10 Life Lessons From Aamir Khan

If he had not become an actor, Aamir Khan could have made an excellent life coach.

In his four-decade long career, the man has shared so many pearls of wisdom on screen that he ought to write a self-help book.

Continuing this tradition of inspirational, insightful moments, the trailer of his latest Laal Singh Chaddha, a remake of Hollywood’s Forrest Gump, shows him drawing philosophical metaphors from pani puri.

'Meri mummy kehti thi ki 'zindagi golgappe jaisi hondi hai, pet bhale hi bhar jaave, mann nahi bharta'.

As we muse over that lip-smacking thought, Sukanya Verma lists 10 times Aamir dispensed gyaan on the silver screen.

 

Taare Zameen Par

'Khayal karna bahut zaroori hai. Is mein ilaaj ki shakti hai, ek marham hai jisse dard mitha hai.'

Taare Zameen Par’s sensitive take on children struggling with dyslexia aims to educate and enlighten well-meaning but ignorant parents about its social and emotional implications.

As the art teacher ready to go that extra mile for the troubled genius in his class, Aamir lectures a student’s father on the significance of concern and making it known to its impressionable recipient.

 

PK

'Aap log bolta hai ek bhagwan hai. Hum bolta hai, nahi, dui bhagwan hai. Ek jaun hum sabka banaya aur ek jeka tum log banaya. Jaun hum sabko banaya oo ka baare hum kuch nahi jaanta. Lekin jeka tum log banaya woh bilkul tumhare jaisa hai -- jhoota, ghoos leta hai, jhoote vaade karta hai, amiron ko jaldi milta hai, garibon ko line mein khada karta hai. Taarif se khush hota hai, baat baat pe darata hai.'

The politics of religion gets a tongue-in-cheek treatment in Rajkumar Hirani’s 2014 superhit movie where Aamir plays an alien dumbstruck by the hypocrisy and hostility of earthlings, especially duplicitous godmen. And the man spares no humour or sarcasm to bare such phonies in public, employing the classic Bollywood trope of teary-eyed speech.

 

3 Idiots

'Yeh jo apna dil hai na bada darpok hai yaar. Isko bewakoof bana ke rakho. Life main kitni bhi badi problem ho na, usko bolo, koi baat nahi chachu, sab theek thaak hai, all izz well, all izz well.'

Learning isn’t the same as studying; this is one of the many life lessons to be found in Aamir’s charismatic hero as he leaves a huge impression on his fellow engineering classmates in Hirani’s 3 Idiots. And his all izz well funda? Right on top.

 

Dangal

'Gold toh gold hota hai chhora laave ya chhori.'

Gold doesn’t discriminate between genders so why should you?

This realisation comes slowly but surely to Aamir’s Haanikarak Bapu hellbent on making his wrestler daughters win gold medals for India.

 

Rang De Basanti

'Zindagi jeene ke do hi tareeke hote hain. Ek jo ho raha hai hone do, bardasht karte jaao. Ya phir zimmedari uthao usse badalne ki.'

Aamir justifies his extreme activism whilst urging his countrymen to change their apathetic attitude towards rampant corruption in the hard-hitting finale of Rang De Basanti.

 

Lagaan

'Sach aur sahaas hai jiske mann mein, anth mein jeet ussi ki rahe.'

Honesty and courage are all you need to defeat the mighty British at their own game as per Aamir’s idealist hero in Lagaan.

His motivational skills -- and an ensuing catchy A R Rahman song -- do the trick. Victory is ensured; village is saved.

 

Secret Superstar

'Tum jaise talented bachhe hote hai na, woh sode mein is bubbles ki tarah hote hain. Yeh bubbles dekh rahi ho, ek ke baad ek oopar aa raha hai. Talented bachhe aise hi hote hain. Woh aisi hi oopar aate hain, apne aap; unhe koi nahi rok sakta.'

Aamir’s flashy music director is full of encouraging words for his young protege.

What kid wouldn’t feel inspired and raring-to-go after being compared to rising soda bubbles?

 

Rangeela

'Apun public hai, public, kya? Kisi ko bhi kuch bhi bol sakta hai. Jis mein apna paisa vasool nahi uska dabba gul.'

Truer words were never spoken.

Aamir’s Munna had it figured out long, long before the advent of social media.

 

Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin

'Lift agar itni asaani se mil jaati toh saare kadke duniya ghoom aate. Lift maangna bhi ek kala hai.'

Who can forget Aamir Khan’s amusing bag of tips and tricks while schooling Pooja Bhatt on the subject of hitchhiking?

His patronising advice leads to both hilarious results and cautionary episodes.

 

Andaz Apna Apna

'Do dost ek pyaale mein chai peeyenge isse dosti badhti hai.'

Of the many, MANY uproarious gems Aamir utters in Andaz Apna Apna, this one has gain cult status.