EXCLUSIVE: Aamir Khan Reveals It Was Shabana Azmi Who Pushed Him Into Acting!
Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan recently sat down for an exclusive chat with Instant Bollywood and shared a heartwarming story about how legendary actress Shabana Azmi played a crucial role in encouraging him when he was just starting out.
EXCLUSIVE: When Shabana Azmi Discovered Aamir Khan After His Acting In Short Film Paranoia
Aamir admitted that before entering films, he was extremely shy. “I’ve changed a lot since I started acting. Before that, I was just an assistant and really shy—I didn’t talk much and kept to myself. But after getting into films and interacting with so many people, I’ve opened up quite a bit. Back then, I was definitely more reserved.”
Aamir recalled working on a student short film called Paranoia, directed by his friend Aditya Bhattacharya. “It was a silent film with no dialogues, depicting the life of a 15 or 16-year-old boy experiencing violence and love for the first time. It was more of a slice-of-life rather than a structured story.”
When Shabana Azmi watched the film, she was impressed. “I didn’t really get the film, but who is this boy? He’s a really good actor!” she had said. Aamir, who was in the theatre, felt thrilled at her words.
When Shabana Azmi First Met Aamir Khan
Shabana wanted to meet the actor in the film, and when Aamir stood up, she asked where he was from. “I replied, ‘I’m from Mumbai.’ Then Aditya’s mom, Rinki Aunty, mentioned, ‘He is Tahir Sahab’s son.’”
At that time, Shabana was working with Aamir’s father, Tahir Hussain, who was producing Khoon Ki Pukaar. “She said, ‘You’re Tahir Sahab’s son? I must tell him—you are a very good actor!’”
However, Aamir immediately stopped her. “No ma’am, you can’t. Because he doesn’t know I did this film secretly. My family was really against me getting into films.”
Aamir explained that his father, a well-known figure in the industry, had a strict and fiery temper. “Shabana Ji knew that my father was very famous in the industry and had a really bad temper; he would scold anyone, no matter if they were a superstar or not. So I told her, ‘Don’t tell him, you know he’ll get upset with me.’”
EXCLUSIVE: Aamir Khan Reveals It Was Shabana Azmi Who Pushed Him Into Acting!
Looking back, Aamir said Shabana’s words meant the world to him. “The first time Shabana ma’am pushed me, it really gave me a lot of encouragement. I wasn’t even a successful actor yet, and Shabana ma’am was considered the number one actress. She was an amazing actress, and I was a huge fan of hers. So, when she watched my film and praised it, I was really encouraged. Suddenly, I felt like, hey, maybe I have something in me.”
And as we all know, Aamir went on to become one of Bollywood’s biggest stars. But it’s stories like these that remind us how small moments of encouragement can make a big difference in someone’s journey!
(Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: “Luck Matters Along With Hard-work & Talent” – Aamir Khan On Acting)
