Aamir Khan says Raju Hirani brainwashed him to act in 3 Idiots!

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AAMIR KHAN tells JYOTHI VENKATESH on the eve of the release of his latest film ‘3 Idiots’ that Faisal Khan is his only brother contrary claims by others…

What was your reaction when you were offered the role of a young collegian in ‘3 Idiots’?

When Raju Hirani came to me to offer me the role Rancho in ‘3 Idiots’, to tell you the truth, I was scared and petrified to take it up. I instantly told both Raju and Vidhu Vinod Chopra that it was a dangerous decision on their part to have thought of me to play the young college boy in the film, because I was not at all sure whether I would be able to pull off as a college boy.

How were you then convinced to take up the role?

Raju brainwashed me into saying yes to the offer because he felt that I was the real life Rancho in any way and I could bring out the truth in the way the character had been conceived.

Can you elucidate?

Raju told me that I could very successfully pull off as the character of the Assistant Police Commissioner for director John Mathew Matthan in ‘Sarfarosh’, though people were very skeptical about it. Raju also told me that I could pull off as a gaon ka chora in ‘Lagaan’ and shock every one. Raju goaded me to take up the challenge and rise up to the occasion in ‘3 Idiots’ too, like I had done the role of tapori in ‘Rangeela’ after having emerged as a romantic hero with ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’. I had to work a lot physically, because the first and foremost condition laid down by Raju was that I should concentrate a lot on my looks to suit the role.

Is it true that just two days before the shooting started, you asked Raju to replace you with some other actor?

Yes. Just two days before the shooting was slated to begin, I even rang up Raju and told him that if only he wanted, he could change his decision and cast a younger actor in the role that he had marked for me, but he did not listen to me and just stuck to his gun.

How was the experience of acting in ‘3 Idiots’?

I would say that I have surprised myself a lot by challenging against the norms as far as I am concerned as an actor in ‘3 Idiots’, thanks to Raju Hirani. In real life, I do not do mimicry so well but Raju asked me to ape Boman Irani for the song ‘Zoobi Doobi’ by studying Boman’s body language. To what extent I have succeeded in mimicking him, you have to tell me after you watch ‘3 Idiots’.

How confident are you of your capability in ‘3 Idiots’?

I did the role of a sensitive professor in ‘Taare Zameen Par’. Then I played a killer in ‘Ghajini’ and now I am playing the role of a college student in ‘3 Idiots’. I hope that I have been able to pull it off too and end up having an encore.

How tough was it for you to market ‘3 Idiots’?

I am of the opinion that every film has its own requirement of marketing. The way I set out to market ‘Taare Zameen Par’ was entirely different from the way I marketed ‘Ghajini’. ‘3 Idiots’ required a different kind of strategy as far as its marketing was concerned.

How would you rate Kareena Kapoor as your co-actor?

Kareena is a wonderful actress. I would unhesitatingly even go to the extent of saying that she is not only very good to look at, but also warm and friendly and spontaneous and fun to work with. Though I had earlier worked with Karisma Kapoor in ‘Raja Hindustani’, I think after working with her in ‘3 Idiots’ I am a li’l pallier with Kareena. In fact, though I was busy with the promotional activities of my own film ‘3 Idiots’, I keenly looked forward to watch ‘Kurbaan’ because I wanted her and Saif to do well, both personally as well as professionally.

How did you achieve the feat of shedding your eight-pack abs for your role in ‘3 Idiots’ after having built your body for ‘Ghajini’?

When I do a film, I go by its requirement. In fact, I wondered how I could succeed in making a body with eight-pack abs like in ‘Ghajini’, in a span of just one year but I transformed myself, thanks to my will power. We have absolutely no idea of human brain. I feel that if you focus your energy at one point, you can succeed in doing whatever you want to do.

Your brother Hyder Ali Khan’s film ‘Trump Card’ is clashing with your film ‘3 Idiots’ on Christmas Day. What do you have to say?

Any one can claim that he is my brother, but the fact is that Faisal Khan is my only brother. I do not have any other brother.

-Sampurn Media