‘It
was
the
toughest
of
roles
because
he
had
to
change
quickly
behind
the
sofa
and
come
out
in
the
next
dress!’
Aamir
Khan
on
the
sets
of
Taare
Zameen
Par.
Photograph:
Kind
courtesy
Aamir
Khan
Production/Instagram
Mansoor
Khan
was
30
when
he
directed
younger
cousin
Aamir
Khan,
23,
in
his
debut
film
Qayamat
Se
Qayamat
Tak.
Even
though
Mansoor
turned
his
back
on
filmmaking
and
moved
to
a
quiet
abode
in
the
Nilgiris,
the
cousins
share
a
close
bond.
“It
was
clear
from
QSQT
that
Aamir
had
a
head
for
logistics
and
was
very
sincere.
Now
that
he
has
achieved
so
much
more,
I
feel
he
is
the
older
brother
and
I
am
the
younger,”
Mansoor
tells
Archana
Masih/Rediff.com,
sharing
personal
memories
of
the
shy
boy
who
went
became
one
of
the
biggest
names
in
Hindi
cinema
and
celebrated
his
60th
birthday
on
March
14.
‘He
was
very
shy
as
a
boy’
Director
Mansoor
Khan,
Aamir
Khan
and
Producer
Nasir
Hussain
in
deep
discussion
on
the
sets
of
Qayamat
Se
Qayamat
Tak
Photograph:
Kind
courtesy
Zayn
Khan/Instagram
I’m
seven
years
older
than
Aamir.
He
was
very
shy
as
a
boy.
If
you
ask
Aamir,
he
will
say
‘Hum
log
Mansoor
ki
dum
the‘.
[We
followed
Mansoor
like
his
tail.]
I
was
the
captain,
the
gang
leader
or
should
I
say
dictator,
telling
them,
‘Do
this,
do
that’.
They
used
to
come
to
our
bungalow
in
Pali
Hill
(Bandra,
northwest
Mumbai)
and
participate
in
all
kinds
of
projects
that
I
would
undertake,
like
digging
an
underground
tunnel,
a
swimming
pool,
making
a
robotic
hand
that
could
pick
up
anything
around
the
room,
etc,
etc.
We
have
built
a
comfortable
relationship
through
the
years
and
have
a
lovely
equation.
But
Aamir
is
closer
to
my
sister.
He
confides
in
Nuzhat
partly
because
I
am
a
very
bad
secret
keeper.
‘Aamir
didn’t
like
Josh‘
Producer
Nasir
Hussain,
Director
Mansoor
Khan,
Aamir
Khan
discuss
a
scene
on
the
sets
of
Qayamat
Se
Qayamat
Tak.
Photograph:
Kind
courtesy
Zayn
Khan/Instagram
Right
from
Qayamat
Se
Qayamat
Tak,it
was
clear
that
Aamir
had
a
head
for
logistics
and
was
very
sincere.
Since
it
was
his
first
film,
he
would
keep
quiet
and
not
give
suggestions.
He
was
in
learning
mode
and
gradually
went
on
to
get
a
better
grip.
Now
that
he
has
achieved
so
much
more,
I
feel
he
is
the
older
brother
and
I
am
the
younger.
The
roles
are
reversed
but
he
respects
my
thoughts
and
the
person
I
am,
and
I
respect
him.
I
tell
him
where
he
is
good
and
where
he
has
made
a
mistake
on
scripts.
He
is
also
very
open
with
me.
He
told
me
he
didn’t
like
Josh.
‘Aamir
is
good
at
almost
all
sports
and
is
highly
competitive’
Aamir
Khan
with
his
mother
Zeenat
Hussain
and
sisters
Nikhat
Hegde
and
Nuzhat
Khan.
Photograph:
Kind
courtesy
Nikhat
Hegde/Instagram
When
he
visited
me
in
Coonoor
for
the
first
time,
he
didn’t
have
a
clue
about
what
I
was
doing.
He
had
heard
that
I
had
bought
land,
was
tending
cows
and
making
cheese.
He
thought
I
was
sitting,
drinking
gin
and
playing
rummy
through
the
day!
I
told
him
I
was
not
wasting
time
and
doing
my
own
things
like
writing
books,
composing
music
etc.
I
think
he
understands
why
I
live
here
because
he
has
been
going
to
his
own
place
in
Panchgani
regularly.
Aamir
is
good
at
almost
all
sports
and
is
highly
competitive.
He
played
a
lot
of
badminton
with
club
members
when
he
visited
me.
The
toughest
role
he
ever
played
Imran
Khan
with
daughter
Imara,
Mansoor
Khan’s
daughter,
Zayn
Marie
Khan,
Aamir
Khan’s
children
Junaid
Khan,
Ira
Khan
and
Nikhat
Hegde’s
daughter,
Seher
Hegde.
Photograph:
Kind
courtesy
Imran
Khan/Instagram
The
whole
family
came
to
Coonoor
for
my
60th
birthday
and
surprised
me
with
a
play
upon
my
life.
All
the
family
members,
including
little
Azad
(Aamir’s
younger
son)
and
Imara
(Imran
Khan’s
daughter)
participated.
Aamir
played
the
roles
of
four
house
helps,
one
of
them
a
woman.
It
was
the
toughest
of
roles
because
he
had
to
change
quickly
behind
the
sofa
and
come
out
in
the
next
dress!
Imran
was
my
dad.
Kiran
(Rao)
my
mum.
Avantika
(Malik,
Imran’s
then
wife)
played
Tina
(Mansoor’s
wife),
Junaid
was
me
in
college.
He
bought
a
wig
because
I
used
to
have
of
thick
mop
of
hair
when
I
was
young.
I
asked
Junaid
to
leave
it
behind
because
I
need
it
now!
It
was
great
fun.
Aamir
is
very
committed
to
family
and
close
friends.
He
makes
deep
bonds
and
will
call
them
for
every
trial
or
function.
He
is
very
emotional.
I
remember
I
had
a
medical
episode
some
years
ago
and
he
started
crying
when
he
heard
about
it.
He
wanted
to
come
to
Coonoor,
but
could
not
because
of
the
pandemic.
‘He
is
a
big
reader.
He
loves
history’
Aamir
Khan
on
the
sets
of
Taare
Zameen
Par.
Photograph:
Kind
courtesy
Aamir
Khan
Production/Instagram
He
is
a
big
reader.
He
loves
history.
Unlike
me
who
has
stacks
of
books
that
I
don’t
read,
he
reads
them.
I
was
thrilled
that
he
liked
my
second
book
One:
The
Story
of
the
Ultimate
Myth.
which
is
fiction.
He
has
given
a
blurb
for
the
book.
He
rarely
does
that.
If
I
had
written
a
nonsense
book,
he
would
have
told
me
like
he
did
for
Josh!
I
narrated
the
book
to
Kiran,
Aamir,
Ira
and
her
husband.
I
was
very
tense
because
book
reading
is
different
from
a
script
narration.
He
liked
it
and
said
he
wanted
to
make
it
into
a
film.
He
has
said
that
after
July
2025,
he
will
be
concentrating
on
One.
One
will
turn
your
head
upside
down.
Aamir
just
freaked
out!
‘I
hate
shooting,
but
do
it
because
he
is
my
family’
Producer
Mansoor
Khan
(in
the
black
shirt)
instructing
Imran
(right)
on
the
sets
of
Jaane
Tu…
Ya
Jaane
Na,
a
film
directed
by
first-timer
Abbas
Tyrewala.
Photograph:
Rediff
Archives
I
was
in
Coonoor
when
he
called
me
for
Jaane
Tu…
Ya
Jaane
Na.
He
was
going
to
postpone
the
film
because
he
was
busy
with
Tare
Zameen
Par
and
then
Ghajini.
He
told
me,
either
I
postpone
this
or
you
come
here
tomorrow.
Since
I
had
given
up
directing
films,
I
was
a
supporting
director
in
Jaane
Tu…
For
Ek
Din,
Junaid’s
next
film,
I
went
to
Japan
for
the
shooting
last
year.
I
hear
scripts
and
give
feedback.
I
heard
about
seven
scripts
for
Aamir.
I
hate
shooting,
but
do
it
because
he
is
my
family.
