I’m not really that good at being famous: Imran Khan

July 3, 2008, was one of the biggest nights Bollywood had seen in a long time. All roads led to the premiere of Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, the launch pad of Aamir Khan’s nephew Imran Khan. Funnily enough, the actor now says that he has no clear memory of that night, because he was in “some kind of zone”. Sitting in his car, where we catch up while he shuttles from one place to another, Imran revisits that night.

“It was a crazy night but I don’t remember much of it. The last thing I remember is driving through the gates of the theatre. I hardly remember a thing after the doors opened,” he says. He does remember that at one point he had slipped and fallen on the stairs, bruised his leg and even his pants were torn a little. “And I was sitting in one of the back rooms of the movie theatre with Aamir and Salman Khan, observing the audience’s reaction. It was just the three of us in the room and then Salman looked at Aamir and said ‘he is going to be the next one of us’.”

Imran met most of the industry bigwigs for the first time that night. Even though he comes from a film family, the actor says that he never grew up in the industry. “My contemporaries Varun (Dhawan), Ranbir (Kapoor), these guys know each other. My seniors like Hrithik (Roshan), Farhan (Akhtar) and Abhishek (Bachchan) played cricket together. But I had never met anyone. For me, it was insane to meet people like Salman, Anil (Kapoor), Amitabh Bachchan and so many others in real life. I was like ‘oh my god! They are real people,” Imran says.

Imran Khan’s success with his debut strike was compared to what Hrithik Roshan had achieved with Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. Imran had become a superstar overnight. His world changed. “Seasoned producers would came to me with five scripts, place them on my table and say put your finger on any one and we will put Rs 30 crore in it. Based on what? What do I know…Just one hit?” Imran says. Did he really understand what was happening around him at that time, we ask. “Where in the world does someone invest Rs 30 crore based on the recommendation of a 24-year-old? It was a scary phase. It took me a while to handle it.

I realised that I was never cut out for that aspect of it. I am not very good at being famous or playing the stardom game. Which is odd, because the knee-jerk reaction would be why did you become an actor then? It took me a long time to come to terms with becoming famous and embracing it. There are people who genuinely enjoy being famous. For them, it is wonderful to walk into a room and be the centre of attention. I respect them but that doesn’t hold a lustre for me. My personality thrives on silence and privacy.” We notice, even his car, in which we were sitting, is dressed to suit his need for quiet, with black curtains and no music.  

But the fame, which he calls the “scary phase”, turned out to be short-lived when three of his films failed at the box-office, one after the other. When he finally opens up about the darkest time in his career, it is evident from his voice that all is not buried in the past. “From the end of 2013 to the start of 2014 — those two to three months were really tough.

Gori Tere Pyar Mein had tanked and I lost films that I thought I was doing. Lot of people around me disappeared after my failure. My phone stopped ringing and there were no messages. I was hearing that people were saying bad things about me.” He continues, “People have been assuming that I was sitting idle in the past two years and that no one has offered me a film. Three scripts per week are offered to me even today. And it’s not like they are Bhojpuri films but offers from mainstream directors and producers.”

He admits that the fall has made him wiser and he has learnt to rely more on his gut feel. He has decided to become firmer on his film choices and never give the nod until he is a hundred per cent convinced. “Before I come on board, I make it clear that we need to have an open channel of communication, have loads of discussions. If a film fails then it is hung around my neck. If the blame is put on the producer and director, then it’s a different matter. If I am the one that gets praised when a film works and gets blamed if it doesn’t, then I want to be in control of it. I am not going to leave anything in your hands,” says the more determined Imran.

It is very crucial that his next film Katti Batti finds success at the box office and Imran knows that. But he is confident about this one and has a valid reason too — Aamir Khan. He says, “I have started using this phrase around in office, that for me Katti Batti is a spiritual sequel to Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but I am very happy with what I have done in this film. That’s why I showed it to Aamir. I have never done that before. I never felt that I had done anything good enough to show him. I was never too happy with them myself. And if I was not happy, then imagine what he would have to say. I have never, even for once, been caught unawares by failure. I have never been surprised when my film didn’t do well. I have been surprised by success twice but I won’t name the films.”

We ask him if he ever felt that his looks came in the way of the roles offered to him. “No, it won’t be fair to say that. I think one needs to have a holistic view of things. It is possible that because I look a certain way, I don’t instinctively fit into every role. But I think with a little bit of work, it’s possible. I was happy with Matru, playing a Haryanvi Jat. I have never been to Haryana in my life.” The coming Friday when his film releases, he wants to change what people think of him. “I don’t know who those directors are but after the film is released, I want them to look at my performance and think about me as someone who can be used efficiently.”