Aamir Khan at 'Cinema Ka Jadugar' Trailer Launch: "I Believe in These Films

On Sunday, March 9, a press conference was held in Mumbai, where the perfectionist and superstar Aamir Khan, renowned lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar, and PVR founder Ajay Bijli were present. During the event, the three legends announced a special film festival titled Aamir Khan: The Magician of Cinema, where some of Aamir’s most iconic films will be showcased again on the big screen, in collaboration with PVR-INOX. Let’s take a look at what happened at this event.

At the event, Aamir Khan was seen wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans, while Javed Akhtar was in his signature comfortable kurta-pajama. The event kicked off with Aamir thanking everyone for attending.

Javed Akhtar shared a fun anecdote, saying, “They should have called me for this event because Aamir and I share a unique bond. Aamir was born in 1965, and I also started my Bollywood career in 1965. Aamir’s first film was in 1973 when he was 18 years old. He made his debut in our film Yaadon Ki Baraat. I was working on a script at that time. I was writing the film Faryad for Nasir Hussain in Panchgani. That’s when I saw Aamir and immediately told Nasir that this boy is a star, and his debut should be in a romantic film.” He continued, “I wrote the songs for Aamir’s first produced film, Lagaan, and later, Aamir was also part of the film that my son, Farhan Akhtar, directed. Interestingly, both these films were released in 2001.”

During the event, Aamir Khan jokingly recalled that when Farhan Akhtar asked him to hear the script, he refused. Aamir said, "I was waiting for Javed Sir’s call. But after waiting for a long time and not getting the call, I realized that maybe Farhan hadn’t discussed it with his father. This meant that Farhan trusted Aamir completely and truly wanted him for his film."

Aamir Takes Risks

In the event, Javed Akhtar praised Aamir for taking risks in his career. He said, "Only Aamir could have trusted such characters and stories. He worked with Ashutosh Gowariker even though they had one film flop together. A new director, Farhan, came to him with a story with three heroes, and Aamir said yes. Who would have the courage to do a film like Dangal, where an old man loses to his own daughter in a wrestling match? Every actor works with directors whose films have been successful, but Aamir takes risks that no one else would."

Aamir Khan Reflects on His Struggles

Aamir Khan shared his early career struggles, mentioning that he was initially unhappy with his film choices. He said, "After my debut film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) became a blockbuster, I received offers for around 300-400 films. I was unsure which one to choose."

He continued, "I had only worked as an assistant with Mansoor Khan and Nasir Hussain before that. But after my first film's success, I started receiving many offers. To be honest, I was new, and I didn’t realize the responsibility of signing a film. I had no idea about that."

Declining Bhatt's Film

Aamir also shared an interesting story about Mahesh Bhatt. He revealed that at one point, he had turned down a film offer from Mahesh Bhatt. "I was going through one of the toughest phases of my life when Mahesh Bhatt offered me a film. But I didn’t like the script. I gathered the courage to tell him, and that’s how I ended up not doing that film."

He added, "During the worst time of my career, I had the courage to say 'no'. That’s why I continue to behave the same way even now. If I had compromised back then, my entire career would have been based on compromises."

Aamir further shared that during those times, heroes were doing 30 to 50 films at once. "Interestingly, Anil Kapoor had the least with just 33 films. I ended up doing 9-10 films at once. However, the directors I dreamed of working with didn’t give me any roles. I was working in three shifts a day. Most of the producers and directors were new, and when the shooting started, I realized I had made a mistake. I wasn’t happy. I would cry every day at home."

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Three Key Things Aamir Considers While Choosing a Film

When asked by Javed Akhtar what matters most to Aamir when choosing a film, he said, "Three things are very important to me: the director, the script, and the producer. If your producer is weak, your film won’t get the right release. You won’t have good resources. I learned this during those times, and it's something I follow even today."

Aamir Talks About Rejecting Major Films

During the event, Aamir also shared the surprising fact that he had received an offer for Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan. However, he asked Salman to send the script back to him. Aamir also said he had no regrets about turning down films like Dil, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Darr, Lagaan, and Munna Bhai M.B.B.S..

Aamir Khan was originally offered Lage Raho Munnabhai when Munnabhai MBBS wasn't even made. Aamir narrates a very interesting story of what exactly was supposed to be the first Munnabhai film. pic.twitter.com/iDEDH5LPyb

— Faridoon Shahryar (@iFaridoon) March 9, 2025

It’s worth noting that in Darr (1993), directed by Yash Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan played the lead role, while Salman Khan starred in Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Sanjay Dutt played the lead in Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. and Lage Raho Munna Bhai.

Aamir Khan’s Personal Life

Aamir also talked about his childhood and love for stories. He said, "I have always loved listening to stories. When I was 5, whenever someone would come to narrate stories or scripts to my father, I would hide behind the curtains and listen. My father eventually noticed and started seating me in front to listen to those stories. My mother would ask me if I was free to listen to a film story that day. I never thought of films as an actor. I listened to them as stories, thinking how they would be on screen."

Honoring Aamir Khan

At the end of the event, Ajay Bijli, the founder of PVR, honored Aamir Khan with a Golden Ticket. The event concluded with a photo session.

As part of Aamir Khan: The Magician of Cinema, the following films will be re-screened: Dangal, 3 Idiots, Lagaan, Hum Hai Rahi Pyaar Ke, Raja Hindustani, Ghajini, Akele Hum Akele Tum, Andaz Apna Apna, PK, Dhoom 3, Rang De Basanti, Ghulam, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Secret Superstar, Laal Singh Chaddha, Taare Zameen Par, Sarfarosh, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Talaash, Fanaa, Dil Chahta Hai, and Dil. This special film festival will run from March 14, coinciding with Aamir Khan's birthday, until March 27.