Premium

Aamir Khan didn’t want son Junaid to take up Maharaj; advised him to travel across India in bus instead: ‘If you want to succeed…’

During his appearance on KBC Season 16, Aamir Khan revealed that he encouraged his son Junaid Khan to travel across India by bus before making his acting debut.

Junaid Khan spoke about taking over Aamir Khan Productions.(Photo: Varinder Chawla)

Actors and filmmakers are often accused of living in a bubble, out of touch with the pulse of the audience. To ensure his son Junaid doesn’t fall into this trap, Aamir Khan encouraged him to travel across India by bus, immersing himself in the country’s diverse cultures before making his acting debut in Maharaj. Aamir shared this on Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 16, where he and Junaid joined Amitabh Bachchan to celebrate the legendary actor’s 82nd birthday. Although the episode will air on Friday night, Sony TV released a press statement revealing some of the exchanges between Big B and Aamir during the show.

In the conversation, Aamir admitted he wasn’t initially in favour of Junaid taking on the role in Maharaj, even though his son had faced numerous rejections during screen tests. He explained, “Initially, I had advised Junaid not to do the film since he had undergone multiple screen tests and faced rejections each time. However, he was selected for Maharaj, and I thought he shouldn’t take it.”

However, Junaid Khan was determined, reasoning that since this was one of the few auditions he had succeeded in, he wanted to seize the opportunity, uncertain when the next one might come. He shared Aamir’s advice, saying, “I wanted to join a theatre school, and Dad agreed, giving me valuable advice: ‘You can learn acting anywhere, through experience. But if you want to succeed in the Indian film industry, you must understand Hindi and the culture of this country. You need to connect with the people of India. Otherwise you might be a great actor, but you won’t fit in here.'”

Story continues below this ad

Aamir added, “I also advised him to travel from Kashmir to Kanyakumari by bus, and stay there for a certain period exploring local cultures. That journey will teach you things no school or college can.”

Aamir Khan ke sawaal ka koi jawaab nahi hai AB ke pass! 😂😂

Dekhiye #KaunBanegaCrorepati, 11th October raat 9 baje sirf #SonyEntertainmentTelevision par.@SrBachchan #KBConSonyTV #KBC16 #KBC2024 #SonyTVShow pic.twitter.com/m8SHfhwcXE

— sonytv (@SonyTV) October 9, 2024

Amitabh Bachchan, listening to Aamir and Junaid, reflected on his own experiences with his son, Abhishek Bachchan. He recalled, “I gave the same advice to Abhishek. I suggested he live for two or three months among the locals, engaging with them, as it would greatly aid his acting career.”

Also read | Amitabh Bachchan slept on Marine Drive with rats as neighbours, rejected Rs 10,000 for ads because he wanted to be a star: ‘I resisted the temptation’

While Junaid debuted with Maharaj, produced by Yash Raj Films, Abhishek began his career with JP Dutta’s Refugee (2000). Following Maharaj, Junaid is set to star in a romantic drama alongside Khushi Kapoor and has another film in the pipeline with Sai Pallavi.

Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.

Bahraich faces new ‘wolf attacks’: 4 children mauled, 16 injured this month

Cities2 hr ago

As many as four children have been killed and 16 injured in wild animal attacks, suspected to be wolves, in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district this month — a chilling reminder of similar incidents that haunted the region last year. The body of one of the children is still missing. All those injured are adults, except for one child.

View all shorts

More Entertainment

Entertainment Yash Chopra cried in front of Shah Rukh Khan before his final shot; saved Amitabh Bachchan's career twice but paid him Re 1 for comeback