No contemporary Indian actor has the kind of talent he has. This may be considered debatable, but as far as I am concerned, there’s no other actor quite in his league. From lighthearted comedies, where viewers held their sides watching his antics, to soulful intense roles of the forlorn lover or the deserted husband; from playing a die hard patriotic police officer, to a cold, unfeeling terrorist; from the rabble-rousing leader of a set of country bumpkins-exhorting them to rise above petty divisions and performing beyond the realm of reason-to the more recent avatars-again as varied as they come-he has taken everything in his stride. Whether it was as the sensitive school teacher gently cajoling the deep seated creativity of a dyslexic child or depicting the role of an amnesia-struck individual himself, his tormented soul crying for revenge…..Aamir Khan has done it all. And I’m but one of the millions who think like this; people who have been moved beyond words….at the same time, discerning the variety even within ostensibly similar roles, both equally challenging. For a man of forty to have played the role of a college student (albeit a 3-4-time repeater!) with the kind of élan-even insouciance- that Aamir Khan displayed is worthy of true admiration.
And yet, one saw a totally different side in the depiction of another college student-the path breaker, the innovator, the thinker, the scientist, the ultimate friend-in another movie which has gained iconic stature. The list is endless but it is not this aspect of this powerhouse of talent that has inspired this write-up. Watching one of his eminently repeatable movies for the nth time, the other day, I suddenly realized that the uniqueness of his films stems not just from the fact that he has displayed true variety in his choice of roles but also in the sheer diversity of fair ladies who have played lead roles against him. Few can match him in this kind of variety either! From completely new entrants to veteran actresses, he has acted with them all, seldom repeating a heroine and even doing a movie without any romantic lead.
Perhaps Juhi Chawla, his first leading lady, is the only one who can claim to have worked with him thrice-two of them blockbusters-one a terrible tragedy, the other a terrific comedy with the underlying message of a never-say-die attitude.
Otherwise, the range is unending, from Pooja Bhatt to Ayesha Jhulka, Monisha Koirala and Twinkle Khanna, to Raveena Tandon. From the oomphy Urmila to the gorgeous Madhuri Dixit, the dusky Nandita Das to the sultry Pooja Bedi, he has romanced them all. But hardly has an actress had the honour of being recast against him. He is as comfortable acting with debutantes like Gracy Singh, as he is with seasoned actresses like Preity Zinta; the fame and popularity of the heroine has never mattered to him. Whether it was Sonali Bendre urging him on with her 'don't mind' prattle or a first timer for Hindi movies, Asin, guilelessly flirting with him blissfully aware of his identity, his panache was evident in each character he effortlessly portrayed. Rani Mukherjee has had the privilege of repeating a couple of movies but her more talented cousin, Kajol, could only just be paired with him once, in a much hyped movie. The Kapoor clan damsels-Kareena and Karishma-have also had their fair share with this super talented hero, the younger sibling getting the opportunity as late as 2009.
Not only have new faces been launched against him in the romantic lead, the wide array sometimes includes international names as well -Rachel Shelley and Sue Patten to name a few.
Women may come and women may go but he goes on forever: this man carries on alone, not needing any support or lucky mascot as his co-star. His only companion is his matchless talent.
Way to go, Aamir!!
