Aamir Khan would 'go home and cry' after films he signed turned out bad: 'I was stuck in a swamp, unable to get out'

Aamir Khan recalled the early phase of his career where he signed several films but later realised they were not how he wanted them to be.

Actor Aamir Khan has opened up on the early phase of his career after his successful debut with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak in 1988. In a recent conversation with writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar at the launch of Aamir Khan: Cinema Ka Jadugar, a special film festival by PVR INOX, Aamir spoke about the mistakes he made early in his career. (

Aamir Khan saw a spate of flops early in his career after initial success.

Aamir Khan on his early films

After Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak made him an overnight star, Aamir revealed that he 'got about 300-400 film offers'. Not realising the responsibility of signing films, he signed several at one time. “Back then, actors worked on 30 to 50 films simultaneously. Interestingly, Anil Kapoor did the fewest, with 33 films. Seeing that, I ended up signing 9-10 films at once. However, none of the directors I had dreamed of working with offered me any roles. It was only once the shooting of these films began that I realised the gravity of my mistake. I was working three shifts a day. I was not happy. I would go home and cry,” the actor said.

In next few years, the impact of these decisions began as Aamir's films began bombing at the box office one after the other. Films such as Love Love Love, Awwal Number and Tum Mere Ho flopped at the box office. Aamir recalled his mental state at the time, “The media dubbed me a ‘one-film wonder.’ Rightly so; I blame no one for that label. By then, I was certain that not only had these three films failed, but my next six would be disasters because they were even worse. I could see my career going down the drain. I was stuck in a swamp, unable to get out.”

All about Aamir Khan: Cinema Ka Jadugar Film Festival

Aamir eventually turned things around with a superhit in Dil (1990). In the 90s, he established himself as one of the top stars of the Hindi film industry, before delivering several all-time blockbusters in the 2000s. The Cinema Ka Jadugar festival is in celebration of the actor turning 60 later this week.