Latest news with #Amole
Indian Express
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Aamir Khan threatened to leave Taare Zameen Par over Amole Gupte's direction; lost confidence after watching ‘amateurish' rushes: ‘No second chance'
Aamir Khan has often been accused of taking over projects from directors or dominating them to the point of sidelining the filmmaker. These speculations gained momentum after the actor took over the direction of Taare Zameen Par from the film's writer, Amole Gupte. In a recent interaction, Aamir broke down the entire incident and shared what went on behind the scenes that compelled him to take over the film's direction. Speaking to Lallantop, Aamir revealed that he had known Amole since their school days and the two were good friends, having done theatre together. He shared that Amole had mentioned he wanted to approach Akshaye Khanna for his film. Curiously, Aamir asked Amole about the project and offered to recommend Amole's film to the Chhaava actor. Aamir heard the script of the film and liked it so much that he expressed his willingness to produce and star in it. He said, 'I really liked the story and I cried while hearing it. I promised Amole to call Akshaye and recommend it to him, but I questioned Amole, 'Why are you not offering this film to me?' and Amole said he thought I wouldn't be interested.' After this, the first discussion Amole and Aamir had was about direction. Aamir revealed that Amole expressed his wish to direct the film, but the Sarfarosh actor wasn't convinced about his skills as a director and told him so upfront. Aamir said, 'I told Amole, if you want me to produce the film then you won't be able to direct it because I don't have the confidence in you as a director.' After Aamir refused, Amole asked for one chance to direct the film, but the superstar again refused point-blank. So, Amole agreed to step back from direction, and they began searching for another director. Meanwhile, Aamir wasn't satisfied with the last portion of the film's script and sat with Amole for a week to rework it. During this time, while they were rewriting the script, Aamir had a change of heart and decided to give Amole a chance at direction, seeing his conviction and emotional connection to the story. Amole took the reins as director and started shooting the film with the child actors. While Aamir wasn't involved during the first week of filming, his team raised an alarm over Amole's direction and asked Aamir to view the rushes. After watching the footage, Aamir found the direction amateurish and decided to replace him. Sharing the same, he said, 'Rushes were amateurish, according to me. I didn't like the rushes at all.' Aamir recalled confronting Amole and even offering to back out of the film both as an actor and producer, willing to bear all the expenses incurred during the first week of shooting as he wasn't convinced with Amole's direction. He said, 'Amole called the rushes 'golden'. If he would have admitted that his work as a director is falling short, I would have given him a second chance but at that time I realised our thinking is very different.' He added, 'I told Amole that my confidence on you as a director is finished. I am giving this subject back to you, make this film somewhere else. I can't work on this as an actor or producer. I will write all the expenses I have incurred on this.' Aamir admitted that Amole asked 'for a second chance,' but he refused to grant it. Later, Amole backed out as director himself. While they were still looking for someone to direct the film, Aamir shared that it was Amole who suggested that Aamir should take on the role of director.
Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Aamir Khan said throw them out': Mansoor Khan recalls firing Milind Soman from Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, says original cast made life ‘miserable'
Often described as an unofficial remake of the 1979 American coming-of-age classic Breaking Away, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar has long been associated with its supposed Western inspiration. But director Mansoor Khan, in an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, reveals that the roots of the film are far more personal. 'The film is actually semi-autobiographical,' Khan shares. 'A lot of Aamir Khan's character, Sanju, was actually derived from my own life.' Recalling his early years, Khan says, 'I dropped out of MIT and came back from the US, and when I came back, I was a lost soul. And basically, I was feeling this guilt, that I had wasted so much of my parents' money. And now I was acting like an angry young kid who's angry with the whole world, but actually, he should be angry with himself.' Before Jo Jeeta, Khan channeled these feelings into a video film. 'So, I made a video film, actually, about a guy who just wants to laze around. It was a full one-hour-forty-minute film with two songs and background music. The first film to be made on video, I'm talking about 1982.' The film, titled Umberto, ended on a rather unconventional note. 'It was a tragic ending, because the guy is so useless that by the time he straightens up, the girl he likes. and who loves him, he loses her to his arch rival, Umberto. And he's the guy who works, earns, and is the responsible son and all that. And these two guys live one above the other. And the guy was called Amole. In the film, Amole himself played the character, Amol Gupte. And the Amole character was exactly like me. So basically, that was the premise. And then later that premise evolved into Jo Jeeta. See, Jo Jeeta is not a cycling film, say like Breaking Away. The idea was not to have a cycle race or any kind of race. Jo Jeeta, for me, is an awakening film.' While speaking about Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Khan also admits the film came dangerously close to collapse, largely due to his own casting misjudgments. He reveals that nearly 60–70% of the film had to be reshot after early choices in the cast proved disastrous. 'I cast a bunch of people, and it was my mistake. It was the wrong cast,' Khan admits. 'I actually feel I should write a book on Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. That's the one film where everything felt like fate, a true child of destiny. So many amazing things happened. Strangely, everyone who initially came into the project, for one reason or another, I rejected the right ones and picked the wrong ones.' Those decisions soon took a toll on the production. 'We shot for 40–45 days in and around Ooty, Coonoor, then came back to Bombay and shot a lot more, including the songs. But I could see the film was going nowhere,' he recalls. 'I won't take names, but those people were absolutely unprofessional. They made life miserable, not just for me, but for the entire crew. The film was turning out really badly, and it also nearly stalled.' At his lowest point, Khan even considered abandoning the project. 'I felt like giving up. But the film's story is about getting up and winning. So in a way, life was mirroring art,' he says. 'We stayed quiet. We threw those guys out. They went to the press, said all kinds of nasty things about me and Aamir. But we didn't respond. Our focus was clear, we had a film to make, and a good one. And in the end, the result is in front of you.' Also Read | Aamir Khan was the 'bad guy' of Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikandar who won, Deepak Tijori's character was better: director Mansoor Khan Ironically, many of the people he let go tried to return once the tide turned. 'Some of those same people came back to me later, including Milind Soman,' Khan reveals. 'They didn't understand filmmaking. They didn't understand humility, or the director's role, or that the film is bigger than any individual, bigger than the actor, the director, or the producer. They came in with strange ideas. But again, the mistake was mine. I shouldn't have cast them.' The turning point came when Milind Soman exited and Deepak Tijori stepped in. 'Why I call it a child of destiny is because Milind went out, and Deepak came in. Deepak had actually tested with Milind. But Milind got the part, based on his looks and physique. I wasn't making casting decisions properly back then,' Khan confesses. What ultimately saved the film, Khan says, was the support of Aamir Khan. 'The person who pulled me out of it was Aamir. He said, 'Throw these guys out. We'll make a good film.' I was in a really dark place then, depressed, on the verge of a breakdown. I used to wake up in the middle of the night crying during the shoot.' Despite the ordeal, Khan says he holds no grudges. 'I don't dwell on it. I just say: Fine. You did what you did. You lost a good film. You lost credibility. You didn't respect me, or the film, and that always comes back around.'
News18
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Aamir Khan Directed Sitaare Zameen Par After Replacing Amole Gupte: 'Forget Who's The Director'
Last Updated: Darsheel Safary reveals Aamir Khan directed Taare Zameen Par after replacing Amole Gupte. Although Aamir Khan has denied long-standing rumours of ghost-directing films, Taare Zameen Par star Darsheel Safary has offered a different version of events. In a recent interview, Darsheel said that Aamir didn't just star in the emotional drama — he also directed it, replacing original creative director Amole Gupte shortly after production began. Speaking to Vickey Lalwani, Darsheel recounted a moment from set when Aamir made the switch official. He said, 'He told us forget everything that we just shot. I am going to direct it. Amole sir is right here and he is going to be on the set as a creative director. It is his film, I will make it, we all will make it together. Forget who is the director." Darsheel shared that Amole had directed only for a few days before stepping aside. Looking back, he recalled feeling nervous around Aamir but shared a friendly bond with Amole. He said, 'I was scared of Aamir sir. Amole sir and I were actually friends. He had spotted me at Shiamak Davar's classes." He added, 'Amole sir and I had great friendship. His son and I are also good friends. We have done a lot of masti together." The young actor also confirmed that Aamir was involved even before taking over direction. He said, 'I remember them talking about what works and what not. I remember very clearly him (Aamir) giving inputs." In a separate interview with Galatta Plus, Aamir addressed the ghost-directing label and shared his frustration with the claims, 'A lot of times people would assume that I am ghost directing. They would assume that when these directors didn't work with me and their films were flops and it happened so many times with me that it became like 'it can't be a coincidence'. It was infuriating to convince people that I am not directing these films, it is these directors who are directing it." Taare Zameen Par was a massive critical and commercial success, and its upcoming spiritual sequel, Sitaare Zameen Par, is scheduled to release on June 20. This time, Aamir will play a basketball coach instead of a teacher. About the Author Shreyanka Mazumdar First Published: June 08, 2025, 10:37 IST
Indian Express
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Aamir Khan replaced Amole Gupte as Taare Zameen Par director after 2 days of shoot, says Darsheel Safary: ‘Forget who is the director'
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan was tagged a 'perfectionist' early in his career, but the label also invited criticism — with many accusing him of 'ghost directing' films and sidelining directors. While Aamir denied such claims in an interview with Galatta Plus, Darsheel Safary recently shared that Aamir, in fact, took over the direction of Taare Zameen Par from the film's original writer and creative director, Amole Gupte. In a recent interaction with Vickey Lalwani, Darsheel Safary recalled how Aamir completely reshot a scene in Taare Zameen Par, despite Amole Gupte being present on the set. He said, 'He told us forget everything that we just shot. I am going to direct it. Amole sir is right here and he is going to be on the set as a creative director. It is his film, I will make it, we all will make it together. Forget who is the director.' Darsheel also shared that Amole shot for the film for just 2-3 days before Aamir took over the director's chair. When asked how the transition was for him, Darsheel said, 'I was scared of Aamir sir. Amole sir and I were actually friends. He had spotted me at Shiamak Davar's classes.' He added, 'Amole sir and I had great friendship. His son and I are also good friends. We have done a lot of masti together.' Darsheel also admitted to Aamir giving inputs to Amole while shooting the film. 'I remember them talking about what works and what not. I remember very clearly him (Aamir) giving inputs.' Defending himself, Aamir said in the interview with Galatta Plus, 'A lot of times people would assume that I am ghost directing. They would assume that when these directors didn't work with me and their films were flops and it happened so many times with me that it became like 'it can't be a coincidence'. It was infuriating to convince people that I am not directing these films, it is these directors who are directing it.' The spiritual sequel of Taare Zameen Par — Sitaare Zameen Par — will be released on June 20. While Aamir played a teacher in the previous film, Sitaare Zameen Par will see him play the role of a basketball coach.
