Be it as a child artist in Yaadon Ki Baraat or the sepoy champion in Mangal Pandey, be it the lover boy of Rangeela or the macho man of Ghajini, be it the twinkle-eyed, mischief-monger of Raja Hindustani or the zealous, fiery-spirited youngster of Rang De Basanti, Aamir Khan is without doubt an acting-god of Indian cinema. Two decades of filmdom, a remarkable filmograph, and tonnes of dare-devil attitude, Aamir is indeed a phenomenon in celluloid space.
The actor, who is celebrating his 44th birthday today (March 14th), hit screens with no greater qualification than his chocolate-boy looks. When Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak released, no one ever imagined that this lover boy would rise to the level of the next superstar of Bollywood. Though his early years were chequered with many hits and flops, he grew up steadily in box office ratings and emerged as a demi-god on the Indian screens. Hit films like Dil, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin, Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikandar, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke and Rangeela perched him high in the hearts of fans. However, it was the lover-boy of Raja Hindustani who made it to the award nights. Aamir won Filmfare for Best Actor for his performance in Raja Hindustani.
After a short series of misses, the actor came back with a bang on the silver screen with his Lagaan. Lagaan was a turning point in Indian cinema and was nominated for the Oscars in the Best Foreign Language Film category in 2001.
Meanwhile, the actor divulged from acting and ventured into production space. This transition from acting to filmmaking proved extremely successful. Accolades and awards followed with Rang De Basanti, a benchmark film in Indian cinema. Taare Zameen Par, a distinct, close-to-the-heart film on child-care, captivated the hearts of parents, children and teachers alike. And what more, the actor topped it all with his scintillating performance in the recent Ghajini, the Hindi remake of a Tamil film of the same title. Right now, the actor has three films in his kitty. Delhi Belly and Three Idiots being the much-anticipated films of this year.
With all this work and much more to come, Aamir Khan has become a genre in himself. An avid risk-taker, he goes for the unexplored and non-commercial when others are just contented with navigating through conventional space. As he rightly says, he is not a “typecasted actor”.
Galatta.com wishes Aamir Khan all success and happiness on his birthday! May the actor scale more heights in the world of cinema.
Today being Aamir Khan's birthday, Galatta.com will bring you exclusive features on the actor throughout the day. Keep tuned to Galatta.com for more on powerhouse-performer Aamir.