Actor Aamir Khan has opened up about a tense encounter with the underworld during the peak of his stardom in the 1990s. Sharing the experience in a recent interview, Aamir recalled being approached with an invitation to a party- reportedly hosted in the Middle East by underworld figures. Despite repeated pressure, monetary offers, and threats, the actor stood firm and refused to attend, fearing for the safety of his loved ones.

Speaking to India Today’s sister channel, The Lallantop, Aamir recounted, “I’d said no to the invite to attend their party in the Middle East, probably Dubai. Some people from the underworld had visited me to invite me to the party.”

While he did not reveal who was behind the invite, he clarified, “I don’t take names, even of people from my industry. That’s my nature.” He added that they tried hard to persuade him, “They tried a lot. They offered me money and offered to get any work done of my choosing. I still refused to come. They quickly changed their tone and said I’d have to come now because my presence had already been announced, and it was a prestige issue.”

Aamir said he made his stance clear in what would be their final meeting. “I said, ‘You’ve been meeting for a month and I’ve been telling you right from the start that I wouldn’t come. You’re very powerful so you can bash me up, hit me on the head, tie my hands and legs, and take me forcibly wherever you want, but I wouldn’t come on my own.’ So they stopped contacting me after that.”

The actor admitted he was terrified during the ordeal, not just for himself but for his family. “I had two small kids then. My parents were very concerned. They said, ‘What are you doing? They’re very dangerous.’ So I had said only one thing to them then, ‘I want to live my life the way I want. I don’t want to go there.’” He added, “I was more concerned for the ones close to me.”

At the time, Aamir was married to Reena Dutta, with whom he had two children – Junaid (born in 1993) and Ira (born in 1997). The couple divorced in 2002 but remain on cordial terms.

Interestingly, years later, Aamir was in talks to star in ‘Mogul’, a biopic of T-Series founder Gulshan Kumar, who was shot dead by the underworld in 1997. The film, produced by Bhushan Kumar and directed by Subhash Kapoor, saw Aamir exit the project, after which Akshay Kumar was considered for the role. The project has since seen no major updates.

– Ends