Aamir Khan walked in unassumingly, a couple of minutes prior to his session at ABP Network Ideas of India Summit 2025, in association with t2, at the Grand Hyatt ballroom in Mumbai, and took a seat amongst the audience. Dressed in a striped cotton kurti and a pair of denims, the bespectacled actor, director and producer, was the cynosure of all eyes. This in a room of impeccable suits. The mood was set.

At one point in his conversation, Aamir said, “Actually, the films I have chosen are because of who I am. I gravitate towards certain kinds of stories or themes… I feel, film is a very powerful medium... if you choose to tell the right stories, it can have a very big impact on society.”

Close to an hour, the packed ballroom enjoyed exactly what Aamir summed up, succinctly. His brand of entertainment. As much thought-provoking as humorous. And, of course, peppered with the famous AK comic timing.

Aamir candidly spoke about his 37-year-journey in Hindi films that started with the now-classic romance Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), his veering towards content with soul and message, the epic Lagaan and its Oscar journey, his passion project Satyamev Jayate, his intent to not get boxed in stereotypes, and why he doesn’t believe in perfection.

Humour was, of course, the mainstay, complete with the trademark AK chuckle and those twinkling, intelligent eyes. Excerpts...

‘I am really grateful for the life I have been given...’

I would say my journey started from QSQT. I did Holi more as an assistant. When I was an assistant with Nasirsaab (Nasir Hussain), I had gone for Ketan Mehta’s Holi (1984) more because I had heard that Steadicam is coming to India. I was wanting to be on set to see how Steadicam operates. Finally, that Steadicam never came!

I am really grateful for the life I have been given. Very few people get such opportunities. I am thankful to my parents. I also feel fortunate that I am in a profession that I adore. Mere liye kaam or khel ek hi jaise hai... I don’t know when I am playing and when I am working, like how we showed in 3 Idiots.

I am also blessed that I got to work with so many good writers and directors like in Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai, Sarfarosh, Taare Zameen Par, Dangal, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.... I am grateful that such wonderful stories came to me. I am really happy with the way life has gone. Personally also, it’s been a journey. I think meri professional journey, shayad meri personal journey se zyada kamiyab nazar aati hai (laughs), but I feel personally, it’s been an enriching experience. The people I have come across, the people who have been very close to heart....

‘I gravitate towards certain kinds of stories or themes...’

Actually, the films I have chosen are because of who I am. I gravitate towards certain kinds of stories or themes. Quite naturally, there are certain themes which are socially relevant, themes which I am drawn to. I am, however, clear that I am an entertainer. I am not a sociology teacher. When people buy tickets to a theatre, they want entertainment. So, whatever story I am narrating, I must entertain you, engage you and fulfill you in some way, emotionally. Along with that if I can say certain things which makes you think, woh achchi baat hai.

Just entertaining such a big population is a very big thing in itself, but the creative fraternity is very powerful, if they decide to use it. I feel, film is a very powerful medium... if you choose to tell the right stories, it can have a very big impact on society. You can sensitise people and make them empathetic. For creative people, here is an opportunity in nation building, if they so desire. We are actually affecting minds, hearts and emotions.

‘We had made Lagaan for India...’

Neither Ashutosh (Gowariker) nor me had any idea whether anybody would even watch this film outside India or like it. It was almost four hours long. A lot of countries don’t know what cricket is. We didn’t have dreams that this film would make a mark, internationally. What happens is, you make a film but the film then charts its own life. So, that was Lagaan’s own journey. All the credit goes to the film. It was a joyous journey. The film ran for six-eight months in Switzerland.

‘Films are very subjective...’

Laapataa Ladies is a beautiful film, but we should remember that when we compete in the foreign language category, every country sends its best films. That’s the toughest competition. And films are very subjective. Can you choose between Mother India and Mughal-e-Azam? How do you compare? So, itna seriously nahin lena chahiye. Mein toh bilkul nahin leta!

‘Satyamev Jayate has remained an important journey for me...’

I got to learn a lot. We often don’t understand the challenges we are faced with. I am talking about myself. The good thing is every crisis has a solution, but you have to identify that solution and implement it on a large scale, and that’s what the challenges are. India is a difficult country to govern. The attempt was that can we on a public platform, which is large, talk about these issues and explore them in a curious manner, to understand it better? The experts are the people who can guide us with the solutions. Every topic had a deep impact at a grassroots level, and it was a satisfying and enriching experience.

‘I don’t like perfection...’

Actually, mujhe perfection pasand hi nahin hai. I am interested in magic and I feel in this creative field, there is no such thing as perfect. But yes, I do believe that God lies in the details. I enjoy work that way and I feel happier working that way. I was in a deep conversation on cinema with Baba Azmi once when Shabana (Azmi) asked me how much sugar I would take in my tea. When the question finally registered, I asked her how big the cup was, followed by how large the spoon was (laughs). So, yeh kahaani wahan se famous ho gayi hai (laughs).

‘I get attracted to different things...’

I have never wanted to repeat a type of character. I want to do something new and different and something which challenges me. I get attracted to different things and I am particularly drawn to non-commercial things.

Taare Zameen Par and Sitaare Zameen Par...

Thematically, they are the same. In a way, this is a sequel to Taare Zameen Par, but for me, yeh Taare Zameen Par ke dus kadam aage hai. Taare Zameen Par was an emotional film, but this is a comedy but that is a vehicle to tell a sensitive story.

‘Every film should be economically viable...’

When Taare Zameen Par came to me, I loved it. Maine phut phut kar roya tha. Main kya karta hu, mein paise nahin leta hoon. I have been doing it for years. Aagar film chalti hai, toh usse main kamata hoon. Performing arts is the oldest tradition of earning money. I follow that. That gives me the freedom. I can make films on different subjects because the load of the cost is not there. We have to earn ₹10-15 crores and meri films toh utni kama hi leti hai.

Thugs of Hindostan and Lal Singh Chaddha...

Both didn’t work. Bahut dukh huya mujhe. I am very emotional. Thugs, mujhe lagta hai, film shayad kamzor hi thi. Hum log jo banane chale the, hum nahin bana paaye. In Lal Singh Chaddha, I felt my performance was pitched too high. And that film was dependent on the actor’s performance. Tom Hanks was brilliant in Forrest Gump (Lal Singh Chaddha was an adaptation of Forrest Gump). He took you on this journey. I felt I failed in that.

‘I really value my failures...’

You learn the most from your failures. When my films don’t do well, I go into depression. I cry for two-three weeks. It is important to mourn. Phir main uthta hoon do-teen hafto ke baad and try to analyse where we went wrong, which we can learn from and not repeat. What is the audience trying to tell us? Then I move ahead. I really value my failures. It also propels you (towards better work).

Main jitni asani se haasta hoon, utni asani se mein rota hoon. Crying is not a sign of weakness. I would recommend jitni confidence se aap haste hai, utni confidence se royiye. Bara mazaa aata hai. You also clean your slate.

My family knew that I wasn’t happy with Thugs, but they knew I was involved in Lal Singh Chaddha. My family was very supportive when Lal Singh didn’t do well.

International fame...

Films are universal emotions that cross over boundaries. 3 Idiots became viral in China due to piracy. The credit goes to the Chinese audience that they embraced a film of a different culture and appreciated and loved it so much. Then, they saw Dangal. This was completely organic.

Going without a mobile for three years...

I use very less mobile phone. Mere films aati hai teen saal ek dafa! So, I don’t need the phone!

Other passions...

I read a lot and since the last couple of years, have been spending a lot of time with my family. Mother, kids, sister, Rina, Kiran (Rao)....

‘I want to do more work...’

Meri kaifiyat aisi hai ki main ek bar mein ek hi film kar pata hoon, and I am happy doing that. But I am bringing certain changes in how my production house works. I want to make it more vibrant. My production house also functions like a handloom weaver.

I’ll be 60 (on March 14) and, in the next 10-15 years that I will be active, I want to do more work. I will work on one film (as an actor), but my production house should work more so that I can become a platform for new talent.

My dream is to make Mahabharata. I am also excited about children’s content. I believe we’ve made very less children’s content in India. I want to work on children’s content... we can build young minds in a positive way.

Changes in Bollywood...

We should have more cinema halls and as creative people, we should give a lot more value to writers.

Wish for India...

I want India to be khushaal. I want happiness for the country and our people.