The Hindu : New Delhi News : I get attracted to unusual stuff: Aamir

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I get attracted to unusual stuff: Aamir

Sunny Sebastian

Aamir Khan

JAIPUR: He may be increasingly feeling tempted to carry out experimentation with his film scripts and storyline but actor-producer Aamir Khan wants to reach out to the maximum number of people through his movies. Even an unusual story can be told in an interesting manner to the taste of the multitudes, he believes.

Perhaps Aamir Khan has done just that with his latest venture, “Taare Zameen Par”, narrating the story of a child afflicted with learning disabilities, and getting accolades from the critics and the masses alike. According to trade circles, the film within a month of its release has broken the record of his earlier hit “Rang De Basanti” and is poised to be the biggest hit of 2008.

“I get attracted to unusual stuff. I have got a kind of weird taste when it comes to themes,” said the versatile Khan, who brought new dimensions to the Hindi film industry (he dislikes the word Bollywood), during a “conversation” with Shoma Choudhary on the penultimate day of the weeklong Literature Festival here on Saturday.

“An unusual story can be told in an interesting manner,” he said, obviously emboldened by the success of his latest experiment. “For me, filmmaking is story-telling,” he asserted.

“I want to reach out to a large number of people through my films. I want the whole country to watch ‘Taare Zameen Par’,” he said, adding that he was a sentimental person.

“Cinema is a mass medium. I have done films which I am ashamed of,” the vibrant actor said talking about his making over the past 18 years. “It had been a process for me all these years. I have been working with my imagination and common sense,” he said refusing to accept that the hugely successful “Lagaan” was any turning point in his career.

Aamir fans, along with parents and children from families with disabilities, thronged Diggi Palace, the venue of the Festival, to have a look at the star that brought “taare” (stars) from the sky, in a convincing manner. But Aamir himself was disappointed as he had come all the way to Jaipur to meet the famous writer Gore Vidal who did not turn up finally.

“Till the last minute the organisers kept me in the dark about Gore Vidal’s absence,” he said rather jokingly.

The actor did not hide his misgivings on the media, especially the electronic media. “Switch on the television sets and you will know what I am talking about. The TV news channels should call themselves entertainment channels,” he said rather cryptically.

He did not hide his disappointment with taking up causes in the past such as that of Narmada dam displacement victims and Gujarat riot-affected and getting his fingers burnt in the process.

“My experience was mixed…I am not sure but still I feel it was important for me to take a bold stand. If more people had stood by me then that would have made a difference,” he said.

“If there are many of us willing to stand up against injustice the oppressors would not be able to break us,” he added.

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