Aamir Khan and Dalip Tahil have shared the screen in many films, including ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak ‘(1988), ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke’ (1993),’ Ishq ‘(1997), and ‘Mann’ (1999). Dalip Tahil recently spoke about his experience working with the PK actor ahead of his 60th birthday this month. He recalled an incident that took place between Aamir and director Indra Kumar during the filming of ‘Ishq’.
In an interview with Indian Express, Dalip reminisced about Aamir’s meticulous nature on set. He revealed Aamir’s tendency to question scenes during filming, while director Indra Kumar was adamant about sticking to his vision. While Aamir questioned certain scenes, Indra asked him to follow his direction as he had a clear vision for his characters. “It reached a point where he (Indra) said, ‘Bhaiya, meri picture mein main jo bolta hoon tu wahi kar.’ But they both got along really well and still share a beautiful bond,” he shared.
Dalip explained how Indra maintained his firm storytelling vision and jokingly told Aamir a few times that he should make his own films. “He told Aamir jokingly two or three times, ‘Baba, tu apni picture bana, meri film mein jaise main bol raha hoon waise kar,’” Dalip added. He acknowledged that Aamir had a different approach to filmmaking and went on to make Lagaan after finishing Ishq.
The ‘Baazigar’ actor also reflected on the challenges Aamir faced in the 1980s, revealing his frustration with the lack of well-structured scripts. After ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’, people were often unprepared when he asked for scenes, as they did not work with bound scripts at that time. Aamir was frustrated with this habit of not having a proper script.
Discussing the repetitive casting patterns of that era, Dalip recalled how filmmakers repeatedly paired him with Aamir. “People only cast Aamir because he was a bankable star. Then they would ask, ‘Uske baap ke role mein kaun hai? Dalip Tahil ko le lo, because that’s a combination that works.’ If you look at the state of movies back then, you’ll realise it was chaotic. Aamir came from a family of filmmakers who worked with completed scripts, like his uncle Nasir Hussain and his father Tahir Hussain. They came from a different film background where people were organised,” he stated.
The ‘Dangal’ actor was discontent with the industry’s formulaic approach post-1980s and struggled with the lack of creative depth in films. Frustrated by repetitive roles and a system focused solely on commercial viability, he eventually took charge of his projects to pursue meaningful storytelling.
Dalip noted that while some films they worked on were impressive, others felt restrictive, fuelling Aamir’s desire to break the mould and create a new cinematic space.
