COVER STORY

Aamir doesn't live in a bubble

54aamirkiran Happy zone: Aamir with wife, Kiran, and son, Azad
  • “Bathing isn’t that important for Aamir. Of course, he does shower every day but he considers it a chore” - Kiran Rao, wife

One thing about Aamir is that he is not changeable but as an actor, he is very versatile and he values entertainment. Having him in my film Dhobi Ghat was kind of natural. However, his style of making films is very unique and his kind of films connect very strongly with people. For him, films have to take their audiences on an emotional journey or into another world. There are times when he may even cry during a script narration, but then he may not end up doing the film because there would be aspects in it that don’t work for him. He chooses films that are more complex, layered and rich and his choice is what makes his kind of cinema.

Aamir is a deep sleeper, a Kumbhakaran type, but as he is getting older, sleep has become less heavy and he doesn’t sleep that much any longer, but yes, it is difficult to wake him up. He shares a funny relationship with his valet Amose, who is his constant companion. Whenever Aamir has to be woken up, Amose is on standby with a water spray and towel, and after repeated attempts when he does wake up, it is a lot of fun to watch their water fights which go on for at least 5 to 10 minutes.

I am the kind of person who cannot start my day without a shower but for Aamir, he can dive into things and have his bath much later in the day. Bathing isn’t that important for him. Of course, he does shower every day but he considers it a chore.

He is very fond of the food that his ammi prepares and he loves her curry with pakori and her chicken korma and shammi kebabs, which are very famous. There are also seekh kebabs, which are always there on his birthday and on occasions such as Eid. Whenever Aamir finishes a film, he allows himself a day of indulgence by tucking in these delicacies.

54-mangal-pandey1

Aamir has a beautiful black Mercedes sedan which he uses but he is the kind of person who is happy to jump into an Innova and go anywhere. He has absolutely no hang-ups about his vehicle or ride.

Aamir adores his kids and he is a very, very loving father. As Azad is getting older and is now in school, Aamir tries to keep aside plenty of time to spend with him. They have a beautiful relationship. He loves to tease him, heckle him, tickle him and even turn the page while he is reading. Azad is a sporty kid and Aamir loves to play sports with him. Aamir was giving him tennis lessons in the beginning and is now teaching him to play chess. Whenever, we are in Panchgani (where Aamir has a house), they always play table tennis. He is very good with hand and eye co-ordination games. Both he and Azad are very competitive and it is fun to watch them together. Aamir's sister, Nikhat, is a psychologist and lives in Pune. He has a brother, Faisal, and his younger sister, Farhat, studied applied arts and graphic design and lives in Mumbai. In fact, the logo of Paani Foundation (a not-for-profit company started by Aamir and Kiran) was designed by her.

54-talaash

Aamir is a very sensitive and mature person who has the patience of a saint; no matter how long, he will get there. He feels people’s pain and is very conscious of his responsibilities. He is an acutely aware person and it is very easy for him to live in the stratosphere of success, but he doesn’t live in a bubble. Also, I’m not in that world of glamour. I lead a normal, middle-class life and so being carried away by all that showbiz isn’t me, and that is where we connect. Aamir and I connect on that, like regular people, with our concerns and our relationship with the world. We watch very few films together, but we chat about the kind of work we are doing.

Aamir has a large wardrobe, but he loves wearing old tees with holes in them that must be more than a decade old. He loves the feel of old, soft clothes though you will find him in his half-track pants and an old, worn-out tee all the time. Because his body has changed so much over the years, his wardrobe has changed, too, but he has still retained his oversized jeans. When we go shopping he will try a size 30 and a size 32 as well as a size 34, he has to try them all. He also makes me try on tonnes of clothes. I don’t know his favourite colour, but he wears white a lot.

As told to Rachna Tyagi

This browser settings will not support to add bookmarks programmatically. Please press Ctrl+D or change settings to bookmark this page.

Related Reading