Aamir Khan recalls being nervous about his career in Bollywood due to short height: ‘Amitabh Bachchan was number 1’

Aamir Khan talked about his ability to take a joke on himself, recalled being nervous because of his height while debuting in Bollywood.

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par. The trailer of the film shows Aamir’s on-screen mother calling him a “tingu”, referring to his short height. In a recent interview with Just Too Filmy, Aamir revealed that he was afraid and nervous about his height at the beginning of his career. (Also Read: Sitaare Zameen Par first reviews out: Aamir Khan's film will ‘change perceptions, make you cry')

Actor Aamir Khan talked about being nervous about his height while entering the industry. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP) (AFP)

Aamir on taking joke on himself in Sitaare Zameen Par

When asked if he's become more comfortable taking a joke at his own expense, especially now that he’s allowing people to call him “tingu” in the film, Aamir said, "Actually, Javed saab once said something about humour that I really agree with. He said a good sense of humour is not just for fun and games, but it actually comes in handy when you're going through difficulties in life. So if you have a good sense of humour at that time, it's like a shock absorber. I think I’ve always had that ability, and it’s a very important part of the film."

Aamir Khan on being nervous about his height

Aamir further recalled being worried about his height early in his career and said, "At the beginning of my career, I was very afraid. Amit ji was number one, and he was over six feet tall. Vinod ji, Shatrughan Sinha—all were very tall. So I was nervous, thinking choti height ke actor ki kuch daal galegi ki nahi galegi (whether a short actor like me would even stand a chance). I was very concerned about that. But as it turned out, it was fine."

Meanwhile, in Sitaare Zameen Par, Aamir is set to play the role of a basketball coach who is forced to train a team of neurodivergent children for a tournament as a form of punishment. Directed by R.S. Prasanna, the film is a remake of the Spanish movie Campeones and features ten debutant actors: Aroush Datta, Gopi Krishna Varma, Samvit Desai, Vedant Sharma, Ayush Bhansali, Ashish Pendse, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Naman Mishra, and Simran Mangeshkar. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on June 20.