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Secret Superstar goes 10 steps further than Dangal: Aamir Khan

WHILE DESCRIBING AAMIR Khan's method of acting, his wife Kiran Rao compared him to a dog with a bone. "Once he gets a good script, he is like a dog with the bone. He will wrestle with it, enjoy it and sink his teeth in a real way." She was letting us in on his ability to get completely absorbed and consumed by something when he is passionate about it. "When he is interested in something then everything else becomes the soft focus. The key is to get his interest. The critical piece of the puzzle is the script that will grab his whole imagination and attention. Once that's there, then everything else fades into the background. That's the way he works. His personal life, friends, and family have to fight for his time and attention. It is difficult to get in touch with him after that," added Kiran while talking to media in Dubai during the trailer launch of Secret Superstar. Directed by Aamir and Kiran's former manager and assistant, Advait Chandan, Secret Superstar chronicles the life of a 14-year-old girl from a small town in India who wants to become a singer but she has a strict father who is against her dreams and ambition.
Aamir, who is  one of  India's biggest superstars today, did a screen test to check if he suits the character. "I did do a screen test because I wanted to make sure that I got the mood of the film and my character. I wanted to see if I am able to pull it off. Advait was confident but both Kiran and I were not confident. When we did the screen test, we realised that it's working."
Aamir is not playing a central part in the movie so did he have any reservations about it because the story is told from a young girl's perspective? He said that he had no issues letting Zaira play the central character. "The fact that the story is told from a 14-year-old's perspective is the strength of the film. Usually, films are not made from a teenage girl's point of view. I am comparing the movie to Dangal because Dangal is also about female power, but in Dangal, you have a strong male character who is actually leading the whole thing. I am the protagonist of the film. It is through my character's support that the girls seek what they want. He is the driving force. While it is about female characters, there is a male character that is the driving force. Secret Superstar goes 10 steps further because it is a girl's story and she is driving it. I had no hassles in allowing the lead character to bloom."
This film is Advait Chandan's directorial debut. "I got this idea while I was working on Satyamev Jayate with Aamir. I was his manager for about four-and-a-half years. That's when I met some really interesting people. That's when I decided to make this film about a 14-year-old girl from a small town and how the Internet empowers her to follow her dreams," said Advait. Secret Superstar releases on October 19 in the UAE.

Zaira is the best actress we have in the industry today: Aamir Khan
Dangal girl Zaira Wasim has already won a National Award for the brilliant portrayal of her character in the Nitish Tiwari film. Playing a lead character in an Aamir Khan film speaks volumes about her brilliance and her artistry. "Zaira, in my opinion, is the best actress in the industry that we have today. She is very gifted and somehow she nails every scene. It is something that comes from within. When I look at her perform, I wish I were like her. It's a real pleasure to work with her. She is honest about what she is doing and is very much in the moment," said Aamir while describing his co-star.
Whereas Advait regrets the fact that Zaira was first seen in Dangal and not his movie. "I didn't discover her, unfortunately. I wish I could take the credit. Aamir one day called me up and said that they met a girl for Dangal and I should go and meet her. Within one meeting, I knew that she is perfect for the film. I kept trying to convince Aamir and Nitish Tiwari to not cast her for Dangal."
"Actually, Advait's film got delayed because of Dangal. He had to wait for the shooting of Dangal to get over before he could start this movie," added Aamir.
 
On playing an obnoxious, over-the-top character
Aamir: I have gone over the top with the character. In the sense that he is an over-the-top character, so I had to play him like that. Sometimes when you meet people in life, they almost come across like a caricature of themselves. It is very difficult to figure out what is real and what is drama in their lives. This character is full of himself, very mean, arrogant, and rude. He is politically incorrect most of the time. He is someone who is not bothered about what others have to say. Even when he asks you a question, he is not interested in listening to your answers. He will cut you in between. He doesn't care about other's opinions or feelings; he only cares about himself. I really had a ball playing this character. I have been brought up by my parents to be a well-behaved person and speak very politely. My character is rude and mean to people. I am obnoxious and I make children cry. I hit on every woman I come across. So this character is something which is quite alien to me in real life. So I got to do all the things that I normally don't get to do.

Trivia on Aamir Khan

Did you know that Aamir gives new directors a screen test
Aamir uses the tools of cinema to test new directors who have never done a movie before. He requests them to shoot five-six scenes from the movie and edit it and show it to him. He does a screen test for the director like directors generally do a screen test for the actors. He asked Advait the same as well before agreeing to produce his directorial debut.

Did you know that Aamir's parents were against him taking up acting as a career?
Aamir: My parents were very supportive and they provided very well for us. All four of us led a very sheltered life.  But at the same time when I expressed my desire to be part of the film world, they were against it. I think the reason mainly was that they were aware of the inconsistencies and the volatile nature of this business. They wanted me to pursue something stable and standard like engineering or science.
 
arti@khaleejtimes.com