Aamir Khan has always often called Bollywood’s ‘Mr Perfectionist’, has built a reputation for being deeply involved in every aspect of filmmaking. Over the years, this has also led to rumours that the actor secretly directs many of the films he stars in. However, Aamir has now firmly dismissed these claims in his trademark candid style.Speaking at the Screen Academy, the actor said he has officially directed only one movie in his decades-long career. Aamir said the credit for his successful films belongs to the directors, writers, and technicians who shaped them.
From ‘One-Film Wonder’ to careful script selection of Aamir Khan
Aamir also looked back at the beginning of his career. After the blockbuster success of ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’, he signed several films at once. Many of them failed at the box office, and he was briefly tagged as a “one-film wonder.” That period changed his approach to work. He began choosing scripts more carefully and decided to focus on one project at a time, a move that eventually transformed his career.
Aamir Khan says he has directed only one film
Addressing the speculation directly, Aamir said, “First you have to realise that in all the films I have done in these 38 years, I have directed only one film — ‘Taare Zameen Par’. All the other films are not directed by me, no matter how much y’all have been fed by the media.” He further added, “The media has constantly claimed that I ghost-direct films. My point is why will I do that? If I am doing a great job, why on earth will I put someone else’s name? Pagal kutte ne kata hai mujhe? What nonsense? It has been my privilege to work with directors who are extremely talented and from whom I have learnt so much.”
Every film has a different director’s vision
Aamir said the variety in his filmography itself proves that he does not direct every project. He cited ‘Lagaan’, ‘Rang De Basanti’, ‘Sarfarosh’, and ‘3 Idiots’ as examples. “If I was directing all my films, then each one of them would have looked the same. They would carry the same spirit and energy, but they don’t. Lagaan is completely different from Rang De Basanti, which is different from Sarfarosh and 3 Idiots. Each director brought their own vision and personality into the film.” He added, “People credit me for the direction and scripts when I have done none of that. I did not write Talaash, Rang De Basanti or Taare Zameen Par. I simply heard these stories, connected with them and wanted to be a part of them.”
Aamir Khan says filmmaking is very difficult
Aamir emphasized that filmmaking is a collective process. “As a member of the team, I have contributed just like the 20 others working on the film. I am one of the people involved in the process.” He also said, “All of us want our films to reach the maximum number of people. Nobody plans to make a film for a limited audience. Some people are simply better at understanding audiences than others. Filmmaking is very difficult, and very few people consistently deliver successful films.”Concluding his thoughts, he added, “I have been fortunate. I am not being modest — I do believe I have certain abilities. But filmmaking is complicated because so many things are beyond your control. You have to accept that and enjoy the process. That unpredictability is part of the charm. Sometimes, too much control is not good for you.”Aamir was last seen in ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ which received good reviews.
