'I am like a weaver'

Proclaims Aamir Khan, likening a film to a saree on a loom, adding that one-at-a-time works best for him

Aamir Khan looks leaner since I last saw him (less than a month ago). Also... fairer. I tell him that and he laughs, "Ya, I had a bath today." Perhaps that's also why he is looking so fresh despite a few hours of sleep the previous night (football World Cup finals). In between coffee and mango slices, he chats about his production house's upcoming release Peepli [Live], how he cries over flops and why he won't read any script before August 13. Read on...



Are you superstitious? Do you visit religious places before a film's release?
No... But I visit Shammi uncle. It started with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, my first film as an actor. He was the only person Nasir uncle called from the industry for the premiere. He was the first person I took blessings from. So when I made Taare Zameen Par -- my first film as a director -- I remembered that. By then, my uncle had passed away and I knew he would have been very excited to see me make my directorial debut, so I reached out to Shammi uncle -- who was very close to him -- to seek his blessings. I asked him to release the CD. And after that, came Jaane Tu... and that was Imran's first film. But this is not superstition. It is an emotional thing.

Ever considered numerology for your films?
No.

Would you add an extra 'A' to the title to make your film a hit?
I don't believe in that. A lot of things are out of your control. The best you can do is: Do the best work you can. I do that.

Any special marketing plans for PL? Are you going to disappear again like during 3 Idiots?
(Smiles) No. That marketing plan was for 3 Idiots. In PL, I think the strength lies in the content and we are actively putting it out there for people to see. It's essentially through the promos that we are promoting the film. We want people to seeu00a0 the promos and decide if they want to see it.

From the promos, it seems it's about farmer suicides.
On the contrary, if Natha was not a farmer and if he was a weaver or a potter, it would make absolutely no difference to the plot or the story. For me, a film on farmer suicides should address the problems they are facing and what has been happening socially and politically and what led to all this.

So what's the film about...
It is a satire on everything in society -- on the administration, the political scenario, media, on civil society.... It's more a film about rural life in India today. It's about the growing divide between rural and urban India. Actually, if there is an issue the film does touch upon, it is the issue of migration of labour from villages to cities and essentially the thought being that as a society, we are not paying enough attention to villages.

I got the feeling it is like Main Azaad Hoon and Hero Hiralal, where the protagonist wants to commit suicide; then doesn't.
No. It is not like those two films, it is more about how as a society we are not paying enough attention to the rural areas. As a result, we are not self-sustaining. Villages don't have proper education, medical facilities and job opportunities. And so, villagers travel to cities. Which isn't good for the rural and the urban areas. We always have problems -- whether we live in the villages or cities -- we also have these happy moments. So the film is about these people living in rural India, who alongwith all their problems, also have their moments of fun, of joy, of anger, of jealousy, of irritation. It's all of that.

Do you think satire as a genre will work? Also, it is largely believed that Indians don't have a sense of humour.
I don't agree. I think 3 Idiots was a very funny film. And if you tell someone that there is a scene in the film whereu00a0 Sharman's parents are poor and the director is making fun of poverty, people will say, 'Arrey, how can they do that?' But people laughed and enjoyed that. In my opinion, Indians have a great sense of humour. Not only the city folk, but in villages people have a cutting-edge sense of humour. And haasya kavis are very popular across the country in various languages. A lot of shows on TV are leaning towards humour and films are paying attention to humour.u00a0

When actors turn producers, they want to make larger-than-life films. But you've made small and sensitive films. Do you want to make that big film?
For me, every film is big. The amount of emotional and creative investment I make in a film is the same, whether I am doing a 3 Idiots or a Peepli [Live] or a Taare Zameen Par. For me, every film is equally important. I do what excites me. It may be a big budget film or a small budget film. I have been totally into Peepli since I finished 3 Idiots and that's all I have been doing.

Peepli doesn't have any stars. You are marketing the film on your name. Is that why you have kept away from other films and given this your all?
There was no strategy behind it. I am the kind of person who can do only one thing at a time. I am like a handloom weaver. On the loom, there is only one saree. When it is over, the loom becomes free and another dhaaga comes on to it. I can't put another dhaaga when the saree is there. You know what I mean?

Yes. Tell me, are you doing different films because you want to position your brand as something different?
It's not the positioning of my brand. I do films that excite me. As it so happens, the large number of films that attract me don't fall into any box or formula or what is known as mainstream cinema. Lagaan, Sarfarosh, Taare Zameen Par and Rang De Basanti all broke rules. So does PL. All these films had great stories to tell and that's why I am a part of them. Filmmaking, for me, is not just the end result, it's also the journey of making the film. Ultimately, whether a film is successful or not is not in your control, but you canu00a0u00a0 control what you choose to do. That process is more important to me than success. But of course, I want it to be a success too. (grins)

When a really bad film does well, do you question what people out there want?
Not any longer. I did it in the early days of my career. But now I have come to realise that there are different kinds of audiences with varied tastes. So what does not particularly excite me may engage someone else. I can understand that a film, which I may not have liked, can be liked by people; and that's how it should be. That's fair.

There's the news that telecast rights of PL have been sold for Rs 10 crore. Is that true?
We have made a deal, but I don't discuss financial matters on a public platform.

If that's true, the film is already a hit, isn't it?
For me, the film is a hit when the audience likes it. Pre-sales and sales are not an indication of the success of the film.

Was Kiran a part of the creative process of your production?
Kiran and I were involved in greenlighting the project and the initial prep. Then she got busy with her own film. Every now and then, she has been with me on marketing and such matters. We've run the final cut by her and she has given her opinion. She was not as active as she was with TZP. But she has been supportive of the film, whenever we needed her, she was there.

That promo, where a tv reporter makes digs at you... are you aware that people talk about you like that?
(Laughs) All the time.

Does it bother you?
No. I'm saying it myself. It's a joke.

When people say that 'kaisi picturein banata hai, he is in his own world,' etc, it's a joke?
But they are right. I can't complain. They are right.

But it implies that every film is not going to be a hit.
But it will happen. I have been extremely fortunate so far.

So the promo was your idea?
It was my idea to turn it into a promo, but it was shot by Anusha (Rizvi, Peepli [Live] director) while shooting the film. But when she finished the film, she cut it out. Then one day, she said I should watch the footage that's not in the film. So I saw this. I just added two lines to it and thought it might be good as a promo but it's not in the film as it doesn't work there.

I can't remember your last flop. Do you?
There are two stages for me. For me, the first milestone for success is -- Have we ended up making the film we set out to make? If not, then we have failed and my success is already gone. The second stage is when it is screened publicly. Until now, it has not happened that a film I have liked, has not done well. In that, I have a cent per cent record. There have been films where we have not managed to bring out what we wanted to. And if those have not worked, I expected them not to. But it's sad. We all work so hard on the film and if it doesn't work for the team itself or the people, then it is definitely a moment of sorrow. And whenever my film has not worked, I have grieved a lot.

How do you grieve?
The first thing I do is I cry. Why? Because I feel like crying.u00a0

How do you deal with it after that?
I talk. It's important to grieve your losses -- it could be films, it could be people -- and recognise them and try and move ahead from there. In case of a film, you try and learn from it.

Your "got lucky?" tweet to Imran about IHLS has made quite the news. Comment
It was just a joke. I keep pulling Imran's leg and he does the same. I haven't seen the film. I intend to, but I have been very busy. Believe it or not, I saw Paa a couple of days ago. And I had been dying to see that film! I find that I get very lost in what I am doing.

If I was in Imran's place, I would have been really hurt that you hadn't seen the film.
If you were my nephew, you would have grown up with me and realised exactly what I am like. I will see the film. It's just that I have a lot of deadlines. I am very happy that it is doing well. I am happy for him. I am happy for Karan (Johar).

Yash Chopra was at your home recently. Curiosity continues. Are you doing his film?
(Shaking head) Yashji has not offered me any film. He is someone we are all very close to and have high regard for. We are friends. He was there that evening with 20 other guests. He was one of the few who were noticed. At this point of time, I am not considering any script. My focus is entirely on Peepli and that's where it should be. Post- August 13, I will start reading scripts.

Three years ago, you said you have got your dues as an actor from the media but not as a star. Has it changed?
I think so. The reason is fairly obvious. I didn't have any relationship with the media earlier because I felt they were not being fair to me.

That's changed now?
Yes, I think, by and large, they are fair now. But I would like to point out that I am the one who made the first move.

I agree. You were open to an association.
For me, the media has a responsibility beyond their relationships. It is irrelevant what my relationship with them is. They should report accurately. That's what they were not doing for 20 years. I am glad that it has changed.