'Shah Rukh was never on the pedestal'

Aamir Khan can be really controversial when he wants to be. In an interview with CNN's Anjali Rao for the special edition of Talk Asia, the man with the Midas touch lashed out at Shah Rukh Khan, his erstwhile friend and also spoke about Oscar-winning film, Slumdog Millionaire, and how it failed to touch him.

We present excerpts of the interview right here.

Watch the interview play out on Talk Asia on March 25 at 6pm on CNN, with a repeat telecast on March 28 at 10am and 8pm.

It's a real pleasure to have you with us today so thanks so much for making yourself available again. Your most recent film Ghajini is now the biggest Bollywood success ever. Did you have any idea that it would be quite as huge as it is?

You can hope that, you can hope that for all of your films. But you can never really tell until you see the film with the audience, how it's going to play with the audience in the theatre. So I think in Ghajini what we set out to make we were in fact able to achieve that. I realised that I'm making a hardcore mainstream film after really long, which is fine. I guess I'm happy to do that.

Asin teams up with ‘Sardar’ Aamir for Tata Sky ad

We were the first ones to reveal that Asin was the part of Tata Sky’s new ad campaign with Aamir Khan replacing Gul Panag. The Ghajini girl was roped in by the DTH giant after her super successful pairing with Aamir in her debut film. The news may be already out that Aamir Khan is donning the Sardar avatar for his new ad film for Tata Sky but we have now found out that this ad was shot with Asin too being a part of it with Aamir.
Our sources revealed, “Aamir has taken special interest in this ad right from deciding upon his costumes, make up, dialogues to even the background music. Through this ad he plans to make his presence felt in the upcoming IPL tournament. Though he doesn’t own an IPL team like his Bollywood counterparts Shah Rukh Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Preity Zinta, this new Tata Sky ad campaign is going to be widely advertised during the IPL matches on the channel showing the tournament. Asin’s inclusion was also Aamir’s idea.”
Sources further add, “All of Aamir’s ad campaigns of Tata Sky have been successful and he hopes to make a bigger splash with the latest one with Asin.” -

'Resolute' Aamir Khan kicks the butt for son's sake, yet again!

Mumbai, Mar 24: Mr Perfectionist Aamir Khan, failed to kick his smoking habit each time he attempted it. But he is resolute this time after son Junaid asked him to give up smoking.

Earlier, the actor had almost given up smoking but during his directorial debut ‘Taare Zameen Par’, he took to the poison again. Aamir had promised to kick the butt after the release of TZP, but failed to do so because of ‘Ghajini’ release problems.

However, Aamir is now on a smoke break for three months. According to a source, "Aamir was over heard talking to a friend that he has given up smoking. He has decided to go on a three-month break for his son Junaid. He doesn't want his habit to be a bad influence on his kids.”

Reportedly, Aamir’s son Junaid follows the actor’s blog and would often show him excerpts and comments from fans, who criticize his smoking habits. The actor also wants to go on a break with sons. "This is the first time in a long while now, that Aamir is free during their vacation. He's looking forward to spending time with them”, adds the source.

Aamir’s smoking habits have always irked Junaid, so, the father is willing to give it up for son’s sake. Hope you keep up your promise, Aamir!

Asin: Khan’t say!

Asin was first cast opposite Aamir Khan in Ghajini and she’ll soon be seen sharing

screen space with Salman Asin More Pics
And now with the raging Khan wars, it’s getting difficult for co-actors to handle situations when they are asked whom they prefer. Asin chooses her words carefully. “Both Salman and Aamir are great and good co-actors. As a child I used to admire Aamir Khan. I used to watch his films and Salman’s too.” Huh?

My parents were against me getting into films: Aamir Khan

Mumbai (IANS): Despite hailing from a film background, noted Bollywood actor-director Aamir Khan's parents were against his entering the filmdom.
"My parents looked after us very well... we had a fairly sheltered life. I mean my parents were really against me getting into films. I come from a film family. My father and uncle were both filmmakers. And I faced hell at home. It was like there's no way you're getting into films," Aamir Khan told CNN's special edition "Talk Asia" to be aired on Wednesday 6 p.m.
"But I don't usually listen to people. I just do what I feel like. And then when they realized actually it was more because they were concerned for me, you know.
"Every parent is concerned for their children. And they had been through this line and this profession is so uncertain. You know one day you're up there, the next day you're nobody and it's a really harsh profession," he added.
Aamir Khan is a son of renowned film producer Tahir Hussain. His uncle Nasir Hussain is also a film director.

Aamir and Danny Boyle: To be or not to be?

March 23rd, 2009 - 4:45 pm ICT by sampurn -

Well, Aamir Khan didn’t find the Oscar winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire’ a great film and was not impressed by its success. He also went public about it

But Danny Boyle seems to be interested in the Bollwood actor- director- producer’s body of work. He also told the media that he loved Aamir Khan’s work in “Taare Zameen Par.’

The actor who also saw success with “Ghajini’ was seen bonding with him and chatted for almost three hours at an event.

Danny Boyle was earlier planning a dark thriller on Mumbai and there’s a strong feeling that he might be casting Aamir in his next.

Well, after making inexperienced actors act well in “Slumdog Millionaire’, it will be interesting if the Bollywood perfectionist clicks with the one of a kind Brit director. This one could indeed be pure magic.

Ghajini to re-release

Aamir Khan fans need not wait an entire year for their favourite star's next film. Taking advantage of the deadlock between producers and multiplexes, the makers of Ghajini are all set to re-release the film.

At a time when marketing strategy often translates into ticket sales, this strategy is being seen as coup of sorts. This time around the film will feature new footage. And two, with the proposed ban on new releases from April 4, the producers of Ghajini are hoping their brainwave will prove a breath of fresh air.

And that might not be a bad idea. The film had already grossed Rs 75 crore in India and Rs 200 crore worldwide.

"I am really happy everyone's liking Ghajini, and people have made it such a huge hit," said Aamir Khan, actor.

Wrapped in the new avtaar of the film, there's an upside for the producers as well. Madhu Matenu of India Films told NDTV that re-releasing the film is a good way to work around recession. Why make a new film when you can simply tinker with an old one, right?

Well, not quite. Ghajini had run into trouble with the censors the first time around thanks to some heavy-duty action scenes. Now it will have to pass muster with the censor board once again.
If it does, remember to keep your date with Aamir Khan. Or you could tattoo it on just so you don't forget.