Indian actor Aamir Khan first appeared on screen at the age of eight in a minor role in his uncle Nasir Hussain's film Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973). [1] In 1983, he acted in and worked as an assistant director on Paranoia, a short film directed by Aditya Bhattacharya, [2] following which he assisted Hussain on two of his directorial ventures— Manzil Manzil (1984) and Zabardast (1985). [2] [3] As an adult, Khan's first acting project was a brief role in the 1984 experimental social drama Holi . [4]
Khan's first leading role came opposite Juhi Chawla in the highly successful tragic romance Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988). [5] His performance in the film and in the thriller Raakh (1989) earned him a National Film Award – Special Mention. [6] He went on to establish himself with roles in several lucrative films of the 1990s, including the romantic drama Dil (1990), the comedy-drama Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993), and the romance Raja Hindustani (1996). [7] [8] He also played against type in the Deepa Mehta-directed Canadian-Indian co-production Earth (1998). [9] In 1999, Khan launched a production company, Aamir Khan Productions, [10] whose first release Lagaan (2001) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, [11] and earned him the National Film Award for Best Popular Film. [12] [13] Also in 2001, he starred alongside Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna in the acclaimed coming-of-age drama Dil Chahta Hai . [14] Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai are cited in the media as defining films of Hindi cinema. [15] [16] After a three-year hiatus, Khan portrayed the eponymous lead in Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005), a period film that underperformed at the box office, [17] after which he played leading roles in two top-grossing films of 2006— Fanaa and Rang De Basanti . [18]
Khan made his directorial debut with Taare Zameen Par in 2007, a drama on dyslexia starring Darsheel Safary, in which Khan also played a supporting role. [19] The film proved to be a critical and commercial success, [10] winning him the National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare. [20] [21] Khan played a man with anterograde amnesia in the 2008 thriller Ghajini , [22] [23] after which he portrayed an engineering student in the comedy-drama 3 Idiots (2009), [24] and a reclusive artist in the drama Dhobi Ghat (2010), which he also produced. [25] During this period, Khan developed and featured as the host of the television talk show Satyamev Jayate (2012–2014). [26]
Further success came when Khan played the antagonist of the adventure film Dhoom 3 (2013) and starred as the titular alien in the ₹7.4 billion (US$85 million)-grossing satire PK (2014). [27] [28] [29] In 2016, Khan played the father of two young female wrestlers in the sports biopic Dangal , which earned over ₹20 billion (US$230 million) worldwide. [30] Five of Khan's films—Ghajini, 3 Idiots, Dhoom 3, PK, and Dangal— have held records for being the highest-grossing Indian film of all time. [31] [30] Khan's two subsequent releases—the period adventure film Thugs of Hindostan (2018) and the Forrest Gump remake, Laal Singh Chaddha (2022)—emerged as box-office bombs. [32]
† | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1973 | Yaadon Ki Baaraat | Young Ratan | Child artist | |
1974 | Madhosh | Young Raj | [33] | |
1983 | Paranoia | — | Assistant director; short film | [34] [35] |
1984 | Holi | Madan Sharma | [34] | |
Manzil Manzil | — | Assistant director | [3] | |
1988 | Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak | Raj | [36] [37] [38] | |
1989 | Raakh | Aamir Hussein | [6] [37] [39] | |
Love Love Love | Amit | [40] | ||
1990 | Awwal Number | Sunny | [40] | |
Tum Mere Ho | Shiva | [40] | ||
Dil | Raja Prasad | [37] [41] [42] | ||
Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin | Ajay Sharma | [40] | ||
Jawani Zindabad | Shashi Sharma | [40] | ||
1991 | Afsana Pyaar Ka | Raj | [43] | |
Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin | Raghu Jetley | [37] [44] | ||
1992 | Daulat Ki Jung | Rajesh Chaudhry | [45] | |
Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar | Sanjaylal Sharma | [37] [46] | ||
Isi Ka Naam Zindagi | Chotu | [47] | ||
1993 | Damini | Himself | Special appearance | [48] |
Parampara | Ranbir Prithvi Singh | [49] | ||
Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke | Rahul Malhotra | Also screenwriter | [50] [37] | |
Pehla Nasha | Himself | Special appearance | [51] | |
1994 | Andaz Apna Apna | Amar Manohar | [52] [53] | |
1995 | Baazi | Amar Damjee | [54] | |
Aatank Hi Aatank | Rohan | [55] | ||
Rangeela | Munna | [56] | ||
Akele Hum Akele Tum | Rohit Kumar | [37] | ||
1996 | Raja Hindustani | Raja Hindustani | [8] [37] | |
1997 | Ishq | Raja Ahlawat | [57] | |
1998 | Ghulam | Siddharth Marathe | [37] [58] | |
1999 | Sarfarosh | ACP Ajay Singh Rathod | [37] [59] | |
Mann | Dev Karan Singh | [60] | ||
Earth | Dil Navaz | Canadian–Indian film | [61] | |
2000 | Mela | Kishan Pyare | [62] | |
2001 | Lagaan | Bhuvan | Also producer | [12] [11] [37] |
Dil Chahta Hai | Akash Malhotra | [37] [63] | ||
2004 | Madness in the Desert | Himself | Documentary | [64] [65] |
2005 | Mangal Pandey: The Rising | Mangal Pandey | [37] [66] | |
2006 | Rang De Basanti | Daljit "DJ" Singh / Chandra Shekhar Azad [IV] | [37] [67] | |
Fanaa | Rehan Qadri | [68] | ||
2007 | Taare Zameen Par | Ram Shankar Nikumbh | Also director and producer | [20] [37] [69] [70] |
2008 | Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na | — | Producer | [71] [72] |
Ghajini | Sanjay Singhania | Also screenwriter | [37] [73] [74] | |
2009 | Luck by Chance | Himself | Special appearance | [75] |
3 Idiots | Ranchhoddas "Rancho" Shamaldas Chanchad / Phunsukh Wangdu [V] | [76] [77] | ||
2010 | Dhobi Ghat | Arun | Also producer | [78] |
Peepli Live | — | Producer | [79] [80] | |
2011 | Big in Bollywood | Himself | Documentary | [81] |
Delhi Belly | Disco Fighter | Special appearance in song "I Hate You (Like I Love You)"; also producer | [82] [83] | |
2012 | Talaash: The Answer Lies Within | Surjan Singh Shekhawat | Also producer | [84] |
2013 | Bombay Talkies | Himself | Special appearance in song "Apna Bombay Talkies" | [85] |
Dhoom 3 | Sahir Khan / Samar Khan [VI] | [86] | ||
2014 | PK | PK | [87] [88] | |
2015 | Dil Dhadakne Do | Pluto Mehra | Voiceover | [89] |
2016 | Dangal | Mahavir Singh Phogat | Also producer | [90] [91] |
2017 | Secret Superstar | Shakti Kumar | Also producer | [92] [93] |
2018 | Thugs of Hindostan | Firangi Mallah | [94] | |
2021 | Koi Jaane Na | Himself | Special appearance in song "Har Funn Maula" | [95] |
2022 | Laal Singh Chaddha | Laal Singh Chaddha | Also producer | [96] [97] |
Salaam Venky | Himself | Special appearance | [98] | |
2023 | Laapataa Ladies | — | Producer | [99] |
2025 | Sitaare Zameen Par † | TBA | Also producer | [100] |
Coolie † | TBA | Tamil film; cameo | [101] | |
Lahore 1947 † | — | Producer | [102] |
Title | Year | Role | Creator(s) | Episode(s) | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Satyamev Jayate | 2012–2014 | Host | Himself | 3 seasons | [26] | |
C.I.D. | 2012 | Surjan Singh Shekhawat | B. P. Singh | "Red Suitcase Murders" | [103] | |
Toofan Alaya | 2017–2018 | Guest | Himself | Season 1 and Season 2 | [104] | |
Rubaru Roshni | 2019 | Narrator | Svati Chakravarty | Documentary | Also producer | [105] |
The Romantics | 2023 | Himself | Smriti Mundhra | Documentary | [106] | |
The Great Indian Kapil Show | 2024 | Guest | Kapil Sharma | [107] | ||
Angry Young Men | 2024 | Himself | Documentary | [108] |
Title | Year | Performer(s) | Director(s) | Album | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
"Jab Bhi Chum Leta Hoon" | 2003 | Roop Kumar Rathod | Ashok Mehra | Pyar Ka Jashn | [109] |
"Phir Mile Sur Mera Tumhara" | 2010 | Various | — | — | [110] |
^[I] The exchange rate in 1996 was 35.49 Indian rupees (₹) per 1 US dollar (US$). [111]
^[II] Khan played the younger version of Tariq Khan's character in the film. [33]
^[III] Khan played the younger version of Mahendra Sandhu's character in the film. [33]
^[IV] Khan played a character who portrays Chandrashekar Azad in a documentary featured in the film. [112]
^[V] Khan played a character who impersonates another man in the film. [113]
^[VI] Khan performed dual roles in the film. [114]