khan made his television debut with his talk show, Satyamev Jayate, which dealt with social issues, on 6 May 2012. On the radio, Khan said that in view of a phenomenal public response, he would come up with a second season of the show.[194] The show went live simultaneously on
StarPlus,
Star World, and national broadcaster
Doordarshan in the 11 am Sunday slot in eight languages, being the first to do so in India.[195] 'It opened to positive reviews and feedback from social activists, media houses, doctors, and film and television personalities. Khan was also praised for his effort.[196] Despite the initial hype and being labelled as the channel's most ambitious project to date, the initial viewership figures were not very encouraging; the show received an average television rating of 2.9 (with a sample size of 14.4 million, it was watched by only 20% of TV viewers) in the six metros in its debut episode on 6 May. The rating was lower than those of most other celebrity-hosted shows at the time.[197][198]
In the media
In a 2009 interview, Aamir Khan stated 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 also said that he is more interested in the process of filmmaking than in the 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."[199]
Aamir Khan has a reputation for avoiding award ceremonies and not accepting any popular Indian film awards. Although he has been nominated many times, Khan has not attended any Indian film award ceremonies and has stated that "Indian film awards lack credibility".[200] When asked about the selection procedure and authenticity of popular Indian film awards, he replied, "Fact is that I have no objections to film awards. I just feel that if I don't value a particular film award, then I won't attend it either. Apart from the
National Film Awards, I don't see any other award ceremony that I should give value to. My personal experience about these award ceremonies is that I don't trust them. I have no faith in them so I would prefer to stay away."[201][202]
In April 2013, he was among Time magazine's list of the
100 Most Influential People in the World.[213][214] Khan was featured on the cover of Time's Asia edition in the September 2012 issue with the title "Khan's Quest" – "He is breaking the Bollywood mold by tackling India's social evils. Can an actor change a nation?"[215] In addition to being highly popular in India, he is also highly popular overseas, particularly in China,[216][217] the second largest movie market.[218] He is the most followed Indian national on Chinese social media site
Sina Weibo, above Indian prime minister
Narendra Modi.[219] Khan is also popular in Turkey,[220] Hong Kong,[221] and Singapore,[222] among many other countries.
In February 2015, Aamir Khan stated his views on a popular online comedy group
All India Bakchod for its celebrity roast episode. He said, "I completely believe in freedom of speech, no issues. But we have to understand that we all have a certain responsibility. When I heard what was being described to me I felt it was a violent event." He further said violence is not just physical but it has verbal aspects to it. He called the roast a shameless act, and even called out his friends from the film industry—Karan, Ranveer, and Arjun.[223]
In
Indian media, he is often referred to as "Mr. Perfectionist" for his dedication to his work.[224][225] In
Chinese media, he is often referred to as a "national treasure of India" or "conscience of India", due to much of his work tackling various social issues that are pervasive in
Indian society, some of which are also relevant to
Chinese society, in a way that domestic
Chinese films often do not portray. His work is highly regarded in China, with films such as Taare Zameen Par (2007), 3 Idiots (2009) and Dangal (2016), as well as his television show Satyamev Jayate (2012–2014), being some of the highest-rated productions on Douban.[226][227] In China, Khan is known for being associated with quality cinema and committed to social causes,[228] and is often seen as an activist-actor.[229] In the past, Chinese media used to refer to him as "India's
Andy Lau", but as Khan gained more familiarity with mainstream Chinese audiences, younger fans have often referred to him by the moniker "Uncle Aamir"[230] or "Mishu".[229] He has become a household name in China,[231] where he is currently the most famous Indian.[232][233] His book I'll Do it My Way is commonly found in bookstores across China, while Chinese retailers sell merchandise ranging from "Uncle Aamir"
smartphone cases to Dhoom 3-style black hats.[186] His effect in China has drawn comparisons with previous Indian cultural icons in the country, including the
Buddha, Bengali writer
Rabindranath Tagore, and actors
Raj Kapoor and
Nargis.[234]
Humanitarian causes
In April 2006, Aamir Khan participated in the demonstrations put up by the
Narmada Bachao Andolan committee after the
Gujarat government's decision to raise the height of the Narmada dam. He was quoted to support
adivasis (tribes), who might be displaced from their homes.[235] Later he faced protests and a partial ban on his film Fanaa, but the
Prime Minister of India,
Manmohan Singh, supported him by saying, "Everyone has the freedom of expression. If someone says something on a particular subject, that doesn't mean you should start protesting."[236] Aamir also lent his support to the
Janlokpal Bill Movement led by
Anna Hazare in August 2011.[237]
He has been supporting common causes; when asked about views on the entertainment tax in the
2012 budget, Khan said, "I don't want any reduction in that, all I expect is focus on education and nutrition."[238] He quit the
GOI's copyrights panels in February 2010 after facing sharp differences with other members.[239] During the promotion of 3 Idiots, he journeyed to diverse parts of India, mostly to small towns, noting that "filmmakers from Mumbai don't understand small-town India".[240] This experience of reaching out to "regional India" was extended in Satyamev Jayate. On 16 July 2012, Khan met the prime minister and the minister for social justice and empowerment, and discussed the plight of manual scavengers and sought eradication of
manual scavenging in the country.[241]
On 30 November 2011, he was appointed national brand ambassador of
UNICEF to promote child nutrition.[242] He is part of the government-organised IEC campaign to raise awareness about malnutrition.[243] He is also known for supporting causes such as
feminism[16] and improved
education in India, which are themes in several of his films.[244] His crossover success in China has been described as a form of Indian
soft power,[193][233][245] helping to improve
China–India relations, despite political tensions between the two nations (such as
Doklam and
the Maldives), with Khan stating he wants to help "improve India-China ties".[186][193][234] Due to Khan being a household name in China, he has been considered to be India's brand ambassador to China by the
Indian commerce ministry, which may contribute to reducing the
trade deficit with China.[246]
In 2016, Aamir Khan came up with the
Maharashtra government to make the state drought-free in the next five years. He has been doing shramdaan for the last 3 years. He asked people to come to join him in this cause and become a Jal Mitra by doing shramdaan. While explaining to journalists, Khan said, "the reason why popular TV show Satyamev Jayate did not go on air was not because of Court's verdict, but because all the producers, directors and talents working on this show were busy in this water project. For us, the water conservation project in the State is the most important initiative."[247] He is a co-founder of
Paani Foundation with Rao. The foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation which is active in the area of drought prevention and watershed management in the Maharashtra, India.[248]
Aamir Khan married Reena Dutta, who had a small part in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, on 18 April 1986. They have two children: a son named Junaid and a daughter, Ira. Dutta was involved briefly in his career when she worked as a producer for Lagaan. In December 2002, he filed for divorce and Dutta took custody of both children.[250][251]
On 28 December 2005, he married
Kiran Rao, who had been an assistant director to Gowariker on the set of Lagaan.[252] On 5 December 2011, they announced the birth of their son, Azad Rao Khan,[253] through a
surrogate mother.[254][255] In July 2021, the couple announced their separation and stated they would raise their son Azad as co-parents.[256][257]
In 2007, he lost a custody battle for his younger brother Faisal to their father, Tahir Hussain,[258] who died on 2 February 2010.[259]
As a practising
Muslim, he along with his mother Zeenat, performed
Hajj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage to
Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and a
mandatory religious duty for Muslims, in 2013.[22] His former wife Rao is a
Hindu. In March 2015, he stated that he quit non-vegetarian food and adopted a vegan lifestyle after being inspired by her.[260][261][262]
Before pursuing a full-time acting career, Aamir Khan was an avid tennis player. He played professionally in state level championships in the 1980s and became a state level tennis champion prior to entering a full-time acting career.[36][37] In 2014, he participated in an exhibition match for the
International Premier Tennis League, playing doubles with grand slam winners
Roger Federer and
Novak Djokovic, as well as
Sania Mirza.[263]
His children have also ventured into the entertainment industry. In September 2019, Ira announced on social media that she would be directing a theatrical production, her first, a version of
Euripides' Medea.[264] Veteran actress
Sarika, ex-wife of
Kamal Haasan, and her daughter
Akshara Haasan produced the play,[265] and Khan's sister Farhat Dutta had painted a poster for its promotion.[266][267]
In 2006, Aamir Khan lent his support to the
Narmada Bachao Andolan movement, led by activist
Medha Patkar, in their actions against raising the height of the
Sardar Sarovar Dam.[268] While promoting his film Fanaa in
Gujarat, he made some comments regarding the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Gujarat chief minister
Narendra Modi's handling of the
Narmada Dam and the necessity to rehabilitate the displaced villagers.[269][270] These comments were met with outrage from the BJP, with the government of Gujarat demanding an apology from Khan. He refused to apologise, saying "I am saying exactly what the Supreme Court has said. I only asked for rehabilitation of poor farmers. I never spoke against the construction of the dam. I will not apologise for my comments on the issue."[271] An unofficial ban of Fanaa was put in place for the entire state of Gujarat. Protests occurred against the film and Khan, which included burning posters of him. As a result, several multiplex owners stated that they could not provide security to customers, and all theatre owners in Gujarat refused to screen the film.[272]
Comments on intolerance (2013–2016)
"I think in the last maybe six to eight months, there is a growing sense of despondency. When I chat with
Kiran at home, she says, 'Should we move out of India?' That's a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make. She fears for her child. She fears what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers every day."
In November 2015, Aamir Khan expressed the feelings that he and Rao had about rising intolerance in India at an event in New Delhi hosted by The Indian Express newspaper[275] in response to political events in India that included
violent attacks against
Muslims and intellectuals, and the absence of swift or strong condemnation from the country's ruling
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Modi government.[276] He remarked that Rao, fearing for her family, suggested to "move out of India".[277]
BJP responded with an online campaigns through its
social media cell to intimidate Khan.[278] The ensuing political controversy was referred to as the "intolerance row" in the
Indian media,[279] and started a debate on social media.[277] Khan faced intense backlash for his comments, with certain sections of society branding him "
anti-national",[280] while others voiced their agreement about his concerns[277] and supported him.[281]
Much of the backlash against him, an
Indian Muslim with a
Hindu wife, came from
Hindu nationalist groups.[276] The far-right political party
Shiv Sena sharply criticised Khan's statement, labelling it "the language of treachery",[282] and the BJP condemned the incident as a "Moral Offence".[283][284] In the wake of the controversy, burning of posters took place in
Ludhiana by Shiv Sena.[285]Punjab's Shiv Sena chief Rajeev Tandon also made a violent threat, offering a ₹1
lakh (US$1,558.8) reward to anyone who slaps Khan.[286][287] As a result, the Khans were given additional police protection.[288] Khan responded to the backlash and threats by stating, "it saddens me to say you are only proving my point".[289]
He later stated that he was not leaving the country.[289][303][304] A
lawsuit was filed against Khan and Rao at Jaunpur in ACJM II court.[305] Khan was dropped as brand ambassador of the government's official
Incredible India tourism campaign.[276] A company that Khan was endorsing,
Snapdeal, faced backlash from Khan's critics for being associated with him, before the company distanced themselves from his comments.[281]
Aamir Khan later clarified his comments in January 2016, saying that he never said India was intolerant or that he thought about leaving the country, saying he was "born in India and will die in India". He said that his comments were taken out of context and the media was responsible for it to some extent.[306][307] Despite this, he continued to face backlash later in the year, with calls for protests and boycotts against Dangal. In October 2016, the
Vishva Hindu Parishad called for protests against the film.[308] Following its release in December 2016, #BoycottDangal trended on Twitter,[309][310] and BJP general secretary
Kailash Vijayvargiya called for protests against the film.[311] Despite calls to boycott the film, Dangal turned out to be a massive hit,[312] grossing more than ₹500 crore (US$74.41 million) in India.[313]
Aamir Khan won 9
Filmfare Awards, out of 32 nominations,[b] including the
Best Actor award[314] for Raja Hindustani (1996),[315]Lagaan (2001), and Dangal (2016);[86] the
Best Actor (Critics) award for Rang De Basanti (2006); the Best Film award for Lagaan, Taare Zameen Par (2007), and Dangal; and the
Best Director award for Taare Zameen Par. He also won four
National Film Awards: as an actor in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) and Raakh (1989), as the producer of Lagaan and Madness in the Desert (2004), and as the director and producer of Taare Zameen Par.[316]
Aamir Khan has received honorary accolades, including the
Government of India's
Padma Shri in 2003[333] and
Padma Bhushan in 2010,[334] and an Honorary Doctorate by the
Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) for his distinguished contributions to the Indian cinema and entertainment industry.[335] In 2011, he accepted an invitation from the
Berlin Film Festival to be a member of the jury, after having previously turned down their offer three times since 2008.[336] In 2012, he appeared on the Time 100 list of most influential people in the world.[21] In 2017, the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited Khan to be a member,[337] and he received an award for "National Treasure of India" from the Government of China.[8]
Despite having won numerous awards and honours, Aamir Khan is known for refusing to attend, or accept awards from, Indian film award ceremonies. This has occasionally led to controversy, notably at the
2017 National Film Awards, where he was snubbed from the
Best Actor award for his performance in Dangal. Committee member
Priyadarshan explained that they did not want to award him because of his refusal to attend the award ceremony.[338][339][340] Despite avoiding Indian award ceremonies, he made an exception for the 2002 Academy Awards; his reasoning was that he saw it as an opportunity for his film Lagaan to reach a wider audience, but did not care much about the award itself.[341]
^Aamir Khan at THiNK 2011. YouTube. 19 November 2011. Event occurs at 19:40.
Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2018.