Aamir Khan has spoken about how he deals with box office setbacks, stressing the importance of accepting failure and learning from it. The actor said he approaches such situations with analysis, trying to understand why a film does not connect with audiences despite good intentions.
He revealed that one of his key methods is to closely study audience response and identify where a film may have fallen short. As part of his reflections, Aamir also shared an insight into the making of his 2014 hit PK, disclosing that its second half was significantly reworked before the film’s release.
According to the actor, not every project succeeds commercially, even when made with sincerity. He said his first response to a film’s failure is to accept the outcome without denial before examining the reasons behind it.
What Aamir Khan Said
Speaking to Variety India, Aamir said, “The first thing I do is accept it. It’s very important to accept what has happened. I feel when a film doesn’t work, the bottom line is simple – that it didn’t work.”
Instead of blaming others or moving on, Aamir said he closely studies every film that does not perform well. He treats each setback as a learning process and examines it in a detailed and methodical way. The actor explained that he breaks down what went wrong and looks at it from different angles, adding that he finds this process both organised and intellectually engaging.
“It’s like solving a puzzle. You’re trying to figure it out. Which is why one of the things I do with my directors very often is discuss the film with them before the release. Did we end up making what we set out to make? How successful do we think we are before the release? And that’s a very important discussion to have because then you’re able to judge the film creatively,” said Aamir.
Talking about the production of PK (2014), Aamir said that he and director Rajkumar Hirani realised that sections of the film’s original second half closely resembled themes explored in OMG: Oh My God, which had been released shortly before PK was due to hit theatres.
Recognising the overlap, the team decided to make changes to ensure the film remained distinct and avoided repetition of ideas already seen by audiences.
“The plot was totally different, but some of the themes were similar. I remember Raju (Hirani) reacting and saying, ‘Sometimes that happens, but we must change our second half.’ So we changed the second half. Before the release, we were not totally happy with the film because the original second half was slightly different from what we have made. But this was the best we could have done. Luckily, the film worked, and it was a big success,” Aamir said.
Also Read: Ram Charan Says Aamir Khan And Salman Khan ‘Paved The Way’ For Films Like Peddi
