You, me, your family, my family, your friends, your friends, friends of friends, and everyone on this earth is a huge fan of Amir Khan. There is no denying fact that people are crazy after his work.
His presentation. His perfection.
His being different. (Not Salman Khan’s Being Human)
His sensibility. His intellect.
His taking challenges. (Not like hosting ‘Kya aap 5 paas se tez hai’)
He came with Sarfarosh when people like Govinda, and Anil Kapoor were serving soap opera to the audience. He came with Dil Chahta Hai and Lagan, when romance and comedy was the main genre of Bollywood.
Which actor in Bollywood could think of coming up a movie based on the problem of dyslexia? When Dhobi Ghat came, he himself said that this movie is not for everyone and many will not like it. Which actor could do that?
Even though he has a lot of films that won him several awards, he does not want to be credited for them. Yet, "Mr. Perfectionist" continues to give blockbusters one after the other. His last film, Secret Superstar is another addition to his list of out of the box movies.
Do you see why people are crazy after him? The main reason is the subject he chooses to work upon. Many of you can consider it a good and foolproof marketing strategy, but he hits the rod when it is hot. His films strike a chord with majority of people, for he holds the nerve of prevalent issues and creates entertainment around them.
If you look back at the movies he has given us, most of them have provided education besides entertainment. Be it Lagaan or Rang De Basanti, or Secret Superstar, one thing that has been common to all these films is a central theme that addresses the Indian people.
Today, on 14th of March, his birthday, we shall have a look at 10 of his works that initiated changes in the Indian cinema.
1- Lagaan (2001)
Set in an ancient village near Bhuj, the film highlights the atrocities committed by the Britishers during the British Raj on the poor Indian farmers in the name of taxation.
The people were burdened by high taxes until they were challenged for a game of cricket, which changed their destiny forever. The film received critical acclaimed and won several awards at international film festivals.
2- Dil Chahta Hai (2001)
In the debut direction of Farhan Akhtar, the film focusses on the modern day urban lifestyle of the upper-middle-class society and the period of transition in the lives of three young friends.
It conveyed how friendship and love get lost in the pursuit of dreams. It was screened at various film festivals and praised for its nonstereotype storyline.
3- Rang De Basanti (2006)
Another blockbuster that moves Indian hearts till date is Rang De Basanti. The characters recognize the spirit that burnt in the Indian freedom fighters when they saw their friend dying in a plane crash and being blamed for it when the plane itself was not in a proper condition.
They protested against it and fought for justice, highlighting the significance of revolutionary ideas and protests against everything that is unjustified.
4 - Fanaa (2006)
Anticipated as a romantic thriller, the film had very sensitive points about terrorism and its repercussions to convey. It beautifully showcased how love and trust suffer due to terrorist activities.
The young lady, Zooni is misled by the fake death of her love, so that she never comes in search of him and discovers his dangerous life. Yet, fate brings them together and separates them forever. The film grossed on both Indian and Overseas market, besides winning a lot of awards.
5 - Taare Zameen Par (2007)
With Darsheel Safary playing an 8-year-old Ishaan and Amir Khan his art teacher, the film was a lesson for the parents and teachers, to listen to their children and not ignore their complaints.
One doesn’t have to be a dyslexic or have a dyslexic child to identify how kids visualize their own world of imagination and fight the stress that the present school system puts on them. Across all the strata of society of society, the film urged to pay attention to the growing years of kids and prompted more open discussions in families.
6 - 3 Idiots (2009)
Although it was inspired by Five Point Something, written by Chetan Bhagat, the youthful lessons of the movie are far more cherishable. It said in the end, not to run after success but to achieve excellence so that success runs after you. A statement, true to the core.
It advocated various things such as learning is a never-ending process, never race with people but take risks, be passionate about what you do, and ignore the naysayers, jealous, stupid, hatred people around you. Some vital checkpoints for today's youth.
7 - PK (2014)
With the release of its poster, it left everyone confused. A humanoid alien on a mission is left by destiny to explore Earth and finds it really weird. It is a hard-hitting expose on human nature and modern life, or what we call civilization.
His exploration tells us to follow humanity, without bothering about boundaries set by religion and blind faith, which often become very confusing to a stranger. The film was a mock at our present-day religious practices and received applause for the courageous message.
8 - Dangal (2016)
Dangal is a really important film for India, for it showed that girls are no less than boys. The film is about a father-coach turning his daughters into star wrestlers, inspired by real life of Geeta and Babita Phogat.
Cutting against the grains of the Indan society, the two girls become great wrestlers, fulfilling the dream of their father, who wished to win Olympics gold for India. The movie certainly hits a note of touching tribute to the way girl power is sweeping the world and stands as the highest grossing Indian film worldwide.
9 - Secret Superstar (2017)
A much-awaited film that not only underlines the thrills and toils of chasing a dream but also portrays how a girl child breaks the shackles of society and takes to music is intriguing.
It presents how the internet has emerged as a powerful medium of making the world smaller and connecting to a global audience. A simple story, eloquently told, has now become the signature of Mr. Perfectionist. The film is already in theatres, winning hearts ten times over.
10 - Thugs Of Hindustan(2018)
Like his earlier 9 works, Thugs of Hindustan is also a different spice. It is based on the novel, Confessions of a Thug, by Philip Meadows Taylor. The novel describes the lavish British culture in the early 19th century. The popularity of the novel established the word ‘thug’ in the English dictionary.
The thugs, or "deceivers" as they were called, murdered travellers for money and valuables. The film shows crime and retribution (criminal punishment) in India during the colonial rule. And the looks of Amitabh Bachan, Amir Khan and Katrina Kaif are quiet promising!
Just imagine. 17 years back, Amir Khan gave us Lagaan, a year back he brought us Dangal and Secret Superstar, and now, he is coming with Thugs Of Hindustan.
Our expectations are really high!!
And here is a good news for all Amir Khan Fans –he has joined the Instagram family, a day ahead of his 53rd birthday (March 14). His follower has shot up to over 221k followers and still counting. This is a birthday gift that he has given to his fans. You can easily find his profile with the Thugs of Hindustan look in his profile picture.
Happy Birthday Mr Perfectionist!
We are eagerly waiting for your upcoming movie release on this Diwali!