My family wanted me to be an engineer: Aamir Khan

October 23, 2016

Mumbai, Oct 23: Superstar Aamir Khan entertained the fans as a young, curious engineer in "3 Idiots" but this wouldn't have been possible, had he listened to his parents, who wanted him to pursue engineering.

AamirAamir, son of director Tahir Hussain and nephew of filmmaker Nasir Husain, has revealed that despite being a film family, his folks were against the idea of him joining Bollywood as they found it volatile.

"At that time almost everyone felt, film industry was not a good place to be. My own family, Nasir sahab (Nasir Hussain) and papa jaan were telling me, 'No. Don't go in films'. Both filmmakers were telling me not to go in films.

"Chacha jaan (Nasir), abba and ammi felt it was such a volatile profession," the 51-year-old said during a panel discussion at the 18th Jio MAMI Mumbai International Film Festival.

Aamir said his family wanted him to do something, which was more "stable".

"One minute you are up there, one minute you are not. There is no certainty or security. They wanted us to be more stable in life, to go into a profession which is more stable. Engineer, doctor, charted accountant.

"I wouldn't have managed to do any of the these things. But they wanted me to get into a good professional course. They didn't want me to go through the uncertainties and the traumas, in the volatile business that we are in," he said.

Aamir said nevertheless he undertook a course at Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), though secretly.

"I was very conscious of one thing. I never wanted Nasir sahab aur abba jaan to ever feel that 'Now it is our responsibility to launch Aamir'. I didn't want them to ever feel that, or be a burden on them.

"So, I knew by the time I wanted to act. I was doing my own thing, I used to go to FTII, do diploma films over there. But I never ever even by mistake used to mention to chacha jaan or to abba jaan about me wanting to act. I didn't want to come close to it."

Aamir recalled he shot for a 40-minute short film called "Paranoia" directed by Aditya Bhattacharya, after he passed out of 10th.

It was a silent film made by his classmate, who asked him to feature in it as an actor, assistant director, spot boy, and the experience of doing that film made him interested in filmmaking.

Aamir said veteran actress Shabana Azmi watched the movie and heaped praise on him.

"Nobody in my house knew I had gone to shoot the film. I used to pretend that I was going for hockey match, but used to go for shooting.

"Shabana ji saw the film and asked about me. At that time, she was working with my father in a film titled 'Khoon Ki Pukaar'. She said, 'Oh you're Tahir sahab's son! I must tell him you're a fantastic actor!' I said, 'No! You can't tell him that!' She said, 'You are a fantastic actor, you should be acting'. I felt so good," Aamir recalled.

Aamir revealed that it was scriptwriter Javed Akhtar, who told Nasir that he should be a star.

"I joined chacha jaan as an assistant director. It was towards the end of the shooting of 'Zabardast' in Lonavla where Javed sahab had come to work on 'Mr India' script...

"I was sitting in Nasir sahab's room and Javed sahab walked in to say hi. When he asked about me, chacha jaan said, 'He is Tahir's son, he is assisting me'.

"Javed sahab said, 'Why is he an assistant? He should be a star!' It's quite ironical that both Shabana and Javed, who are together today, individually noticed me at separate places and said the same thing."

Aamir, however, still didn't have the courage to say that he wanted to make movies but luckily for him, his uncle realised his future was on showbiz.

"After that also I never had the courage to tell my uncle or father. I didn't bring it up. I was so frightened.

"One day I was with chacha jaan. He met someone and introduced me, saying, 'Meet my nephew Aamir. He is the star of my next film'. I was like 'whoa'. That's how I got to know I would be acting in his next film. Then he called me a few days later and said he wants to make a love story with me," he said.

In 1988, Aamir made his full-fledged acting debut with tragic romance "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak" and true to Javed's words, has been a star for more than 20 years now.

The panel discussion was held on the occasion of launch of Akshay Manwani's book launch "Music, Masti, Modernity- The Cinema of Nasir Hussain".

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News Network
March 23,2020

Washington, Mar 23: Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, US media reported Sunday.

Harvey Weinstein, 68, is in prison in northern New York state after being sentenced to 23 years in jail for rape and sexual assault.

The fallen film producer's diagnosis was first reported Sunday evening by local paper the Niagara Gazette.

Harvey Weinstein's spokespeople have declined to comment to US media on the subject.

The New York state Department of Corrections did not respond when contacted by AFP for confirmation of the reports.

Harvey Weinstein was transferred Wednesday to a prison near Buffalo, 350 miles (560 kilometers) northwest of New York City.

Prior to his transfer, he stayed at Rikers Island prison and a Manhattan hospital, where he was treated for chest pains.

Crowded US prisons have the potential to become hotbeds for coronavirus infections. Last week, guards at Rikers and New York's Sing Sing prison tested positive for the virus, local media reported.

As of Sunday, the virus has killed 417 people in the US out of more than 33,000 cases, according to a tracker managed by Johns Hopkins University.

Harvey Weinstein was convicted in February of a criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree, while being cleared of predatory sexual assault charges.

He was convicted of raping ex-actress Jessica Mann in 2013 and of forcibly performing oral sex on former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006.

Nearly 90 women, including Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek, have leveled sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein, the Oscar-winning producer of "Shakespeare in Love" and numerous other critical and box office hits.

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News Network
June 16,2020

Mumbai, Jun 16: In the wake of Sushant Singh Rajput's death, veteran actor Deepti Naval has opened up about her struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts in the early 90s.

Naval shared a poem that she wrote during her struggle with depression on her Facebook page after paying tributes to Rajput, who was found hanging in his Bandra apartment on Sunday at the age of 34.

According to a police official, Mumbai Police found out during the probe that the actor was under medication for depression

"Dark days these... So much has been happening - mind has come to a point of stillness... Or rather numbness. Today I feel like sharing a poem I wrote back in the years when I was fighting depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts - Yes, fighting... and like how," Naval wrote.

The 68-year-old actor made her debut with Shyam Benegal's 1978 "Junoon" and went on to feature in films like "Chashme Buddoor", "Ankahee", "Mirch Masala", Saath Saath among others in the 80s.

Naval's poem, titled "Black Wind", begins by describing how anxiety engulfs a person.

"Anxiety grips me with both hands, spiked claws dig deep into my soul I gasp for breath and stagger around sharp corners of my single bed.."

In the poem, Naval talks about fighting suicidal thoughts and depression, describing it as a "ghoulish lust" she won't succumb to.

"The telephone rings... no, it stops...God damn! Why don't anyone speak? A voice, Just a human voice In this shameless, pitiless Abyss of the night - gloom deepens into darkness, turns purple I feel dark inside."

The actor ends by writing that she will survive the night, its "deathly design" and fight.

"The world's a snake pit, so let it be! I dare the devil to get the better of me! Deepti Naval, Night of July 28, 1991."

In an interview with PTI last year, Naval had mentioned how acting assignments started to thin in the late 90s and as a "serious actor" it was "devastating" to be ignored.

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News Network
March 19,2020

New Delhi, Mar 19: Days after being diagnosed with COVID-19, 'Oblivion' actor Olga Kurylenko said that she is better as her fever has now gone.

The 40-year-old actor took to Instagram to share the health update with a picture of herself wearing a face mask.

"Hello everyone! I'm feeling better today. My fever is gone! I hear people can't figure out where I currently am. I'm in London!," she wrote in the caption.

The 'Quantum of Solace' actor also shared details about coronavirus with her Instafam.

"How do I know it's coronavirus and not just a flu? I did a test for coronavirus which came back positive. What are the medicines that doctors prescribed as treatment? NONE!" she wrote.

"I was told to take paracetamol in case my fever was too high and if I was in too much pain. However, I do take vitamins and supplements. Please note that these vitamins do NOT cure coronavirus but only help the immune system be stronger in order to fight!" Kurylenko added.

She also shared a detailed list of medicines that she is taking to deal with the condition.

The 'Oblivion' actor joined the growing list of entertainment figures who have contracted the highly contagious virus on Monday.

Other Hollywood personalities who were earlier diagnosed with COVID-19 are superstar couple Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson. The celebrity couple has been discharged from the hospital and are under quarantine at their home.

Other celebrities that are currently battling with the coronavirus are music producer Andrew Watt, 'Game of Thrones' actor Kristofer Hivju, and actor Idris Elba.

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