Mansoor Khan Has A Piece Of Advice For Aamir Khan: 'He Should Focus On Character More Than...'
Mansoor Khan, once renowned for classics like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, famously quit filmmaking after Josh to move to Coonoor and start a cheese farm.
Mansoor Khan, once renowned for classics like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, famously quit filmmaking after Josh to move to Coonoor and start a cheese farm. Living an offbeat life, Mansoor stepped out of his natural habitat last month to attend the Red Lorry Film Festival in Mumbai, where he interacted with the media.
Aamir Khan’s cousin, Mansoor recently addressed questions about returning to direction and also evaluated Aamir’s career.
On Returning to Direction
Dismissing the idea of making a comeback, Mansoor said, "No. I’m a storyteller. I like telling stories, but I hate direction. It’s too tedious and stressful. Aamir gave the audience here the wrong impression that I was a cinema lover. I was not, yaar. I’m ashamed to say I haven’t seen 99.99% of films ever made. But I have a flair for writing stories, and I also think I’m pretty good at it. The medium is not important—whether it’s documentaries, stage, or lectures—it’s the content I’m into."
However, he admitted that he might return to direct just one project:"I also thought of being a supervising director and letting someone else direct. But then I realized that the feeling, depth, nuances, and thought of this book—I don’t think anybody else can convey it as a director. And I’m not saying they’re any lesser, but it’s 20 years of soaking in."
On Aamir Khan’s Longevity in Bollywood
Speaking about Aamir Khan’s sustained success, Mansoor noted, "He has stayed relevant because he has done different types of films—like Taare Zameen Par, Dangal, and Secret Superstar. I’m not even talking about my films because they were about interpersonal relationships and didn’t address issues like dyslexia or girl empowerment. Aamir has been redefining himself. He believes the script is king, and he’ll do anything to render his character well. He bulked up for Ghajini, slimmed down for 3 Idiots, then gained weight for Dangal. My only concern is that he should not put his love for his character above the judgment of the script."
On Aamir’s Performance in Laal Singh Chaddha
Mansoor openly critiqued Aamir’s acting choices in the film, saying, "I’d say he pitched the elder performance totally wrong (laughs). Did he say younger? Means he hasn’t gotten it yet! I saw the first trial and I told Aamir, ‘What are you doing!’ Aamir has this format where he calls close people for a screening and asks what we think. Unfortunately, he always picks me first. I said, ‘You’ve overdone the mannerisms. You don’t need it.’ Unfortunately, it’s too close to his mannerisms in PK. Aamir has recognized that. Most people have success parties after a release—Aamir had a failure party!"
He further revealed, "He admitted that he was solely responsible. Honestly, I feel the screenplay was very well adapted from Forrest Gump. I asked him, ‘Who suggested these mannerisms? Was it Advait (Chandan, director)?’ Because if I were directing, I would have never let him do it. He said, ‘No, it wasn’t Advait’s idea.’ That’s the single thing that took away the flavor of the film. Every scene felt different because of that choice."
Top Headlines
