Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, at an event, spoke about how once he decided to quit acting as he felt he hadn’t spent much time with his family and wanted to make up for the lost time. But his family convinced him to reconsider.
Aamir’s lost time with the films
Appearing at the ABP Ideas of India event in Mumbai, actor Aamir Khan talked about the thoughtful mood that he has been in for the last couple of years. The 57-year-old said that like everybody else, he has lost a lot, but has also gained a lot during the pandemic. Last year, Aamir got separated from his wife Kiran Rao, to whom he’d been married since 2005. During the session, he realized that he felt so bad about not being there for his kids and his family for so many years, he decided to quit the film industry to make up for the lost time.
“I feel like I’d spent my life pursuing my dreams and trying to achieve them. But during this voyage, I didn’t pay attention to my loved ones. My parents, my siblings, my children, my first wife Reena, my second wife Kiran, their parents… Perhaps I couldn’t dedicate enough time to them. My daughter is now 23. I am sure she must have missed my presence in her life when she was younger. She will have had her anxieties, worries, dreams, and hopes. I wasn’t there for her, I know this now. I didn’t know her dreams and fears and hopes, but I knew only the fears and dreams and hopes of my directors.”
Life after separation
In this event, the Lagaan actor didn’t just speak about his relationship with his children, but also his new equation with ex-wife Kiran Rao.
Asked why they decided to split up if they loved each other, Aamir said, “We would like to respect the establishment of marriage, and not be in a marriage and not respect the boundaries of what people consider are the boundaries of a marriage.”
Giving more details about the life after separation, he said that Kiran lives on the floor above his and that because they live so close to each other, their son Azad didn’t experience any sort of change in his life. They did, however, try to explain to him what marriage and divorce entails.
Aamir quitting Bollywood?
Speaking about the time he chose to quit, he said, “I don’t know what my children want, and that’s a big problem. When I learned my mistake, I got very angry with myself and even at the cinema. I thought cinema created the difference between me and my family. So, I had quit acting. I have told my family that I won’t do any more films. Neither I will act nor will produce.”
When he chose to announce his retirement, Aamir became hesitant as he thought it would be regarded as a PR stunt by his fans since it was ahead of his upcoming release ‘Laal Singh Chadha’.
“I thought to announce my retirement, but then I thought that people would consider it as a marketing gimmick for Laal Singh Chaddha, so I decided to say silent. My films take a gap of 3-4 years, so after Laal Singh Chaddha, no one will be bothered for the next 3-4 years, and I can quietly take a backseat,” he revealed.
After comprehending the decision, his ex-wife Kiran Rao, kids Ira, and Azad persuaded him to re-think this rambling decision.
Speaking about their advice, he said, “My kids and Kiran Ji advised me that I am wrong. My kids said that I’m an extreme person, and it’s better if I find a balance between personal and professional life. Kiran helped me a lot in this stage. She started crying after hearing my decision. Kiran told me that I have a fondness for cinema, and she cannot imagine me without cinema. So, she was not in the favor of my decision.”
Meanwhile, Aamir is gearing up for his upcoming film ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’. The film also features Kareena Kapoor Khan, Mona Singh, and Naga Chaitanya in prominent roles. After several delays because of the pandemic, Laal Singh Chaddha, a remake of the Hollywood hit Forrest Gump, is scheduled to be released in theatres on August 11.
