Aamir Khan Gave His Tennis Prize Money To Mom For Buying Shoes, Clothes: 'Abba jaan Had Taken A Loan'

News18

03-06-2025

Aamir Khan opens up on childhood struggles, revealing how his father's 8-year film delay left their family without income.
Aamir Khan, one of Bollywood's most respected stars today, recently opened up about the tough times his family faced when he was growing up. Speaking on Raj Shamani's podcast, the actor revealed that despite being born into a film family, he didn't have it easy. In fact, he had to become responsible at a young age as his father, film producer Tahir Hussain, went through a major financial crisis.
'There were a lot of financial problems at home. Usually, people think film producers have a lot of money. There's no truth to that. Most producers struggle a lot to make ends meet. There was a film of Abba jaan (father), Locket, which took eight years to make. There were problems with the actors' dates so the film, which was supposed to finish in one or one and a half years, stretched to eight years," said Aamir.
The long delay in completing the film led to years without income for the Khan household. Aamir explained how high-interest loans worsened the situation.
'There was no income at home for eight years. Because Abba jaan had taken a loan, and the interest was top-level at 36%, there was a very long rough patch in the middle," he continued. He shared how his father was trapped in a cycle of debt with lenders pressuring him but no new financiers willing to step in.
At the time, Aamir was playing competitive tennis and did his bit to help the family. 'I used to play competitive tennis then. Since I knew there's stress at home, I'd keep whatever prize money I won with my Ammi (mother) and tell her if she wants to buy any of my stuff, like shoes or clothes, she should buy from that money. When I'm saying all this, I'm realising I became responsible from a very young age," Aamir recalled.
Tahir Hussain, remembered for producing classics like Caravan (1971), Anamika (1973), and Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993), also directed Aamir in the 1990 fantasy drama Tum Mere Ho. He passed away in 2010 after a heart attack.
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