Aamir Khan dropped out of commerce classrooms to build a career no degree could offer: Here is how

Time of India

09-07-2025

Long before the awards, global premieres and socially resonant cinema,
Aamir Khan
was just another student navigating the school corridors of Mumbai. His academic journey began at J.B. Petit School, before he moved to St.
Anne's High School in Bandra. Eventually, he completed Class 10 from Bombay Scottish School, Mahim, a name that continues to hold weight in the city's academic landscape.
At Bombay Scottish, where routine tests and tightly scheduled timetables shaped student life, Aamir Khan blended in as one among many. The ICSE curriculum demanded consistency and academic discipline, qualities he demonstrated quietly. Yet beneath the surface, something else was growing, a pull toward a world less structured than ledgers and commerce textbooks.
Coming from a family with deep roots in cinema, Aamir Khan's environment at home was a contrast to the formality of his school life. His great-uncle, Nasir Hussain, was a renowned filmmaker, and his father, Tahir Hussain, was also involved in the industry. Conversations around storytelling and filmmaking were not occasional, they were part of the everyday. Even so, he followed the academic script for as long as he could.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Aamir Khan's conventional start at Narsee Monjee college
In keeping with the expectations of the time, Aamir Khan enrolled at Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics, one of Mumbai's most competitive institutions affiliated with the University of Mumbai. Known for its high cut-offs and commerce-driven ethos, Narsee Monjee attracted students with aspirations of becoming bankers, accountants and corporate professionals. Aamir Khan was no exception.
For two years, he attended lectures on economics, business studies and financial accounting.
But somewhere in those corridors, Aamir Khan began to feel the growing distance between the life he was studying for and the life he quietly envisioned.
Even as he worked through assignments and exams, his evenings were often spent on quieter pursuits like script readings, studio visits and behind-the-scenes glimpses of his uncle's film sets. The contrast between these two worlds grew starker with time until the choice became inevitable.
Aamir Khan's transition from classrooms to film sets
At 18, Aamir Khan made a decision that would alter the course of his life. He left Narsee Monjee after completing two years of his commerce degree and began working as an assistant director under Nasir Hussain. The films Manzil Manzil (1984) and Zabardast (1985) became his training ground.
These early roles were not glamorous, he was not on posters or red carpets. Instead, he was managing continuity, assisting with camera setups and learning the language of cinema from the ground up.
This period was far from an academic dropout story. It was, in many ways, a transition from one kind of education to another. It was practical, immersive and rigorous.
His learning no longer came from textbooks but from the moving parts of a film set. He absorbed the craft by doing, by watching veteran directors make choices, by observing how scenes were blocked and by understanding how narratives unfolded not just on paper but on screen.
Applied learning and career discipline in Aamir Khan's life
What followed was not just stardom but a career built with careful intent. Known today for his intense preparation and research-led performances, Aamir Khan's approach to filmmaking has long reflected the discipline of a lifelong learner. His directorial debut Taare Zameen Par was praised not just for its storytelling but for its nuanced depiction of educational challenges, especially those faced by children with dyslexia.
Later projects like Lagaan, Rang De Basanti and Dangal further demonstrated his commitment to research, authenticity and contextual accuracy. His work ethic mirrors the qualities often associated with high academic achievers: focus, structure and a refusal to settle for superficial understanding.
His departure from formal education may have taken place early, but his intellectual journey never paused. Instead, it shifted forms, becoming more applied and experience-driven with every project.
Reflecting on non-linear career paths
In today's educational discourse, Aamir Khan's path offers meaningful insight into what non-linear success can look like. His decision to leave Narsee Monjee would have been seen as a risk in the 1980s, a deviation from the expected. But in retrospect, it has become an example of how careers in creative industries often begin with curiosity, exposure and a willingness to take the less conventional route.
More students today are seeking alternative academic models, combining creative ambition with foundational education.
In this context, Aamir Khan's trajectory remains relevant. His time at Narsee Monjee may not have culminated in a degree, but the critical thinking and discipline that commerce education instills are visible in how he approaches film as a craft and business.
Aamir Khan's academic journey, from structured schooling to a reputed commerce college, gave him a grounding that would later surface in his professional life in unexpected ways.
Though he left Narsee Monjee College after two years, the decision was not an end but a pivot, one that opened the door to a different form of learning rooted in practice, observation and storytelling.
In his 2025 film Sitaare Zameen Par, Khan once again engaged with educational themes, focusing on children with special needs and the emotional complexity of learning outside mainstream expectations. Just as Taare Zameen Par sparked national conversations on dyslexia, this new project extended the dialogue on inclusion and support in educational systems.
Through each phase of his career, Aamir Khan has exemplified the idea that education is not always linear. Whether in classrooms or on camera, learning remains a lifelong process, shaped as much by experience as by formal instruction.
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