Aamir Khan

**Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan** (pronounced [ˈaːmɪr xaːn]; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, director, filmmaker, and television talk-show host. Through his career spanning over 30 years in Hindi films, Khan has established himself as one of the most popular and influential actors of Indian cinema. He has a large global following, especially in India and China, and has been described by *Newsweek* as "the biggest movie star" in the world. Khan is the recipient of numerous awards, including nine Filmfare Awards, four National Film Awards, and an AACTA Award. He was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Shri in 2003 and the Padma Bhushan in 2010, and received an honorary title from the Government of China in 2017. For years, he has been regularly listed one among *the 500 Most Influential Muslims* of the world.

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 the experimental film *Holi* (1984). He began a full-time acting career with a leading role in the tragic romance *Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak* (1988). His performance in the thriller movie *Raakh* (1989) earned him a National Film Award in the Special Mention category. He established himself as a leading actor of Hindi cinema in the 1990s by appearing in a number of commercially successful films, including the romantic dramas *Dil* (1990) and *Raja Hindustani* (1996), for which he won his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor, and the thriller *Sarfarosh* (1999). He also played against type in the acclaimed Canadian-Indian co-production *1947: Earth* (1998).

In 1999 he founded Aamir Khan Productions, whose first film, *Lagaan* (2001), was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and earned him a National Film Award for Best Popular Film and two more Filmfare Awards (Best Actor and Best Film). After a four-year absence from the screen, Khan returned to appear in leading roles, notably in the 2006 box-office hits *Fanaa* and *Rang De Basanti*. He made his directorial debut with *Taare Zameen Par* (2007), a major success that garnered him the Filmfare Awards for Best Film and Best Director. Khan's greatest global success came with the thriller *Ghajini* (2008), the comedy-drama *3 Idiots* (2009), the action film *Dhoom 3* (2013), the satire *PK* (2014), and the sports biopic *Dangal* (2016), each having held the record for being the highest-grossing Indian film, while *Secret Superstar* (2017) held the record for being highest-grossing Indian film featuring a female protagonist. Khan won his third Best Actor award at Filmfare for *Dangal*. His films are known for dealing with social issues in Indian society, and they often combine the entertainment and production values of commercial masala films with the believable narratives and strong messages of parallel cinema.

Within and beyond the film industry, Khan is an activist and humanitarian, and has participated and spoken out for various social causes, some of which have sparked political controversy. He has created and hosted the television talk show *Satyamev Jayate*, through which he highlights sensitive social issues in India, occasionally influencing the Indian parliament. His work as a social reformer, tackling issues ranging from poverty and education to abuse and discrimination, earned him an appearance on the *Time* 100 list of most influential people in the world. Khan was married to his first wife, Reena Dutta, for fifteen years, after which he married the film director Kiran Rao. He has three children—two with Dutta, and one with Rao through surrogacy.

## Early life and background

Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan was born on 14 March 1965 in Bombay to Tahir Hussain, a film producer, and Zeenat Hussain. Several of his relatives were members of the Hindi film industry, including his late paternal uncle, the producer-director Nasir Hussain. Outside the movie industry, he is also related to the Indian Islamic scholar, philosopher and politician Abul Kalam Azad through his grandmother. Khan is the eldest of four siblings; he has a brother, the actor Faisal Khan, and two sisters, Farhat and Nikhat Khan (married to Santosh Hegde). His nephew, Imran Khan, is a contemporary Hindi film actor.

As a child actor, Khan appeared on screen in two minor roles. At the age of eight, he appeared in a highly popular song in the Nasir Hussain-directed film *Yaadon Ki Baaraat* (1973), which was the first Bollywood masala film. The following year, he portrayed the younger version of Mahendra Sandhu's character in his father's production *Madhosh*. 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 grade at the Bombay Scottish School, Mahim. He played tennis in state level championships, and became a state-level champion. He has professed he was "much more into sports than studies". He completed his twelfth grade from Mumbai's Narsee Monjee College. Khan described his childhood as "tough" due to the financial problems faced by his father, whose film productions were mostly unsuccessful. He said, "There would be at least 30 calls a day from creditors calling for their money." He was always at risk of being expelled from school for non-payment of fees.

At the age of sixteen, Khan was involved in the experimental process of making a 40-minute silent film, *Paranoia*, which was directed by his school friend Aditya Bhattacharya. The film was funded by the filmmaker Shriram Lagoo, an acquaintance of Bhattacharya, who provided them with a few thousand rupees. Khan's parents did not want him to make films, wishing that he would instead pursue a "steady" career as an engineer or doctor. For that reason, the shooting schedule of *Paranoia* was a clandestine one. In the film, he played the lead role alongside actors Neena Gupta and Victor Banerjee, while simultaneously assisting Bhattacharya. He said that the experience of working on it encouraged him to pursue a career in film.

Khan subsequently joined a theatre group called Avantar, where he performed backstage activities for over a year. He made his stage debut with a small role in the company's Gujarati play, *Kesar Bina*, at Prithvi Theatre. He went on to two of their Hindi plays, and one English play, which was titled *Clearing House*. After completing high school, Khan decided to discontinue studying, choosing instead to work as an assistant director to Nasir Hussain on the Hindi films *Manzil Manzil* (1984) and *Zabardast* (1985).

## Acting career

### 1984–1989: Debut and career challenges

In addition to assisting Hussain, Khan acted in documentaries directed by the students of FTII, Pune. The director Ketan Mehta noticed Khan in those films, and he offered him a role in the low-budget experimental film *Holi* (1984). Featuring an ensemble cast of newcomers, *Holi* was based on a play by Mahesh Elkunchwar, and dealt with the practice of ragging in India. *The New York Times* said that the film was "melodramatic" but "very decently and exuberantly performed by the nonprofessional actors". Khan's role was that of a rowdy college student, an "insignificant" role that was described by CNN-IBN as "lack[ing] in finesse".

*Holi* failed to garner a broad audience, but Nasir Hussain and his son Mansoor signed him as the leading man in Mansoor's directorial debut *Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak* (1988) alongside Juhi Chawla. The film was a tale of unrequited love and parental opposition, with Khan portraying Raj, a "clean-cut, wholesome boy-next-door". The plot was a modern-day take on classic tragic romance stories such as *Layla and Majnun*, *Heer Ranjha*, and *Romeo and Juliet*. *Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak* proved to be a major commercial success, catapulting both Khan and Chawla to stardom. It received seven Filmfare Awards including a Best Male Debut trophy for Khan. The film has since attained cult status, with Bollywood Hungama crediting it as a "path-breaking and trend setting film" for Indian cinema. *Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak* was a milestone in the history of Hindi cinema, setting the template for Bollywood musical romance films that defined Hindi cinema in the 1990s.

The year 1989 saw the release of *Raakh*, a crime thriller from Aditya Bhattacharya that was filmed before the production of *Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak*. The film tells the story of a young man avenging the rape of his ex-girlfriend (played by Supriya Pathak). Despite a poor reception at the box office, the film was critically acclaimed. Khan was awarded a National Film Award – Special Jury Award / Special Mention for his performances in both *Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak* and *Raakh*. Later that year, he reunited with Chawla for the romantic comedy *Love Love Love*, a commercial failure.

### 1990–2001: Successful career and acting break

Khan had five film releases in 1990. He found no success in the sport film *Awwal Number* with Aditya Pancholi and Dev Anand, the mythological thriller *Tum Mere Ho*, the romance *Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin* and the social drama *Jawani Zindabad*. However, the Indra Kumar-directed romantic drama *Dil* (opposite Madhuri Dixit) was a major success. A tale of parental opposition to teenage love, *Dil* was highly popular among the youth, and emerged as the highest-grossing Hindi film of the year. He followed this success with a leading role alongside Pooja Bhatt in the romantic comedy *Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin* (1991), a remake of the American film *It Happened One Night* (1934), which proved to be a box office hit.

Khan 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. Other successes include *Andaz Apna Apna*, a comedy film co-starring Salman Khan. At the time of its release, the movie was reviewed unfavorably by critics, but over the years has gained cult status. Less successful films included *Isi Ka Naam Zindagi* (1992) and *Daulat Ki Jung* (1992). In 1993, Khan also appeared in Yash Chopra's *Parampara*. Despite having an ensemble cast which also 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. Khan was also due to appear in *Time Machine*, a science-fiction film also starring Rekha, Raveena Tandon, Naseeruddin Shah and Amrish Puri. The movie was directed by Shekhar Kapur. However, due to financial constraints, the film was shelved and remained unreleased.

Khan continued to act in just one or two films a year, then an unusual trait for a mainstream Hindi cinema actor. His only release in 1996 was the Dharmesh Darshan-directed commercial blockbuster *Raja Hindustani*, in which he was paired opposite Karisma Kapoor. 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. It was the biggest hit of his career up until that point. Adjusted for inflation, *Raja Hindustani* is the fourth highest-grossing film in India since the 1990s. Khan's career seemed to hit a plateau at this point of time, and most of the films to follow for the next few years were only partially successful. In 1997, he co-starred alongside Ajay Devgn, Kajol and Juhi Chawla in *Ishq*, which performed well at the box office. The following year, Khan appeared in the moderately successful *Ghulam*, for which he also did playback singing.

John Mathew Matthan's *Sarfarosh*, Khan's first release in 1999, was also moderately successful, gaining an above average box office verdict. The film and Khan's role in it were highly appreciated by movie critics, as was his role in Deepa Mehta's Canadian-Indian art house film *Earth* (1998). Set during the 1947 partition of India, *Earth* was internationally acclaimed, by critics such as Roger Ebert, with Khan's negative portrayal of Dil Nawaz ("Ice Candy Man") considered his best performance up until then. His first release for the new millennium, *Mela*, in which he acted alongside his real-life brother Faisal Khan, was both a box office and critical bomb.

He produced and starred in *Lagaan* (2001), which was a major critical and commercial success, and received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 74th Academy Awards. Additionally, the film gathered critical acclaim at several international film festivals, in addition to winning numerous Indian awards, including a National Film Award. Khan also won his second Filmare Award for Best Actor.

The success of *Lagaan* was followed by *Dil Chahta Hai* later that year, in which Khan co-starred with Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna, with Preity Zinta playing his love interest. It also starred Sonali Kulkarni and Dimple Kapadia. The film was written and directed by the then-debutant Farhan Akhtar. The film won the 2001 Filmare Critics Award for Best Film. Khan then took a four-year break from Bollywood after divorce from his wife Reena Dutta.

### 2005–2007: Acting comeback and directorial debut

Khan made a comeback in 2005 with Ketan Mehta's *Mangal Pandey: The Rising* playing the title role of the real-life sepoy and martyr who helped spark the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's award-winning *Rang De Basanti* was Khan's first release in 2006. His performance was critically acclaimed, earning him a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor and various nominations for *Best Actor*. The film went on to become one of the highest-grossing films of the year, and was selected as India's official entry to the Oscars. Although the film was not shortlisted as a nominee for the Oscar, it received a nomination for BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language at the BAFTA Awards in England. In his next movie, *Fanaa* (2006), Khan co-starred with Kajol. Playing a Kashmiri insurgent terrorist, his second negative role after *Earth*, the role offered him creative possibilities to try something different. *Fanaa* became one of the highest-grossing Indian films of 2006.

His 2007 film, *Taare Zameen Par*, was also produced by him and marked his directorial debut. The film, which was the second offering from *Aamir Khan Productions*, starred Khan in a supporting role as a teacher who befriends and helps a dyslexic child. It opened to excellent responses from critics and audiences. Khan's performance was well-received, although he was particularly applauded for his directing. Khan received the Filmfare Awards for Best Director and Best Film of 2007, as well as the National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare. The film won other awards, including the 2008 Zee Cine Awards and 4th Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards. The film was initially acclaimed as India's official entry for the 2009 Academy Awards Best Foreign Film.

### 2008–present: Resurgence and global success

In 2008, Khan appeared in the movie *Ghajini*. The film was a major commercial success and became the highest-grossing Bollywood movie of that year. For his performance in the film, Khan received several *Best Actor* nominations at various award ceremonies as well as his fifteenth Filmfare Best Actor nomination.

In 2009, Khan appeared in the commercially and critically acclaimed film *3 Idiots* as Ranchodas Chanchad. *3 Idiots* became the highest-grossing Bollywood film ever at the time, breaking the previous record set by *Ghajini*, which also starred Khan. *3 Idiots* was one of the few Indian films to become a success in East Asian markets such as China and Japan, at the time making it the highest-grossing Bollywood film ever in overseas markets. It was expected to be the first Indian film to be officially released on YouTube, within 12 weeks of releasing in theatres on 25 March 2010, but finally got officially released on YouTube in May 2012. The film won six Filmfare Awards (including Best Film and Best Director), ten Star Screen Awards, eight IIFA Awards, and three National Film Awards. Overseas, it won the Grand Prize at Japan's Videoyasan Awards, and was nominated for Best Outstanding Foreign Language Film at the Japan Academy Awards and Best Foreign Film at China's Beijing International Film Festival.

Khan has been credited with opening up the Chinese markets for Indian films. His father Tahir Hussain previously had success in China with *Caravan* (1971), but Indian films declined in the country afterwards, before Aamir Khan opened up the Chinese market for Indian films in the early 21st century. His Academy Award nominated *Lagaan* (2001) became the first Indian film to have a nationwide release there. 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. However, it was the pirate market that introduced *3 Idiots* 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. Aamir Khan gained a large growing Chinese fanbase as a result. After *3 Idiots* went viral, several of his other films, such as *Taare Zameen Par* (2007) and *Ghajini* (2008), also gained a cult following. By 2013, China grew to become the world's second largest film market (after the United States), paving the way for Aamir Khan's Chinese box office success, with *Dhoom 3* (2013), *PK* (2014) and especially *Dangal* (2016).

It was reported that Khan had disagreements with director Reema Kagti over the issue of his 2012 film *Talaash*, causing significant delays in the film's release. However, Khan said that the claims were baseless. The film was a hit in India and overseas markets.

Khan's next venture was *Dhoom 3* with Yash Raj Films. He has considered this to be the most difficult role of his career. The film was released worldwide on 20 December 2013. Box Office India declared *Dhoom 3* "the biggest hit of 2013" after two days of release, with the film grossing ₹2 billion (US$28 million) worldwide in three days and ₹4 billion (US$56 million) worldwide in ten days, making it the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time.

In 2014, Khan appeared as the eponymous alien in Rajkumar Hirani's comedy-drama *PK*. It also starred Anushka Sharma, Sushant Singh Rajput, Boman Irani and Sanjay Dutt in pivotal roles. The film received critical acclaim and emerged as the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time (the fourth time Khan achieved this feat). Khan's performance was unanimously praised by critics including Tamil leading actor Vijay was impressed by Aamir's perfection and dedication and reportedly enjoyed the film with his family on Christmas Eve. 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." The film won two Filmfare Awards, and in Japan received a top award at the 9th Tokyo Newspaper Film Awards event held by *Tokyo Shimbun* newspaper.

Khan produced and starred in *Dangal* (2016), directed by Nitesh Tiwari, with Khan portraying wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat. He played him at several different ages, from 20 to 60 years old, gaining 30 kg and weighing 98 kg to play the older Phogat, then losing the weight to play the younger version. 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 Khan had achieved this feat. *Dangal* also became an overseas blockbuster success in China, where it was the 16th highest-grossing film of all time, the 8th highest-grossing foreign film, and the highest-grossing non-Hollywood foreign film. Worldwide, it became the fifth highest-grossing non-English language film of all time, earning Khan one of the highest salaries for a non-Hollywood actor, at $42 million. *Dangal* has also been watched over 350 million times on Chinese streaming platforms. *Dangal* won him two more Filmfare Awards (Best Film and his third Best Actor award)

According to Hong Kong filmmaker Stanley Tong, Khan was initially offered a major role in the Jackie Chan blockbuster *Kung Fu Yoga* (2017). However, Khan could not take up the offer due to scheduling conflicts, as he was busy shooting for *Dangal*.

In October 2017, Khan starred in a supporting role in his production *Secret Superstar*, with his *Dangal* co-star Zaira Wasim playing the lead role. See *Film production and direction* section below for further details on the film

In November 2018, he starred alongside veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan in the action adventure film *Thugs of Hindostan*. The film reunited him with *Dhoom 3*'s director Vijay Krishna Acharya. and also starred Fatima Sana Shaikh and Katrina Kaif. The film received negative reviews from critics.

In March 2019, on his 54th birthday, Khan confirmed that he will next be seen in *Laal Singh Chaddha,* an adaptation of the 1994 Hollywood classic, *Forrest Gump.* The film will feature Khan in the lead and will be directed by Advait Chandan, who previously directed Khan in *Secret Superstar.* The film went on floors in October 2019 and was wrapped up in September 2020 in Turkey and was scheduled to release during Christmas 2020 but was postponed for release during Christmas 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Film production and direction

See also: Aamir Khan Productions
Khan at a promotional event for *Taare Zameen Par*
Khan co-wrote the screenplay and script for the 1993 hit romantic comedy film *Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke*, where he also starred in the lead role. Khan began working as a producer after he set up his own production company, Aamir Khan Productions, in 1999. Its first film was *Lagaan*, which was released in 2001, starring Khan as the lead actor. The film was selected as India's official entry to the 74th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category, for which it became India's third nominee ever; it eventually lost the award to Bosnian film *No Man's Land*. *Lagaan* won numerous awards at several Indian award functions such as Filmfare and IIFA, and won the National Film Award for Most Popular Film, an award shared between Khan and the film's director, Ashutosh Gowariker. For producing the documentary *Madness in the Desert* on the making of *Lagaan*, Khan and director Satyajit Bhatkal were awarded the National Film Award for Best Exploration/Adventure Film at the 51st National Film Awards ceremony. Khan wrote the climax of *Rang De Basanti* (2006), which he starred in.

In 2007, he directed and produced the drama *Taare Zameen Par*, which marked his directorial debut. Khan also played a supporting role in the film, sharing the screen with new child actor Darsheel Safary. The film was conceived of and developed by the husband and wife team of Amole Gupte and Deepa Bhatia. It is the story of a young child who suffers in school until a teacher identifies him as dyslexic. The movie was critically acclaimed, as well as 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, Khan launched his nephew Imran Khan's debut 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. He also co-wrote the blockbuster film *Ghajini* (2008), which he starred in; Khan made alterations to the original 2005 Tamil film and rewrote the climax. In 2010, he released his production *Peepli Live*, which was selected as India's official entry for the 83rd Academy Awards' Best Foreign Film category.

In 2011, Khan released his home production *Dhobi Ghat*, an art house film directed by his wife Kiran Rao. In the same year, Khan co-produced the English language black comedy film *Delhi Belly* with UTV Motion Pictures, starring Imran Khan, Kunaal Roy Kapur and Vir Das. The film opened to critical acclaim and was a commercial success, with a domestic revenue of over ₹550 million (US$7.7 million). In 2012, Khan 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$24 million).

Khan, who debuted as a child actor in the first masala film, his uncle Nasir Hussain's *Yaadon Ki Baaraat* (1973), has been credited with redefining and modernising the masala film with his own distinct brand of cinema in the early 21st century, earning both commercial success and critical acclaim. His films blur the distinction between commercial masala films and realistic parallel cinema, combining the entertainment and production values of the former with the believable narratives and strong messages of the latter, earning both commercial success and critical acclaim, in India and overseas.

His most successful production has been *Dangal* (2016), where he stars in the lead role, which became the highest-grossing Indian film of all time. See *2008–present: Resurgence and global success* section above for further details on the film.

His next production was *Secret Superstar* (2017), where he stars in a supporting role, with *Dangal* go-star Zaira Wasim in the lead role. It became one of the most profitable films ever in proportion to its limited budget. In China, *Secret Superstar* broke *Dangal*'s record for the highest-grossing opening weekend by an Indian film, cementing Aamir Khan's status as a superstar in China, and as "a king of the Chinese box office". *Secret Superstar* is the third highest-grossing Indian film of all time, and the second highest-grossing Indian film ever overseas, behind only his own *Dangal*. With his films giving serious competition to Hollywood in the Chinese market, the success of films such as *Dangal* and *Secret Superstar* has drove up the buyout prices of Indian film imports for Chinese distributors. With *Secret Superstar*, Aamir Khan has become the only Indian actor with four films in the ₹500 crore club, after *Dhoom 3* (2013), *PK* (2014), and *Dangal*, as well as the only Indian actor with three $100 million grossers, after *PK* and *Dangal*. *Secret Superstar* grossed more than ₹900 crore (US$130 million) worldwide on a budget of ₹15 crore (US$2.1 million), over 6,000% return on investment (ROI). Aamir Khan's earnings for *Secret Superstar* from the China box office is estimated to be ₹190 crore (US$27 million), higher than what any other Indian actor-producer has ever earned from a film. The film has increased Aamir Khan's China box office total to $346.5 million (₹2,231 crore).

## Television career

Further information: Satyamev Jayate (TV series)

Around August 2011, Khan started talks with Siddhartha Basu's BIG Synergy to host a talk show similar to The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Khan made his television debut with his talk show, *Satyamev Jayate*. The show dealt with social issues. It started airing on 6 May 2012. Aamir was paid Rs. 30 million rupees per episode to host the *Satyamev Jayate*, and it made him the highest paid host in Indian television industry as of June 2012. Aamir, speaking on a radio channel, said that in view of phenomenal public response, he may come up with a second season of the show. The show went live simultaneously on StarPlus, Star World and national broadcaster Doordarshan on the 11 am Sunday slot in eight languages, being the first to do so in India.

*Satyamev Jayate* opened to positive reviews and feedback from social activists, media houses, doctors, and film and television personalities. Khan was also praised for his effort. In her review, Ritu Singh of IBN Live stated: "Aamir Khan deserves an applause for bringing up such a sensitive issue and presenting it in a hard hitting way. The amount of research Aamir and his team has put into the show was clearly visible with the facts and figures presented. Every aspect of the issue was covered with great diligence." Parmita Uniyal from *Hindustan Times* praised the content and Khan for "step[ing] in to do what journalists are supposed to do – make a difference. The show is a classic example of that." 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 reach 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 far lower than those of most other celebrity-hosted shows at the time.

Ratings for the show eventually picked up, and it became very successful. The first season of *Satyamev Jayate* garnered over a billion digital impressions from 165 countries. The second season of *Satyamev Jayate* drew an audience of 600 million viewers in India. The issues discussed on the show garnered national attention, with several being discussed in parliament and influencing politicians and lawmakers to take action. After the first episode, for example, Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, urged public representatives and non-governmental organisations to take actions to stop the illegal practice of female foeticide. Khan met Gehlot over the issue, and Gehlot accepted the request to set up fast track court to deal the case of the sting operation featured on the show. Following the second episode, the helpline for children received an increased number of calls from across the country, reporting child abuse. The legislation to protect children below 18 years from sexual abuse became a reality with the Lok Sabha passing the bill. After exposing medical malpractice in another episode, Aamir Khan became the first non-MP to be invited to the Indian parliament, where he and his creative team presented research on the subject and discussed core issues related to the medical fraternity.

Khan has made a number of appearances on other TV shows. In October 2013, Khan appeared as a guest celebrity contestant in the show *Kaun Banega Crorepati* for the promotion of his film *Dhoom 3*. In early 2016, following the intolerance controversy, he made an appearance on *Aap Ki Adalat*, where he clarified his remarks and views. In 2017, he was the subject of an episode of the Al Jazeera documentary series *Witness* entitled "The Snake Charmer", focusing on his work on *Satyamev Jayate* as well as *Dangal*.

## In the media

Khan at *Satyamev Jayate* press conference

In a 2009 interview, 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 has also indicated that he is more interested in the process of filmmaking than in the end 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."

Khan has a reputation for avoiding award ceremonies and not accepting any popular Indian film awards. Though nominated many times, Khan has not attended any Indian film award ceremonies and has stated that "Indian film awards lack credibility". When asked about the selection procedure and authenticity of popular Indian film awards, Aamir Khan said, "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."

In 2007, Khan was invited to have a wax imitation of himself put on display at Madame Tussauds in London. Khan declined, saying, "It's not important to me ... people will see my films if they want to. Also, I cannot deal with so many things, I have bandwidth only for that much." Khan also endorsed brands including Coca-Cola, Godrej, Titan Watches, Tata Sky, Toyota Innova, Samsung, Monaco Biscuits and Snapdeal.

In April 2013, he was among Time magazine's list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Khan was featured on the cover of *Time magazine* Asia edition in the September 2012 issue with title "Khan's Quest" – "He is breaking the Bollywood mold by tackling India's social evils. Can an actor change a nation?" In addition to being highly popular in India, he is also highly popular overseas, particularly in China, the second largest movie market. He is the most followed Indian national on Chinese social media site Sina Weibo, above Indian prime minister Narendra Modi. Khan is also popular in Turkey, Hong Kong, and Singapore, among many other countries.

In February 2015, Khan stated his views at 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. Calling the roast a shameless act, Khan did not spare even his friends from the film industry Karan, Ranveer and Arjun.

In Indian media, he is often referred to as "Mr. Perfectionist" for his passionate dedication to his work. 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 don't. 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 popular Chinese site Douban. In China, Khan is known for being associated with quality cinema and committed to social causes, and is often seen as an activist-actor. In the past, Chinese media used to refer to him as "India's Andy Lau" (referencing similarities to the famous Hong Kong film star), but as Khan gained more familiarity with mainstream Chinese audiences, younger fans have often referred to him by the moniker "Uncle Aamir”. or "Mishu" He has become a household name in China, where he is currently the most famous Indian. His book *I'll Do it My Way* commonly found in bookstores across China, while Chinese retailers sell merchandise ranging from "Uncle Aamir" smartphone cases to *Dhoom 3* style black hats. 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.

### Political controversies

Gujarat controversy (2006)
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 Sardar Sarovar Dam. 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. 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." An unofficial ban of *Fanaa* was put in place for the entire state of Gujarat. Protests occurred against the film and Khan which included the burning of posters of the star in effigy. As a result, several multiplex owners stated that they could not provide security to customers. Thus, all theatre owners in Gujarat refused to screen the film.

Intolerance controversy (2015–2016)
"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, Khan expressed the feelings that he and his wife Kiran Rao had about rising intolerance in India at an event in New Delhi hosted by *The Indian Express* newspaper. This was in response to recent political events in India, including violent attacks against Muslims and intellectuals, along with the absence of swift or strong condemnation from the country's ruling BJP Modi government. Khan remarked that his wife Kiran, fearing for her family, suggested to "move out of India", to his surprise. Khan's remark about intolerance in India and his wife suggesting to "move out of India" sparked political controversy, referred to as the "intolerance row" in the Indian media, and started a debate on social media. Khan faced intense backlash for his comments, with certain sections of society branding him "anti-national", while others voiced their agreement about his concerns and applauded him.

Much of the backlash against Khan, an Indian Muslim with a Hindu wife, came from Hindu nationalist groups. The far-right political party Shiv Sena sharply criticised Khan's statement, labelling it "the language of treachery". Ruling political party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remarked the incident a "Moral Offence". In the wake of the controversy, burning of posters took place in Ludhiana by the Sena party. Punjab's Shiv Sena chief Rajeev Tandon also made a violent threat, offering a ₹1 lakh (US$1,400) reward to anyone who slaps Aamir Khan. As a result, the Khan family was given additional police protection. Khan responded to the backlash and threats by stating, "it saddens me to say you are only proving my point".

In response to the backlash, Khan received support from a number of celebrities and public figures, including Indian National Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, as well as Hrithik Roshan, Shah Rukh Khan, Mamata Banerjee, Rajkumar Hirani, Kabir Khan, Farah Khan, A. R. Rahman and Priyanka Chopra. Several, on the other hand, criticised Khan's remark about intolerance, including Shatrughan Sinha, Anupam Kher, Raveena Tandon and Vivek Oberoi.

Aamir Khan later stated that he was not leaving the country. A lawsuit was filed against Khan and Rao at Jaunpur in ACJM II court. Khan was dropped as brand ambassador of the government's official Incredible India tourism campaign. 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.

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. Despite this, he continued to face backlash later in the year, with calls for protests and boycotts against his film *Dangal*. In October 2016, the Vishva Hindu Parishad called for protests against the film. Following its release in December 2016, #BoycottDangal was trending on Twitter, and BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya called for protests against the film. Despite calls to boycott the film, *Dangal* surprisingly turned out to be a massive hit, grossing more than ₹500 crore (US$70 million) in India.

## Humanitarian, social and political causes

In April 2006, Khan participated in the demonstrations put up by the Narmada Bachao Andolan committee with their leader Medha Patkar after the Gujarat government's decision to raise the height of the Narmada dam. He quoted to support adivasis (tribes), who might be displaced from their homes. 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." Aamir also lent his support to the Janlokpal Bill Movement led by Anna Hazare in August 2011.

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." He quit the GOI's copyrights panels in February 2010 after facing sharp differences with other members. During the promotion of *3 Idiots*, he journeyed to diverse parts of India, mostly to small towns, noting that "film makers from Mumbai don't understand small-town India." This experience of reaching out to "regional India" was extended in his debut TV show, *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.

On 30 November 2011, Khan was appointed national brand ambassador of UNICEF to promote child nutrition. He is part of the government-organised IEC campaign to raise awareness about malnutrition. He is also known for supporting causes such as feminism and improved education in India, which are themes in several of his films. His crossover success in China has been described as a form of Indian soft power, 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". Due to Aamir Khan being a household name in China, he is being considered as India's brand ambassador to China by the Indian commerce ministry, which may contribute to reducing the trade deficit with China.

In 2016, Aamir khan came up with Maharashtra government to make Maharashtra drought free in next five years. He has been doing shramdaan from last 3 years. He even asks people to come join him in this cause and become a jalmitra by doing shramdaan. While explaining to journalists, Aamir 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. Khan is a co-founder of Paani Foundation with his wife Kiran Rao. It's a non-profit, non-governmental organisation which is active in the area of drought prevention and watershed management in the state of Maharashtra, India.

## Personal life

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. Reena was involved briefly in Khan's career when she worked as a producer for *Lagaan*. In December 2002, Khan filed for divorce. Reena took custody of both children.

On 28 December 2005, Khan married Kiran Rao, who had been an assistant director to Ashutosh Gowariker during the filming of *Lagaan*. On 5 December 2011, Khan and his wife announced the birth of their son, Azad Rao Khan, through a surrogate mother. In 2007, Khan lost a custody battle for his younger brother Faisal to their father, Tahir Hussain. His father died on 2 February 2010.

A practising Muslim, Khan along with his mother Zeenat, performed Hajj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and a mandatory religious duty for Muslims, in 2013. His wife Kiran Rao is a Hindu. In March 2015, Khan stated that he has quit non-vegetarian food and has adopted a vegan lifestyle after being inspired by his wife.

Prior to pursuing a full-time acting career, Khan was an avid tennis player. He played professionally in state level championships in the 1980s, becoming a state level tennis champion, prior to entering a full-time acting career. In 2014, Aamir Khan 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.

Aamir Khan considers Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar as his inspiration. "Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was fearless. He propagated love and humanity. He loved people and gave them a thought of humanity. Babasaheb never gave up he was fearless. So today I have had difficulties, problems or situation is bad I remember Babasaheb. That's why I get inspiration from him. That's why Babasaheb is my role model" said Aamir Khan.

## Awards and honours

Khan won 9 Filmfare Awards, out of 32 nominations, including the Best Actor award for *Raja Hindustani* (1996), *Lagaan* (2001), and *Dangal* (2016), 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 has 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*.

Overseas, *Lagaan* earned an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 74th Academy Awards in 2002. This made it one of only three Indian films to receive an Oscar nomination, along with Mehboob Khan's *Mother India* (1957) and Mira Nair's *Salaam Bombay!* (1988). This also makes Aamir Khan one of the few Indian filmmakers to ever receive an Oscar nomination. Khan later commented on the loss of *Lagaan* at the Oscars: "Certainly we were disappointed. But the thing that really kept us in our spirits was that the entire country was behind us". In addition to an Oscar nomination, *Lagaan* received a European Film Award nomination for Best Non-European Film, and won awards at a number of international film festivals, including the Bergen International Film Festival, Leeds International Film Festival, Locarno International Film Festival, NatFilm Festival, and Portland International Film Festival. *Taare Zameen Par* was also India's submission to the Oscars, but did not receive a nomination. Another Aamir Khan production, *Peepli Live* (2010), was India's submission to the Oscars, while *Dhobi Ghat* (2011) was longlisted for the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language, though neither were nominated. In 2017, *Dangal* won him the inaugural Best Asian Film award at Australia's 7th AACTA Awards, as well as Movie of the Year and Top Foreign Actor from China's Douban Film Awards, and it is an award nominee for the 68th Berlin International Film Festival.

In addition, Khan has received honorary accolades, including the Government of India's Padma Shri in 2003 and Padma Bhushan in 2010, and an Honorary Doctorate by the Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) for his distinguished contributions to the Indian cinema and entertainment industry. 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. In 2012, he appeared on the Time 100 list of most influential people in the world. In 2017, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited Khan for its membership, and he received an award for "National Treasure of India" from the Government of China.

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 Khan 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. Despite avoiding Indian award ceremonies, he had 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.