How Not Making One Phone Call to Aamir Khan, Javed Akhtar Saved Farhan Akhtar’s Career

During the ongoing Aamir Khan: Cinema Ka Jadugar festival, Javed Akhtar shared an intriguing anecdote about his bond with Aamir Khan and how a seemingly small decision played a crucial role in Farhan Akhtar's early career. The festival, which began on March 14, Aamir's birthday, and runs until March 27, is celebrating Aamir's immense contribution to Indian cinema, showcasing his iconic films nationwide.

 

Javed Akhtar reflected on his long relationship with Aamir, noting their unique bond and how their paths first crossed in the 1970s. He shared, “It’s an unusual and surprising relationship. I first came into the film industry in 1973 and Aamir was born in 1973. He made his debut at the age of eight in the film Yaadon Ki Baaraat, written by Salim-Javed.” Akhtar spoke about how he first met Aamir when the young actor was working on his continuity book and how he had sensed Aamir's extraordinary potential early on.

 

He recalled an incident that solidified his belief in Aamir's future success: “I was writing a script in Khandala and found out that Nasir Sahab (Nasir Hussain) was staying there too. When I met him, I noticed a boy sitting in a corner writing the continuity book. I asked Nasir Sahab who he was, and he said, ‘That’s Tahir’s son. He’s my assistant.’ I told him, ‘Why is he an assistant? This boy is a star! He’s a superstar, and you should make films with him.’ 

 

Javed Akhtar then shared how, later in Aamir’s career, he suggested the young actor start with a romantic film, something that would align with his natural charm and appeal. “I told Nasir Sahab that Aamir should start his career with a romantic film written by you , and eventually, that’s exactly what happened.”

 

The conversation then shifted to a turning point in Farhan Akhtar’s career. Javed recounted the moment when Farhan, after writing his first film as a director, Dil Chahta Hai, came to him with the script. “Farhan came to me with the script of Dil Chahta Hai and said, ‘Please read this.’ I saw that it was a film with three heroes, and I was skeptical. ‘You’re new, and how will you get three actors to work with you?’ I asked him. But Farhan was confident, and he said, ‘It’s sorted.’”

 

Many years later, Aamir Khan shared with me that Farhan had come to him to narrate the script, and it was through Farhan’s name that Aamir realized he was my son. Aamir told him, "I’m not listening to any scripts right now." After Farhan left, Aamir waited for at least ten days, thinking that I would eventually call him. But when I didn’t, his curiosity grew, and he thought to himself, "This boy hasn’t told his father anything about this." So, Aamir called Farhan back, listened to the script, and immediately said yes. Later, Javed Akhtar humorously remarked, "Had I made that call, Farhan’s career would have been ruined."

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