Aamir Khan is one of the most popular actors in the Hindi film industry, who is addressed by fans as ‘Mr. Perfectionist’. He gets the title for his ability to portray complex characters, attention to detail and versatility. In the last decade, the actor selectively chose to play impactful roles, which not only shined at the box office but also left an undeniable impact in the minds of audiences. Aamir is an inspiration for new-age actors but not many know that he once struggled with self-doubt, especially related to his height. However, a significant piece of advice from Javed Akhtar changed things for him in the initial days of his career.
Aamir Khan was unsure if he would get importance in the industry due to his short height
Aamir Khan sat down for a conversation with Just Filmy Things, where the host highlighted how Aamir is teased for his height and called ‘tingu’ in his upcoming film, Sitaare Zameen Par, for his short height. She asked the actor how he was comfortable being the subject of a joke on his height in his film. In turn, Aamir who has a 5.5 ft height explained that it reflected the real-life nervousness that he faced during the initial phase of his career. The Dangal actor recalled that when he stepped into the film industry during the late ’80s, all the big stars of that time were tall-heighted men, which made him insecure. In his words:
“Amitabh Bachchan was at the top of the industry at that time, and then other male actors like Shatrughan Sinha and Vinod Khanna were all tall and strapping men. I was very nervous about whether a short actor like myself would be given any importance or not, but as it turned out, it was fine.”
However, Aamir soon got over the nervousness and doubts due to valuable advice shared by Javed Akhtar. The Lagaan actor shared that the legendary screenwriter explained that a good sense of humour wasn’t just about having fun or playing games. Instead, its real power shines when a person is going through a difficult time. At the same time, it’s also about the ability to laugh at oneself.
Aamir Khan once recalled he was called ‘tingu’ due to his short height
It’s not the first time that Aamir Khan has discussed his insecurity about his height during the initial phase of his career. Previously, in a conversation with Nana Patekar on Zee Music Company’s YouTube channel. The actor explained that he used to fear that people might not like to select him due to his short height. But gradually, when that didn’t happen, he realised that height didn’t matter when it came to hard work. Before that, during the promotional spree of his 2012 film, Talaash, the actor revealed that many people addressed him as ‘Tingu’ due to his short height.
Aamir Khan’s work front
Aamir Khan was last seen on the big screen when he played the titular role in the 2022 film, Laal Singh Chaddha, co-starring Kareena Kapoor. He will be next seen in Sitaare Zameen Par alongside Genelia Deshmukh which will focus on the story of a coach and a team of autistic kids. It will be released in theatres on June 20, 2025, and recently, Aamir also confirmed that he is working on Lokesh Kanagaraj’s next film.
What do you think about Aamir Khan revelations about being insecure over his height?
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