Aamir Khan has revealed that he secretly quit his stellar career for a period during the Covid pandemic, in order to spend more time with his loved ones.
The Bollywood superstar, known for some of India’s most popular films including Lagaan and 3 Idiots, told BBC News that he said to his family: “I’m done with acting and films.”
He explained “I [didn’t] want to produce or direct or act. I just wanted to be with the family.”
However, Khan added that nobody outside his family really noticed because of the major hiatus in the movie industry caused by the global pandemic – “no-one knew about it” – before his children persuaded him to go back to work.
“They were like, ‘But we can’t spend 24 hours with you. So get real and get a life.’ So they gently nudged me back into the films.”
Khan’s latest film is Laapataa Ladies (‘Lost Ladies‘), India’s official selection for Oscar consideration in the best international feature film category. If it triumphs, it will be the first Indian title to win this award.
Laapataa Ladies tells the story of a young man bringing the wrong bride home. Meanwhile, his wife ends up lost, having to fend for herself. The BBC describes it as “a satire looking at the treatment of women, including touching on the sensitive topic of domestic violence.”
Khan’s ex-wife Kiran Rao directed the film. The pair separated in 2021 after 16 years of marriage, but Khan told the BBC he was determined Rao would helm the project:
“I think the reason I chose Kiran was because I knew that she would be very honest with it and that’s what I wanted.”
