FILM COLUMN: AAMIR KHAN PRODUCTIONS

 

For those who have grown up in the United States or have spent significant time here -- specifically, in close proximity to Los Angeles, Hollywood, or anywhere their exposure to cinema has had a significant role in their cultural development -- they understand the power of cinema. 

 

At IFFLA, we are treated yearly to one festival that continues to bring the best and brightest Indian cinema to the forefront of public consciousness. This year’s spotlight, it could be argued, is on Aamir Khan Productions, what with Peepli [Live] and Dhobi Ghat showcased at the festival.

 

Many people acknowledge the fact that Hollywood is driven by auteur filmmakers as opposed to the studio system. One could argue that the studio system has actually stood in the way of the independent filmmaker’s voice. Others argue that the Hollywood studio system has happily grown from the talent pool of auteur filmmakers. Gleefully, the studio system has persistently and gladly fished from this talent pool of the independent scene to churn the seemingly endless supply of filmmakers to keep the studio system fresh and inventive.

 

It is an understated yet established and delicate relationship that has proved successful for many decades now -- a model that will continue to endure as long as there are aspiring filmmakers who want to tell their stories from generation to generation.

 

Yet, what can be said of the relationship between auteur filmmakers and the studio system in other countries such as India? What does it take to “buck” the system and graduate films to the mainstream international marketplace arena?

 

If we acknowledge that the current generation of Indian moviegoers is longing for something more than memorable Bollywood-style “dance sequences,” and there is, in fact, a slow moving departure from the traditional conservative execution of the Bollywood film, can we acknowledge that there is a movement leading the way?

 

Perhaps it is too early to tell; however, there is one thing for certain: actor, producer, and filmmaker Aamir Khan, whose career in Bollywood has been cemented by more than two decades of qualitative work, is taking aim in this direction.

 

Mr. Khan has the pedigree, reputation, and longevity in Indian cinema to be considered a stalwart beacon for change and the desire to match. After all, it was Mr. Khan who ventured out of the traditional Bollywood format film to do Deepa Metha’s Earth in 1998. Mr. Khan’s performance was met with critical acclaim -- a bold step for an actor whose bread and butter was Bollywood but saw an opportunity to showcase his acting in an international and controversial film, subject, and director’s work.

 

Since then, it was a deliberate journey to change the type of cinema he would do, and of course Indian audiences would benefit from the start. Lagaan was such a film, which heralded the first Oscar nomination for an Indian movie from “popular cinema” in 2001. Lagaan proved to be the first of many passionate projects of Mr. Khan, as he also produced this landmark film. If Laagan signaled the beginning of the India Diaspora film change, then Mangal Pandey and Rang de Basanti, both films about true life historical incidents, ushered forth the change which was synonymous with his own brand and ultimately a new direction of cinema under his own production banner entity.

 

Taking a cue from counterparts in Hollywood such as Christian Bale (who starved down to emaciation in The Machinist), Mr. Khan bulked up for the Memento-inspired Ghajini. This type of devotion -- not only to take up sacrifice for the demand of a role, but to be involved in all aspects of production -- is what has distanced Mr. Khan from his contemporaries in India. Beyond the idea of creating entertainment “value,” which is what Bollywood has been known for for many decades, there must be more to cinema -- history of cinema to be precise. This is where Mr. Khan has ventured gallantly! A film like Tara Zameen Par (Like Stars on Earth), Mr. Khan takes on the subject of student learning disabilities and raises the question of how we analyze and emphasize and succeed at all costs attitude in our children’s education development.

 

After Ghajini shattered box office records with thought-provoking cinema, 3 Idiots -- a quaint movie with a spiritual heart that captured audiences abroad as well as in India -- did the same shortly thereafter. The formulaic Bollywood format was broken in a film that dared to tell a plausible story coupled with song sequences that merged with a plot and even cheeky cinema techniques often seen in international movies. Not to mention a further exploration of the “succeed at all costs” mentality engrained into the youth for placing head of the class in educational pursuits.

 

So why all the buildup now? Is there a methodology in place? Perhaps! 

 

If you consider Mr. Khan’s banner, Aamir Khan Productions, as Mr. Khan’s attempt to follow the path that most successful international actors who are serious about cinema take, such as Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, and Denzel Washington, then it follows that most actors who are serious about cinema and their role in cinematic history and creating noteworthy films of record eventually go down this path. Aamir Khan is no different. While many of his contemporary Bollywood acting colleagues are looking at the inevitable pastures of “multi-star” films to cash in larger box office receipts, it would seem like Mr. Khan is doing quite the opposite.

 

In fact, it is almost as if Mr. Khan is carefully enacting his fine stage play in three acts. The first act in this play has come and gone, whereby Mr. Khan has excelled and showcased his talents purely as an actor in delivering some fine performances and honed his craft to be celebrated as one of the outstanding Artistes of Indian cinema. We may be entering Act II: Aamir Khan Productions. This act sees a very different Aamir Khan -- one who still acts but now sits in the script-approval chair, followed by the Producer’s chair. In fact, in this evolved role, there are films in which he doesn’t act at all. Consider Peepli [Live], produced by Mr. Khan, and his supporting role in Dhobi Ghat, and you can see the methodology at work.

 

I am not an expert, nor do I have any insight into the inner workings of Aamir Khan Productions, but in just charting this progressive path, it seems to make the most sense, and in doing so, Mr. Khan seems destined to update the “sense and sensibility” of Indian cinema in his own choices as a writer, actor, and producer by taking an active role in the overall creation and production of the stories from concept to term. It stretches beyond the silver screen as well, if you consider the charitable work that Mr. Khan is engaged in and donations to educational reform and helping students -- something that is beyond the meager publicity of “a” film where other Bollywood peers have been known to do.

 

There is a saying that “art imitates life.” If this is the case, it would seem we are getting the best of Mr. Khan’s passionate exploration, where his art on screen is an extension of the fun he is having in exploring themes, subjects, and characters now on screen through his production company where we only saw a glimpse of such talent just a decade ago. This is, perhaps, the curve to be followed. Establishing yourself as a brand in as complicated a world as Bollywood is hard enough. Mr. Khan has extended himself beyond establishing himself as such a brand and is now making films and using his name to do the type of cinema that has most probably been in his closet for many years, and he is maximizing the opportunity. 

 

We have often heard of the “3 Amigos” of Mexican auteur filmmakers -- Alfonso Cuaron, Alejandro Innaratu, and Guillermo Del Toro -- and how their enduring friendship has now translated into international feature film success as a triumvirate of talent to revolutionize a new brand of cinema. In their cases, being writer/directors has been instrumental in this cause.

 

If we try to follow the same thread in Bollywood, it is quite clear there is none to follow, since the genre within the industry is one unto itself. Coming to Mr. Khan, the actor-turned-producer has expanded his range of services broadly into avenues where he can exert more creative control and understanding from the scripting process due to the “time served” as an actor. Now wearing the writer-producer hat, it goes without saying that Mr. Khan is paving the way into his second act. Lagaan, Peeli [Live], and Dhobi Ghat are among the films credited to Aamir Khan Productions, with films such as Tara Zameen Par, Ghajini, and 3 Idiots following the scrutiny of Mr. Khan’s watchful direction and quality control. It is rare to see an actor turn producer in such an industry as Bollywood, but then again Mr. Khan can be considered anything but the norm. He has the motivation, commercial and critical success to push forward, and in Indian cinema, this is a rarity.

 

Perhaps the third act would involve Mr. Khan going the route of film director, but perhaps that is a story for the future, and for now, the present, the world is an open book, literally for Aamir Khan and APK Films!

 

Editor's Note: Harish Rao is the latest writer to join Buzzine Bollywood, and he comes on board in his capacity as a senior columnist. Mr. Rao will be contributing his thoughts and viewpoints on the growth of Indian cinema worldwide. This article is the first in his series of film-related columns.

 

The views expressed in Mr. Rao's articles are the viewpoints of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Buzzine Networks and/or any of its affiliates.