Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has opened up about the difficult early years of his acting career, revealing that despite becoming an overnight star after his debut film, he often returned home from work in tears because he was unhappy with the roles he had accepted.
Speaking at the BFI London Film Festival, Aamir reflected on his journey in the film industry, recalling that his acting career began with the 1988 blockbuster Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak.
Although the film was a massive commercial success and made him an instant star, Aamir said the reality behind the scenes was far from what he had expected.
He explained that the success of his debut was not enough to earn the confidence of the top filmmakers he admired.
“I had one major hit to my name, but none of the directors I wanted to work with approached me,” he said.
According to Aamir, he was considered successful in the public eye, yet he was not being offered the kind of meaningful projects he had hoped for.
Recalling the film industry’s working culture in the late 1980s, the actor said it was common for Bollywood stars to sign dozens of films simultaneously.
He noted that Hindi film actors often had 40 to 50 projects on their schedules at the same time. He cited Anil Kapoor as having around 33 films, while Govinda was reportedly working on more than 70 films during that period.
Influenced by that trend, Aamir decided that signing around 10 films would be a sensible career move.
“I selected eight to ten films based on their scripts, and most of them were with new directors,” he said. “I had no idea what I was getting myself into.”
The actor admitted that, given his personality and working style, committing to so many projects was a mistake.
“Within a few months, I realised I had made the wrong decision,” he recalled. “But I honoured every commitment I had made.”
Unfortunately, the films failed to perform at the box office.
Aamir said one project after another turned out to be a commercial failure, resulting in him being labelled a “one-film wonder.”
“I felt as though I was trapped in quicksand,” he said.
The repeated setbacks had a deep emotional impact on the actor.
“With every new film, I felt I was sinking deeper,” Aamir said. “I used to come home after work and cry because I was completely unhappy with what I was doing.”
He explained that acting had always been driven by a passion for meaningful cinema, and the work he was doing at the time did not reflect the aspirations that had brought him into the industry.
“I never entered films for this. What was happening to me was not what I had dreamed of,” he said.
Despite those early disappointments, Aamir Khan went on to reinvent his career through carefully chosen projects, eventually becoming one of Bollywood’s most acclaimed actors. His candid remarks offer a glimpse into the challenges he faced before establishing himself as a leading figure in Indian cinema.
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