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'Reena stayed in the next building. We fell in love but had to meet secretly because her parents didn't approve of me.'
'I would always be afraid that her parents would get her married off to somebody else.'
At 23, Aamir Khan became a star with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988). Within a year, the then Movie magazine Editor Dinesh Raheja brought out a Postermag on the new romantic icon which contained posters as well as an interview with the actor.
Presenting excerpts from that interview in 1989, which reveals Aamir's beliefs at the time.
As a teenager, Aamir looked totally different from the well-turned-out youth idol he became as a star.
"I was an extremely careless dresser," Aamir admitted sheepishly.
"Uncombed hair, all tangled and knotted, un-ironed clothes and an unshaved visage were my trademarks as a teen."
So engrossed was he in reading that the mirror never got a second glance.
"I read a lot -- something today's teens just don't do."
From comics (Denis The Menace and Charlie Brown) to more literary works by Tolstoy, Gorky, Goldman and Dickens.
He has changed three schools -- Petit Girls High School (up to primary), St Anne's and finally Bombay Scottish School -- because "I was interested in Engineering."
While the lives of other teenagers revolved around good looks, new cars and girls, Aamir was different. More of a feminist than the females themselves, Aamir often didn't see eye-to-eye with his peers.
"My group of friends was small," Aamir said.
"I was quite reserved but at the same time, very vocal about my views on feminism and such like. I hated eve-teasing. Not many guys liked me for that.
"I have the broad-mindedness of a modern teenager without the indiscipline, and the values and principles of an old-fashioned teenager without the narrow-mindedness.
"I could solve the Rubik cube in 28 seconds flat."
He was top-seeded in tennis at the sub-junior level in Maharashtra. He also played underarm cricket.
'I am not self-destructive'
Aamir said he never needed emotional crutches and never let himself into the drinking-drugs groove. He made an exception and drank champagne to celebrate the success of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak.
He asserted, "I am not self-destructive. I have always been very clear about what I wanted to do."
And what Aamir wanted to do was act.
While in college, he did a Gujarati play without knowing the language. He managed to get by with mugging up all the dialogue. While still in college, a role in Aditya Bhattacharya's short film, Paranoia convinced him of his vocation in life.
The long wait ended when his uncle, noted filmmaker Nasir Hussain, came up with the idea of making Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak with his son Mansoor Khan as the director, and nephew Aamir as the hero.
The film took the country by storm, sweeping Aamir into the top chair with it. And a star was born.
Aamir said his favourite song from Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak was Ae Mere Humsafar.
The other song he loved to hum is 'Don't know much about history, don't know much about biology, which was used in the film Witness.
His favourite playback singer was Mohammed Rafi. In English, he liked lan Anderson and Lionel Richie.
Even at that age, Aamir had set a high bar when it came to performers: Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri. Raghuvir Yadav and Dilip Kumar. Govinda, he named, as one of the better actors at that time.
'I love witty women'
Aamir elaborated at length on what attracts him in a woman.
Starting with beauty.
"Sure, good looks are important. Sridevi, Nargis, Madhuri Dixit, Liv Ullmann and Whoopi Goldberg are my concept of beauty. They have faces that express sensitivity, strength, intelligence and warmth. Eyes, being the mirrors of one's soul, are an important feature. These women have eyes that fit the bill perfectly."
The second quality he cited was intelligence.
He said, "Intelligence in a woman makes me respect her more. Academics or degrees don't affect me but I can't imagine myself falling in love with somebody unintelligent."
Having a sense of humour was also an important criterion.
"I love witty women," Aamir said. "Of course, if it's in the right spirit. She shouldn't have a really caustic tongue or try to insult me."
Aamir concluded, "Self-reliance is very attractive in a woman. In love, one is bound to be dependent, yet one doesn't have to breathe down each other's necks. This is the relationship I share with my wife, Reena. If I can't help with the housework, I make sure Reena too doesn't."
Startlingly, the star revealed that even after his stardom, his then wife Reena still used various modes of public transport because the family had only one car.
As Aamir said, "Obviously, I can't travel by buses. So I have to use the car and Reena takes the bus. When we buy another car, she'll certainly travel by it."
The First Mrs Aamir Khan
Even in his early 20s, Aamir was not footloose and fancy-free. But was very happily married to Reena Aamir Khan.
An independent young woman, unaffected by Aamir's super-success, Reena had turned down even the national press in their effort to get her to talk.
But Aamir was more than willing to gab about his wife.
"Reena and my sensibilities are similar," he revealed.
"Our sense of judgement is similar but we have our differences in taste, of course. Like for instance, we're doing up our house right now. She likes small geysers, and I like big ones. She is neat, tidy and organised while I'm totally messy and untidy. I can never remember where I've kept a pen. While I'm quite philosophical and introspective, she is most practical, sensible and down-to-earth."
Their love story was as full of dramatic twists and turns as any reel love story.
Aamir explained, "Reena stayed in the next building. We fell in love but had to meet secretly because her parents didn't approve of me. I would always be afraid that her parents would get her married off to somebody else. So as soon as I turned 21, I applied for a marriage license and on April 18, 1987 we went through a civil marriage."
Five stars then rated Aamir's desirability
Madhuri Dixit: His innocence is so inviting. If he was taller, Wow!
Neelam Kothari: A real cutie pie. His chocolate looks are a relief in this crowd of unconventional faces.
Dimple Kapadia: Such expressive eyes! He'll be perenially young. Another Rishi Kapoor in the making.
Amrita Singh: Papa kehte hai bada naam karega is coming true. And how!
Kimmy Katkar: His innocence is his bearer cheque. He can cash it anytime.
