This must be the golden phase for Aamir… he notched up the biggest grosser of India’s film industry (since surpassed by the inimitable Rajnikanth’s Enthiran) and he also converted a small film, Peepli Live, into a big hit. In fact, he had chalked up profits for his Peepli Liveeven before it hit the cinemas. The film was also chosen as India’s official entry for the Oscars in the Best Foreign Film category. This is the fourth Aamir Khan film that will be going to the Oscars as India’s official entry, after Lagaan, Rang De Basanti and Taare Zameen Par.
Peepli Livehad earlier been adjudged the Best Feature Film at the Durban Film Festival and had won Anusha Rizvi the Best Debutante Director Award at the Sundance Festival. But Aamir had his rough days too. During the promotion of 3 Idiots, he went underground and surfaced in odd, little-known spots across the country, and as he was travelling incognito, he assumed fake identities to avoid being recognised. But that didn’t go down well with some authorities. The police threatened to prosecute Aamir for concealing his identity. It also threatened to cancel licences of hotels in small districts of U.P., where the star had stayed – for on-verification of a guest’s identity. Well, the only good thing about these police enquiries was that 3 Idiotsgot even more publicity. And, as they say in the film, all izz well…. that ends well.
