Aamir Plays an Old, Overweight Man in Dangal. Brave or Suicidal?

At a Time His Contemporaries Are Romancing Heroines Half Their Age, Aamir Dares to Play an Old, Overweight Man in Dangal. Brave or Suicidal?

- Suhani Singh

It took Salman Khan less than nine months to finish Sultan, a film about a wrestler-turned-mixed martial artist. Aamir Khan, 51, spent five months just to lose 30 kg—at his heaviest, he was 97 kg—to play the younger, leaner avatar of Mahavir Phogat, wrestler turned-coach to his two daughters, Commonwealth champions Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari, in Dangal. This is what makes Aamir a ‘perfectionist’ and distinguishes him from his contemporaries.

Returning after a two-year absence, audiences will see Aamir in four get-ups, one of which is as an overweight, grey-haired forty something. This is when the label of risk-taker is added to that of the perfectionist. In a career spanning 28 years, Aamir is one of the rare superstars known for his proclivity for both mainstream and independent films. He can be a gymnast-biker in Dhoom 3 as well as a reclusive artist in Dhobi Ghat. He will dare to produce a period epic by a then unsuccessful director (Lagaan) and also bankroll a comedy (Delhi Belly) laced with expletives. India today visited the sets of Dangal, the eighth film under his banner. The actor, producer and director reflected on his choices, his craft and the journey so far.