Aamir Hussain Khan born March 14, 1965, in Mumbai, India, is a prominent Bollywood film actor. He rose to stardom with the film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988).

Career

Aamir was born into a film-industry clan. His father Tahir Hussain is a producer; his uncle Nasir Hussain was a director. He has acted in a few films directed by his cousin Mansoor Khan. He is the brother of Faisal Khan, with whom he acted in the 2000 film Mela. He is the cousin of Tariq of the Yaadon Ki Baraat and Hum Kisise Kum Nahin fame.

Aamir began his career as a child actor in the film Yaadon Ki Baraat (1973), when he was eight years old. He then appeared in small roles in Madhosh (1974) and Holi (1984).

In 1988 he gained stardom in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak which was his first leading role. He followed this with many other films in the 1990s which either did well at the box office or flopped. After his debut his most successful films included Dil (1990), Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander (1992), Rangeela (1995) and Raja Hindustani (1996).

He acted as well as wrote the screenplay for the film Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke (1993). He has also done playback singing for himself in Ghulam (1998).

Aamir is known for his efforts to create believable characters, rather than just playing himself in film after film. He will go to great lengths to give a convincing portrayal -- including, it is said, drinking heavily in order to play a drunken scene in Raja Hindustani (1996), even though he doesn't drink in real life.

Aamir is also known for working on only one film at a time, unusual in the Bollywood film industry.

In 2001 he turned to producing and his first production was Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India which he also starred in. This film was one of the biggest hits of 2001 and was nominated for many awards including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

His recent hit is a blockbuster "Rang De Basanti"(2006) which has also been selected as India's official entry for Oscar in the "Best Foreign Language Film" category.

Family life

Aamir went directly into films from college and made his first big hit film, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak playing a college boy. Publicists tried to position him as a teen idol, every college girl's dream. In order to do so, they buried all evidence of his 1988 marriage to Reena Dutta, who (though not a professional actress and already married to him at that time) made a brief appearance in a song sequence in his first film. It was big news when the marriage was first revealed.

However, Aamir's popularity survived the revelation, and his marriage to Reena seemed to have survived too. They had two children (son Junaid and daughter Aaira) and led a quiet, publicity-shunning family life. Reena was even involved, briefly, in Aamir's career when she worked as a producer for Lagaan.Aamir was linked romantically to Kiran Rao, an assistant to director Ashutosh Gowariker for the film Lagaan. The two wed on December 28, 2005.

Activism

Aamir has publicly expressed support for two major people's struggles in the country: the Narmada Bachao Andolan and the struggle for justice in Bhopal. He interacted with protestors at a dharna in Delhi, and appealed to the Government of India to give justice to the people. Aamir's support for the Narmada Bachao Andolan led the BJP,and the state unit of Indian National Congress to make an oppose of Aamir Khan's support to NBA. People of Gujarat have voluntarily boycott the film. Major news channel has shown the voluntary statement of Gujarat cinema owners that they are not willing to release the movie – “Fanaa”. The movie was release in a theater of Jamnagar but Producer Yash Chopara requested to take it back because a person has committed suicide.

He has also been under fire from social and environmental activists because of his endorsement of Coca-Cola, known for depleting and polluting water-sources around its bottling plants in India. Particularly, Youth for Social Change, comprising of college students in Chennai, has appealed to him to stop endorsing Coca-Cola. Aamir has refused to terminate his contract with Coke but promised to take up the issue with the cola giant.

Trivia
He accepts only National Film Awards and refuses to show up at any other of the many movie award ceremonies.
He wants to see a finished script before he signs on any film.
He was initially reluctant to do the role of DJ in Rang De Basanti. He was afraid that he would not be able to speak with a convincing Punjabi accent; he also worried that he was older than character he was supposed to play. The accent coach who worked on Alice Patten's Hindi worked with Khan on his Punjabi.

Awards and nominations

Academy Award

2002: Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, 2001.

IIFA Awards

2002: Popular Award, Best Actor win for Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India and Best Actor nomination for Dil Chahta Hai

Filmfare Awards

1988: Best Debut win for Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak
1988: Best Actor nomination for Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak
1989: Best Actor nomination for Raakh
1990: Best Actor nomination for Dil
1991: Best Actor nomination for Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin
1992: Best Actor nomination for Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar
1993: Best Actor nomination for Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke
1994: Best Actor nomination for Andaz Apna Apna
1995: Best Actor nomination for Akele Hum Akele Tum
1996: Best Actor win for Raja Hindustani
1998: Best Actor nomination for Ghulam
1998: Best Male Playback Singer nomination for the song "Aati Kya Khandala" in Ghulam
1999: Best Actor nomination for Sarfarosh
2001: Best Actor win for Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India
2001: Best Actor nomination for Dil Chahta Hai
2005: Best Actor nomination for Mangal Pandey: The Rising

Aamir Khan has been nominated for 14 Best Actor awards for his starring roles in 29 films (excluding 2006).

National Film Awards
2002: National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment win for Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, shared with Ashutosh Gowariker

Star Screen Awards

1997: Best Actor win for Raja Hindustani
2002: Best Actor nomination for Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India

Zee Cine Awards

2000: Zee Cine Award Best Actor- Male win for Sarfarosh
2002: Zee Cine Award Best Actor- Male win for Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India and Best Actor nomination for Dil Chahta Hai

Filmography

The Mahabharata 2008 Karan Announced
Ghajini 2007 Remake of Tamil Superhit film, Ghajini
Taare Zameen Pe 2007
Lajjo 2007 [1] [2]
Fanaa 2006 Rehan Qadri
Rang De Basanti 2006 Daljeet (DJ)
The Rising 2005 Mangal Pandey Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Dil Chahta Hai 2001 Akash Malhotra Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India 2001 Bhuvan Winner, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Mela 2000 Kishan Pyare
Mann 1999 Karan Dev Singh
Sarfarosh 1999 Ajay Singh Rathod Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Earth 1998 Dil Navaz
Ghulam 1998 Siddharth Marathe Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Nominated, Filmfare Best Male Playback Award
Ishq 1997 Raja Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Raja Hindustani 1996 Raja Hindustani Winner, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Akele Hum Akele Tum 1995 Rohit Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Rangeela 1995 Munna
Aatank Hi Aatank 1995 Rohan
Baazi 1995 Inspector Amar Damjee
Andaz Apna Apna 1994 Amar Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke 1993 Rahul Malhotra Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Parampara 1993 Ranbir Prithvi Singh
Isi Ka Naam Zindagi 1992 Chotu
Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar 1992 Sanjaylal Verma Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Time Machine 1992 Was abandoned halfway during filming by Shekhar Kapur, and never completed due to financial problems
Daulat Ki Jung 1991 Rajesh Chaudhry
Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin 1991 Raghu Jetley Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Afsana Pyaar Ka 1991 Raj
Jawani Zindabad 1990 Shashi
Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin 1990 Ajay Sharma
Dil 1990 Raja Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Tum Mere Ho 1990 Shiva
Awwal Number 1990 Sunny
Love Love Love 1989 Amit
Raakh 1989 Aamir Hussein Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak 1988 Raj Winner, Filmfare Best Debut Award
Holi 1984 Madan Sharma
Madhosh 1974 Child artist
Yaadon Ki Baaraat 1973 Child artist