When
Aamir
Khan
stepped
into
the
limelight
with
Qayamat
Se
Qayamat
Tak,
everybody
hailed
him
as
the
chocolate
face
heartthrob
challenging
the
monopoly
of
gun-toting
action
heroes
dominating
the
scene
in
the
late
1980s.
What
they
really
underestimated
is
an
intelligent
actor
and
his
desire
to
evolve
into
a
better
version
of
his
art
as
he
went
on
to
shatter
myths,
set
new
standards
and
popularise
the
concept
of
one
film
at
a
time.
Early
on
in
his
career,
Aamir
understood
the
importance
of
keeping
the
audience
excited
and,
promptly,
broke
out
of
his
QSQT
cutie
image
that
had
lured
him
into
signing
a
spate
of
run-of-the-mill
romances.
Through
his
slow
and
steady
approach,
he
spread
his
wings
across
different
genres
—
comedy,
drama
and
action
while
establishing
himself
as
a
straightforward
movie
star
whose
value
was
determined
by
his
sensibilities
not
stardom.
And
the
maturity
these
consciously
cultivated
thoughts
gave
rise
to
is
what
makes
Aamir
so
genuine
on
celluloid.
He’s
played
a
cop,
a
conman,
a
farmer,
an
alien,
a
tapori,
a
wrestler,
a
student,
a
school
teacher,
a
singer,
a
snake
charmer,
a
dog,
among
many
other
things…
He’s
grown
six
packs,
shaved
his
head,
waxed
his
legs
and
stayed
in
character
for
months
and
months.
And
even
when
he
falters,
he’s
probably
only
guilty
of
trying
too
hard.
The
actor
we
first
caught
a
glimpse
of
as
a
kid
sporting
a
bow
tie
crooning
Yaadon
Ki
Baarat
in
his
uncle
Nasir
Hussain’s
lost
and
found
drama
is
all
of
60
on
March
14.
Of
these
six
decades
of
his
life,
most
of
them
have
gone
into
the
movie
business.
Sukanya
Verma
celebrates
the
icon
and
his
imagery
in
23
super
special
Aamir
Khan
frames
etched
in
her
head.
Qayamat
Se
Qayamat
Tak
Director
of
Photography:
Kiran
Deohans
A
meet
cute
that
foreshadows
the
fate
of
star-crossed
lovers
and
yet,
Juhi
Chawla
is
only
too
happy
to
have
Aamir
Khan
photobomb
her
sunset
clicks
even
as
he
jokes
how
some
believe
photographs
of
people
against
‘doobta
suraj‘
can
result
in
dying
young.
Tragically,
Mansoor
Khan’s
desi
Romeo
and
Juliet
upholds
this
nasty
superstition.
Jo
Jeeta
Wohi
Sikandar
Director
of
Photography:
Najeeb
Khan
Many
folks
have
sang
poetic
odes
to
their
first
love
before
and
after
Pehla
Nasha,
but
none
can
beat
the
sight
of
a
smitten
Aamir
dancing
to
the
baap
of
’90s
love
songs
in
a
striking
red
sweatshirt
against
the
scenic
Nilgiris.
Lagaan
Director
of
Photography:
Anil
Mehta
Set
in
British
India,
Aamir’s
Oscar-nominated
effort
is
an
underdog
sports
story
desiS
root
for
and
relate
to
deeply.
Like
I
mentioned
in
my
Lagaan
specific
frames
feature,
I
love
the
strong
feeling
of
solidarity
this
image
conveys
—
simple
yet
effective.
All
the
grandeur
in
Lagaan
comes
from
the
‘can
do’
spirit
of
its
protagonists.
Dil
Chahta
Hai
Director
of
Photography:
Ravi
K
Chandran
The
essence
of
Aamir
Khan’s
character
in
Dil
Chahta
Hai
can
be
found
in
this
picture.
What
you
see
isn’t
always
what
you
get.
Trick?
Or
treat?
That’s
Akash
for
you.
Raakh
Director
of
Photography:
Santosh
Sivan
Aditya
Bhattacharya’s
Raakh,
which
earned
a
Special
Jury
mention
for
Aamir,
wasn’t
designed
for
mainstream
attention.
But
the
revenge
drama’s
abstract
dystopia
and
experimental
frames,
especially
this
Taxi
Driver
inspired
version
of
the
scrawny,
anti-establishment
hero
practising
his
aim,
is
staggeringly
raw.
Rangeela
Director
of
Photography:
W
B
Rao
As
Rangeela‘s
loveable
tapori,
Munna’s
supremely
high
opinion
of
himself
may
borderline
on
delusional
but
this
swaggering
disdain
for
pretensions
and
taking
pride
in
being
one’s
own
master
is
exactly
what
makes
him
such
a
hit
in
the
first
place.
Rang
De
Basanti
Director
of
Photography:
Binod
Pradhan
It’s
not
just
the
contrasts
but
the
transition
summed
up
in
Aamir’s
journey
from
a
devil-may-care
drifter
whiling
his
time
in
college
to
a
rebel
discovering
his
voice
while
role
playing
freedom
fighter
Chandrashekhar
Azad
that
made
me
pick
this
telling
frame
of
Rakeysh
Omprakash
Mehra’s
sharp
political
commentary.
PK
Director
of
Photography:
C
K
Muraleedharan
What
they
say
when
they
mean
a
picture
is
worth
a
thousand
words.
Also,
who
better
than
a
dedicatedly
over-the-top
Aamir
to
convey
PK‘s
witty
logic
against
the
monopolisers
of
religion?
Andaz
Apna
Apna
Director
of
Photography:
Ishwar
Bidri
Aamir
is
a
hoot
as
Amar.
Whether
gobbling
kali
mirch
ke
ladoo
or
discovering
Raveena
is
Karishma
—
his
many,
many,
many
hilarious
expressions
in
this
cult
comedy
are
a
work
of
art
that
deserve
nothing
less
than
an
Andy
Warhol
brand
of
tribute.
Sarfarosh
Director
of
Photography:
Vikas
Sivaraman
How
good
is
Aamir’s
no-no-nonsense
cop
in
the
no-no-nonsense
Sarfarosh?
As
ACP
Rathore,
his
eyes
are
always
focused
on
his
work.
Even
when
he’s
seemingly
on
a
date
or
innocuously
trying
out
a
pair
of
sunglasses
in
a
crowded
bazaar,
his
CCTV
gaze
wastes
no
second
in
catching
the
culprit.
Ghajini
Director
of
Photography:
Ravi
K
Chandran
Though
Christopher
Nolan’s
Memento
is
Ghajini‘s
(and
its
Tamil
original)
source
of
blatant
inspiration,
it
sure
is
fun
to
watch
a
genial
Aamir
transform
into
this
brawny
beast
sporting
tattoos
all
over
in
search
of
its
titular
antagonist.
Dhobi
Ghat
Director
of
Photography:
Tushar
Kanti
Ray
The
artist.
The
city.
A
simple,
sublime
shot
that
accurately
captures
the
tone
of
Kiran
Rao’s
directorial
debut
and
Aamir
smoothly
slipping
into
that
vision.
Dangal
Director
of
Photography:
Setu
In
recent
years,
Aamir’s
extreme
physical
transformation
has
become
the
talking
point
of
his
movies.
For
Dangal
too,
he
put
on
tons
of
weight
to
look
like
a
Haryanvi
wrestler
and
father
of
teenage
daughters.
But
it’s
the
proud,
protective
daddy
feeling
in
this
quietly
warm
scene
that
underscores
the
emotionality
of
his
portrayal.
Talaash
Director
of
Photography:
K
U
Mohanan
Unable
to
sleep,
a
father
fidgets
with
his
dead
young
son’s
Star
Wars
toy.
There’s
something
so
sad,
pensive
and
striking
about
this
hopeless
image
and
Aamir’s
distant
personality
as
a
result
of
it.
Talaash
is
a
treasure
trove
of
such
hauntingly
poetic
visuals.
Dil
Hai
Ki
Manta
Nahi
Director
of
Photography:
Pravin
Bhatt
That
hugely
popular
‘Captain’
cap.
Aamir’s
sassy
zingers.
And
cute
as
a
button
Pooja
Bhatt.
The
1990s
rom-com
doesn’t
win
any
points
for
originality
and
we
will
gladly
live
with
this
loss
for
life.
Taare
Zameen
Par
Director
of
Photography:
Setu
Teacher
of
the
Year.
Aamir
is
quite
affable
as
the
art
teacher
willing
to
bend
over
backwards
and
use
playful
techniques
as
long
as
it
gets
his
students
to
open
up
and
discover
their
full
potential.
Akele
Hum
Akele
Tum
Director
of
Photography:
Baba
Azmi
A
father-son
jodi
watching
their
favourite
lady’s
first
movie
from
the
sidelines
of
a
projection
room
is
one
more
scene
among
many
in
the
Kramer
Vs
Kramer
ripped-off
weepie
that
you’ll
find
yourself
tearing
up
to.
3
Idiots
Director
of
Photography:
C
K
Muraleedharan
Only
Aamir
can
look
so
believably
close
to
the
man
he
offends
the
most
—
Boman
Irani,
as
the
engineering
college
principal
he’s
constantly
at
odds
and
still
claim
to
be
besotted
by
his
daughter.
All
Iz
Well,
indeed.
1947:
Earth
Director
of
Photography:
Giles
Nuttgens
Aamir
treads
on
darkness
that’s
stemmed
from
provocations
of
post-Partition
violence
while
maintaining
a
facade
of
civility
in
a
performance
that’s
both
admirable
and
unsettling.
And
this
is
the
moment
it
all
changes.
Ghulam
Director
of
Photography:
Teja
Aamir’s
clunky
rings
and
Khandala
endorsements
aren’t
the
only
highlights
of
this
unofficial
On
The
Waterfront
remake.
The
deadly
railway
track
stunt
he
performed,
sprinting
before
a
moving
train
as
part
of
a
dare,
is
yet
another
example
of
his
method
actor
madness.
Baazi
Director
of
Photography:
Teja
But
we
are
totally
down
with
Mr
Perfectionist
shaving
off
his
arms
and
legs
to
play
a
curly-haired
cabaret
bombshell
Miss
Julie
Braganza
as
part
of
his
undercover
cop
shtick
in
Baazi.
Dhoom
3
Director
of
Photography:
Sudeep
Chatterjee
Aamir
playing
a
game
of
spot-the-differences
is
exactly
what
the
con-friendly
franchise
is
all
about.
Yaadon
Ki
Baaraat
Director
of
Photography:
Munir
Khan
Birthday
boy
Aamir
Khan’s
journey
started
with
a
birthday
party
in
Yaadon
Ki
Baaraat
with
a
knee
high
boy,
pitching
in
as
the
youngest
of
the
three
brothers
who
then
grows
up
to
become
his
cousin
Tariq.
Yaadon
Ki
Baaraat
was
a
blockbuster
and
though
he
had
only
a
tiny
part
to
play,
Aamir’s
twinkling
eyes
and
smile
seem
to
know
what’s
in
store
in
future.
