Today, Aamir Khan is celebrated as Bollywood’s ‘Mr Perfectionist’, but his journey to that reputation was far from straightforward. After the phenomenal success of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), the actor saw one film after another fail at the box office, a phase that nearly earned him the tag of a “one-film wonder” until he bounced back with Dil.
Speaking at the BFI London Film Festival, Aamir looked back at the difficult phase that followed his blockbuster debut, revealing how a string of flops left him questioning his career before Dil (1990) revived his fortunes. The actor also explained how those early setbacks shaped the choices that would later define his career.
‘I was an overnight star’
Directed by Mansoor Khan, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak became a landmark romantic film upon its release in 1988, turning Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla into overnight stars. However, the success did not immediately translate into the kind of opportunities Aamir had hoped for. After QSQT, films such as Love Love Love, Raakh, Awwal Number and Tum Mere Ho failed at the box office, before Dil opposite Madhuri Dixit restored his standing in 1990. Hits like Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar followed, cementing his place among Bollywood’s leading stars.
Recalling that period, Aamir said, “Because when I started acting, when QSQT came out, it was a big success. And I was certainly this overnight star. But at that time, things were different. It took a lot more than a super hit like QSQT for the A-grade filmmakers to take you seriously. Though I had had a big success behind me, none of the directors who I wanted to work with approached me. So I was a successful person, but I didn’t have the kind of work that I wanted.”
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Why he signed 10 films at once
Aamir recalled that in the late 1980s, actors routinely juggled dozens of films simultaneously, prompting him to sign nearly ten projects.
“At that time, the average number of films that Hindi film actors were doing was about 40 or 50 simultaneously. Anil Kapoor had the least, around 33. Govinda had crossed 70. So I thought if I signed 10 films, I should be okay. I selected about eight to ten films based on the scripts. Most were by new directors. I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into. For the kind of person I am, 10 films is just too much.”
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‘I realised filmmaking is a director’s medium’
The actor said the experience taught him one lesson that would eventually become the foundation of his career.
“My biggest learning came very early—that filmmaking is a director’s medium. Unless you have complete faith in the director and your sensibility matches with theirs, you imagine you’re going in one direction, but you end up somewhere else.”
He recalled realising within months that he had made the wrong choices.
“I realised, my God, I really shouldn’t have been doing these films because the director’s sensibility was totally different.”
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That experience led him to create a simple rule before signing any project.
“I realised that when I’m selecting a film, I have to be very careful about three things. The script has to be great. The director has to be someone I trust completely and whose sensibility matches mine. And the producer has to support the creative team and give the film the resources and release it deserves.”
‘I used to come home and cry’
Although he regretted signing those films, Aamir said he honoured every commitment.
“I didn’t feel it right to not complete these films. I used to do three shifts a day… It was crazy.”
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As the films began releasing, they failed one after another, earning him the label of a “one-film wonder.”
“The films began releasing and they started bombing, one after the other. So I suddenly got labelled one film wonder… I felt like I’m in quicksand. With each film coming out, I’m sinking further in. I used to come back from work and cry because I was really unhappy with the work I was doing. This is not why I had wanted to be in films.”
The Mahesh Bhatt film he turned down
At what he described as the lowest point of his career, Aamir received an offer from filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, whose films Arth, Saaransh and Naam had established him as one of Hindi cinema’s most respected directors.
Aamir said accepting the project would have instantly revived industry confidence in him, but he couldn’t connect with the script.
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“I knew my good sense was telling me, just say yes. You need this film. But the other side was telling me you’ve promised yourself you won’t make the same mistake again.”
After spending a sleepless night, he declined the offer.
“I told Bhatt sahib, ‘I have to be honest with you. I didn’t like the script and I can’t do the film.’”
Looking back, Aamir called that decision the biggest turning point of his career.
“I was at my worst. My back was against the wall. But when I had the courage to say no to him at my lowest, I think that really was a very big turning point in my life. Had I compromised that day, I think my entire career would have been a series of compromises.”
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The gamble eventually paid off. Dil became a blockbuster in 1990, reviving Aamir’s career, and he went on to establish himself as one of Hindi cinema’s biggest stars.
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