Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt recently shared his experience of shooting with Aamir Khan for the 1998 movie ‘Ghulam‘, particularly the terrifying train sequence they filmed. He also reflected on how people’s eagerness to watch films in cinemas at the earliest opportunity has diminished compared to earlier times.
Speaking to ETimes, Vikram discussed Aamir’s remark on Bollywood’s box office struggles. “I saw an interview with Aamir Khan in which he said that our films are struggling, probably because they are released on OTT platforms after two months, leading many people to prefer waiting. I agree with him to some extent, but if that were the case, why are South Indian films performing well in theatres?” he remarked.
Bhatt reminisced about his childhood when people bought movie tickets on the black market. “I’d like to go back to my childhood and recall the time when tickets were sold illegally at higher prices. What was the reason behind this? It meant that black-market sellers would buy tickets and resell them at inflated rates because they knew people were desperate to watch the film on the very first day. If there had been no urgency, there wouldn’t have been a black market for tickets. People would have simply waited for the next day or week instead of purchasing tickets at exorbitant prices,” he explained.
He further added, “Why didn’t they wait? Because watching the film immediately was essential. We need to create films that generate that same sense of urgency. And this urgency doesn’t apply to everyone—it appeals to the masses, the youth, and cinephiles who are passionate about cinema. We need to cater to them.”
Discussing the need to reignite the audience’s desire to watch films in theatres at the earliest, Bhatt elaborated, “What does it mean when we say, ‘The film had a big opening’? It means that people did not wait—they went on the first day to watch it. That urgency needs to be revived. For that to happen, we need to understand the people who are watching films. If we create films with an OTT audience in mind, that audience will simply wait. They don’t have the same urgency—they have other entertainment options. So, we need to make films that instil a strong desire to watch them immediately,” he emphasised.
Vikram also recalled filming the ‘Ghulam’ train sequence with Aamir, where the actor nearly risked his life. “I told Aamir, ‘It’s very dangerous. Let’s do it with VFX.’ He responded, ‘Vicky, ho jaayega.’ I insisted, ‘I don’t want you running into a train.’ But Aamir then spoke to the engine driver, asking him to approach at a speed of 20 km/h, and he jumped off the track. Then he asked to increase the speed to 30 km/h. Finally, he decided we’d shoot at 40 km/h. I was uneasy about it but ultimately agreed,” he revealed.
He described how Aamir narrowly escaped disaster by mere seconds. “During the take, the train approached at a speed of 40-45 km/h, and there was no way to stop it in time. Aamir missed the train by just one second. We confirmed this by analysing the footage—where Aamir’s shadow fell on the pole, the train’s shadow appeared exactly 24 frames later. I think Aamir still has that strip of film. He missed the train by just a second. I was extremely distressed.”
However, Aamir’s remark about the scene left Vikram baffled. “Later, while we were heading home, Aamir said, ‘Vicky, if I were the director, I wouldn’t have let the actor do this stunt.’ I was stunned and asked, ‘What kind of person are you?’ Well, that’s my relationship with Aamir,” he concluded.
