New Delhi:
Aamir Khan’s debut in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak made him an overnight sensation. The success, though, did not shield him from criticism. The actor recalled how many in the industry dismissed him as a “one-film wonder” after his breakthrough. He spoke about the challenges he faced before establishing himself as one of Indian cinema’s leading names.
After the massive success of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak in 1988, Aamir starred in films such as Love Love, Raakh, Awwal Number and Tum Mere Ho, which failed at the box office. Recalling that period at the BFI London Film Festival, the actor said, “When QSQT came out, it was a big success. And I was certainly this overnight star. But at that time, things were different. It took a lot more than a super hit like QSQT for the A-grade filmmakers to take you seriously. Though I had had a big success behind me, none of the directors who I wanted to work with approached me. So I was a successful person, but I didn’t have the kind of work that I wanted.”
Aamir said actors in the late ’80s were often working on dozens of films simultaneously, so he ended up signing close to ten projects soon after his debut film. “At that time, the average number of films that Hindi film actors were doing was about 40 or 50 simultaneously. Anil Kapoor had the least, around 33. Govinda had crossed 70. So I thought if I signed 10 films, I should be okay. I selected about eight to ten films based on the scripts. Most were by new directors. I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into. For the kind of person I am, 10 films is just too much,” he added.
Aamir said it hit him within a few months that he’d made a wrong decision. That experience led him to set a simple rule for himself before signing any project. “I realised that when I’m selecting a film, I have to be very careful about three things. The script has to be great. The director has to be someone I trust completely and whose sensibility matches mine. And the producer has to support the creative team and give the film the resources and release it deserves,” he said.
While he came to regret those choices, Aamir said he honoured every commitment. When the films started releasing and failed in quick succession, the industry began calling him a “one-film wonder.”
“The films began releasing and they started bombing, one after the other. So I suddenly got labelled one film wonder… I felt like I’m in quicksand. With each film coming out, I’m sinking further in. I used to come back from work and cry because I was really unhappy with the work I was doing. This is not why I had wanted to be in films,” the actor recalled.
Aamir’s streak of bad luck ended with Dil opposite Madhuri Dixit, released in 1990. The film went on to become a blockbuster that was followed by hits such as Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.
