Did you know Satish Kaushik REJECTED Aamir Khan for Mr India because of THIS reason?
Before becoming one of Bollywood's biggest stars,
Aamir Khan
had his fair share of early rejections — one of which came from none other than veteran actor-filmmaker
Satish Kaushik
. In a lesser-known anecdote, Aamir once revealed how he was turned down for an assistant director's role on Mr.
India simply because of a misunderstood first impression — offering a rare, amusing glimpse into the ego dynamics and unspoken hierarchies of the industry.
In a candid chat with Humans of Bombay, Aamir recalled the uncertain phase in his life when he was still figuring out his path into the film industry. One thing he was sure of, however, was his desire to work with filmmaker
Shekhar Kapur
, whose work he deeply admired. At the time, Kapur was directing the cult classic Mr.
India. Interestingly, Satish Kaushik, who played the beloved character Calendar in the film, was also serving as the chief assistant director — the very person Aamir had to face for his job interview.
The superstar recalled meeting Shekhar Kapur with the hope of working as his assistant director. During the interaction, he also met Satish Kaushik, who was then Kapur's chief AD on Mr. India. Aamir came prepared — he presented detailed paperwork showcasing his skills and understanding of filmmaking.
At the time, such preparation was rare in the industry, and both Kapur and Kaushik were reportedly impressed. Aamir noted that even Kaushik, despite his experience, wasn't used to seeing that level of documentation from aspiring assistants.
He also shared that despite being confident in his abilities as an assistant director — particularly his knack for managing film sets — he didn't get the job on Mr. India. Later, he discovered the reason.
Satish Kaushik, who was leading the AD team, told him candidly that when Aamir showed up for the meeting in a car, while he himself didn't own one, it made him feel awkward. Kaushik admitted that it didn't sit right with him to hire a junior who arrived in more style than he did — subtly hinting at the industry's unspoken hierarchies and ego dynamics.
Aamir clarified to Satish Kaushik that the car wasn't his—it just happened to be with him that day because he was running an errand for someone.
He recalled being stunned by the irony of the situation. Despite belonging to a film family, Aamir said he was more accustomed to using public transport and had never relied on any privileges. Yet, that one-off appearance in a car ended up costing him the opportunity.
Despite coming from a film family, Aamir Khan told Satish Kaushik that he usually travelled by public transport. The car he arrived in that day wasn't his—he was just running an errand. Ironically, that brief impression cost him the assistant director job.
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Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Did you know Satish Kaushik REJECTED Aamir Khan for Mr India because of THIS reason?
Aamir Khan, before his Bollywood fame, faced rejection from Satish Kaushik for an assistant director role on Mr India. Kaushik admitted that Aamir's arrival in a car, though not his, created an awkward impression, influencing the decision. This incident highlights the industry's unspoken hierarchies and ego dynamics, costing Aamir the opportunity despite his qualifications. Before becoming one of Bollywood's biggest stars, Aamir Khan had his fair share of early rejections — one of which came from none other than veteran actor-filmmaker Satish Kaushik . In a lesser-known anecdote, Aamir once revealed how he was turned down for an assistant director's role on Mr. India simply because of a misunderstood first impression — offering a rare, amusing glimpse into the ego dynamics and unspoken hierarchies of the industry. In a candid chat with Humans of Bombay, Aamir recalled the uncertain phase in his life when he was still figuring out his path into the film industry. One thing he was sure of, however, was his desire to work with filmmaker Shekhar Kapur , whose work he deeply admired. At the time, Kapur was directing the cult classic Mr. India. Interestingly, Satish Kaushik, who played the beloved character Calendar in the film, was also serving as the chief assistant director — the very person Aamir had to face for his job interview. The superstar recalled meeting Shekhar Kapur with the hope of working as his assistant director. During the interaction, he also met Satish Kaushik, who was then Kapur's chief AD on Mr. India. Aamir came prepared — he presented detailed paperwork showcasing his skills and understanding of filmmaking. At the time, such preparation was rare in the industry, and both Kapur and Kaushik were reportedly impressed. Aamir noted that even Kaushik, despite his experience, wasn't used to seeing that level of documentation from aspiring assistants. He also shared that despite being confident in his abilities as an assistant director — particularly his knack for managing film sets — he didn't get the job on Mr. India. Later, he discovered the reason. Satish Kaushik, who was leading the AD team, told him candidly that when Aamir showed up for the meeting in a car, while he himself didn't own one, it made him feel awkward. Kaushik admitted that it didn't sit right with him to hire a junior who arrived in more style than he did — subtly hinting at the industry's unspoken hierarchies and ego dynamics. Aamir clarified to Satish Kaushik that the car wasn't his—it just happened to be with him that day because he was running an errand for someone. He recalled being stunned by the irony of the situation. Despite belonging to a film family, Aamir said he was more accustomed to using public transport and had never relied on any privileges. Yet, that one-off appearance in a car ended up costing him the opportunity. Despite coming from a film family, Aamir Khan told Satish Kaushik that he usually travelled by public transport. The car he arrived in that day wasn't his—he was just running an errand. Ironically, that brief impression cost him the assistant director job.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Mahesh Bhatt walked out of 'Ghulam' because he couldn't tolerate Aamir Khan, reveals Deepak Tijori: "Aamir ko jhel nahi sakta"
Early in his career, Aamir Khan's perfectionism strained his collaboration with Mahesh Bhatt, leading Bhatt to quit the film 'Ghulam'. Deepak Tijori revealed Bhatt couldn't tolerate Aamir, prompting director Vikram Bhatt to take over. Mahesh later admitted walking away as filmmaking didn't mean everything to him. Early in his career, Aamir Khan worked with director Mahesh Bhatt on several projects, but their collaboration eventually broke down. Bhatt has often pointed to Aamir's perfectionist nature as a challenge to his filmmaking style. However, the situation took a serious turn when Bhatt decided to leave his own film, 'Ghulam', as he found it impossible to continue working with Aamir. Deepak Tijori Reveals Bhatt's Departure Deepak Tijori, who acted in 'Ghulam', recently shared an interesting story during an interview with Bollywood Bubble. He revealed that Mahesh Bhatt left the project because he found it impossible to work with Aamir Khan. Tijori said, 'I got to know that Bhatt saab left Ghulam. He said, 'Mere se nahi hoga, Aamir ko jhel nahi sakta main (I can't do this. Can't put up with Aamir).'' Following Bhatt's exit, Vikram Bhatt stepped in as the director, by which time the film had already been in production for two years. Mahesh Bhatt Opens Up About Walking Away During a previous interview with SCREEN, Bhatt admitted, 'I choose to walk away from it. I told Aamir, I didn't think movies meant so much to me that I would dedicate my entire life to it. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo It doesn't mean so much to me and I'd be lying if I say otherwise.' Before 'Ghulam', the duo had collaborated on 'Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahi' and 'Hum Hain Raahi Pyaar Ke'. In a separate conversation with Radio Nasha, Mahesh recalled that Aamir once spent 10 hours debating over his cap in 'Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahi'. Reflecting on the Difficult Experience In an old interview uploaded on Wild Films India's YouTube channel, Mahesh Bhatt opened up about his time working with Aamir on 'Ghulam'. He remarked, 'He worked with me on Ghulam. That wasn't a pleasant experience for me. When a man is burdened by his greatness, that burden is shared by people around him. Economically, that is very difficult, especially if you're making movies with reasonable budgets.'
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
Mahesh Bhatt left Ghulam because of Aamir Khan, says Deepak Tijori: ‘Aamir ko nahi jhel sakta main'
Aamir Khan got the moniker of Mr Perfectionist very early on his career and after associating with director Mahesh Bhatt for a couple of films, the two fell apart. Bhatt has previously blamed Aamir's perfectionism as a hindrance to his own process but things were very different when Bhatt abandoned his own film, Ghulam, because he just could not continue to work with Aamir. Deepak Tijori, who was also a part of Ghulam, recently recalled this anecdote in a chat with Bollywood Bubble and shared that Mahesh Bhatt actually quit the film because he could not work with Aamir Khan. He recalled, 'I got to know that Bhatt saab left Ghulam. He said, 'Mere se nahi hoga, Aamir ko jhel nahi sakta main (I can't do this. Can't put up with Aamir).'' Deepak recalled that it was after this that Vikram Bhatt took over as the director, and at this point, the film had already been in the making for 2 years. ALSO READ | Pakistani actor Humaira Asghar, found dead on Tuesday, passed away nine months ago; brother to perform last rites after father refuses to claim body In an earlier chat with SCREEN, Mahesh Bhatt shared, 'I choose to walk away from it. I told Aamir, I didn't think movies meant so much to me that I would dedicate my entire life to it. It doesn't mean so much to me and I'd be lying if I say otherwise.' Until Ghulam, they had already worked together in Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahi and Hum Hain Raahi Pyaar Ke. In another chat with Radio Nasha, Mahesh shared that Aamir once spent 10 hours discussing his cap in Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahi. In an archival interview shared on the YouTube channel of Wild Films India, Mahesh had shared, 'He worked with me on Ghulam. That wasn't a pleasant experience for me. When a man is burdened by his greatness, that burden is shared by people around him. Economically, that is very difficult, especially if you're making movies with reasonable budgets.' Aamir Khan was last seen in Sitaare Zameen Par, which released after the colossal failure of Laal Singh Chaddha. As per Sacnilk, the film has already earned over Rs 154 crore.
