Aamir Khan

Date of Birth: 14 March 1965, Mumbai, India
Nickname: A.K. AK
Height: 5' 6" (1.68 m)

Aamir was born in Bandra's Holy Family Hospital, Mumbai, India, to a Muslim family that has been actively involved in the Indian motion picture industry for several decades. His father, Tahir Hussain, is a film producer while his deceased uncle, Nasir Hussain, was a film producer as well as a director and a actor.He is a descendant of the Muslim scholar and politician Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.He is also a descendant of former President of India Dr. Zakir Hussain and a second cousin to former Chairperson of Rajya Sabha Dr Najma Heptullah.

During the years of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Khan married Reena Dutta. His parents did not approve of their marriage because of her not being a Muslim. As a result, Khan's marriage stayed a secret both from his parents and the media for a while. Dutta made a brief appearance in the popular song sequence Papa Kehte Hain in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. The story of Khan's marriage garnered major public attention when it was first revealed. Even so, Reena Dutta maintained a low profile and continued her job at a travel agency. They had two children, a son named Junaid and a daughter, Ira, and led a quiet family life away from the public eye. Reena was involved, briefly, in Khan's career when she worked as a producer for Lagaan. In December 2002, Khan filed for divorce, ending the 15-year marriage, with Reena taking the custody of both their children. On December 28, 2005, he married Kiran Rao who had been an assistant director to Ashutosh Gowariker during the filming of Lagaan.Though nominated many times, Khan does not attend any Indian film award ceremony as he feels "Indian film awards lack credibility".

He began his film career as a child actor in a home production, made by Nasir Hussain, titled Yaadon Ki Baraat (1973) and Madhosh (1974). Eleven years later, he made his adult acting debut in a role that went quite unnoticed in Ketan Mehta's Holi (1984).His first notable leading role came in 1988 in the film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak which was directed by his cousin and Nasir Hussain's son Mansoor Khan. This film was a breakthrough commercial success, effectively launching Khan's career as a leading actor. Having the typical 'chocolate hero' looks, he was publicised as a teen idol. He also starred in critically acclaimed film Raakh, for which he got his first National Award for Special Jury Award. After that, he went on to appear in several other films in the late '80s and early '90s: Dil (1990), which became the highest grossing film of the year,Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin (1991), Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992), Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993) (for which he also wrote the screenplay), and Rangeela (1995). Most of these films were successful critically and commercially. Other successes include Andaz Apna Apna, co-starring Salman Khan. At the time of its release the movie was reviewed unfavorably by critics, but over the years has gained a cult status.He continued to act in just one or two films a year, an unusual trait for a mainstream Hindi Cinema actor. His only release in 1996 was the Dharmesh Darshan directed commercial blockbuster Raja Hindustani in which he was paired opposite Karisma Kapoor. The film earned him his first Filmfare Best Actor Award, after seven previous nominations, and went on to become the biggest hit of the year, as well as the third highest grossing Indian film of the 1990s.His career had seemed to hit a plateau at this point of time, and most of the films to follow for the next few years were only partially successful. In 1997, he co-starred with Ajay Devgan and was paired opposite Juhi Chawla in the film Ishq, which performed well at the box office. In 1998, Khan appeared in the moderately successful Ghulam, for which he also did playback singing.John Mathew Matthan's Sarfarosh (1999)Khan's first release in 1999 which was also moderately successful gaining an above average box office verdict, although the film was highly appreciated amongst the critics and Khan's role as a dedicated, honest and an uncorrupt cop engaged in fighting border terrorism, was well received, as did his role in Deepa Mehta's art house film Earth. His first release for the new millennium, Mela, in which he acted alongside his real-life brother Faisal Khan, was both a box-office and critical bomb.
In 2001 he appeared in Lagaan. The film was a major critical and commercial success, and received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 74th Academy Awards. Additionally, the film gathered critical acclaim at several international film festivals, in addition to winning numerous Indian awards, including the National Film Awards. Khan himself won his second Filmfare Best Actor Award.The success of Lagaan was followed by Dil Chahta Hai later that year, in which Khan co-starred with Akshaye Khanna and Saif Ali Khan, with Preity Zinta playing his love interest. The film was written and directed by the then newcomer Farhan Akhtar. According to critics, the film broke new grounds by showing Indian urban youth as they really are today. The characters depicted were modern, suave and cosmopolitan. The film did moderately well and was a success mostly in urban cities.He then took a four year break citing personal problems, and returned in 2005 with Ketan Mehta's Mangal Pandey: The Rising playing the title role of a real-life sepoy and a martyr who helped spark the Indian Rebellion of 1857 or the 'First War of Indian Independence'.Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's award-winning, Rang De Basanti, was his first release in 2006. His role was critically acclaimed,earning him a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance and various nominations for Best Actor. The film went on to become one of the highest grossing films of the year, and was selected as India's official entry to the Oscars. Although the film was not shortlisted as a nominee, it received a nomination for Best Foreign Film at the BAFTA Awards in England. Khan's work in his next movie, Fanaa (2006) was also appreciated,and the film went on to become one of the highest grossing Indian films of 2006.His 2007 film, Taare Zameen Par, was also produced by him and marked his directorial debut. The film, which was the second offering from Aamir Khan Productions, starred Khan in a supporting role as a teacher who befriends and helps a dyslexic child. It opened to excellent responses from critics and audiences alike. Khan's performance was well-received, although he was particularly applauded for his directing.In 2008, Khan appeared in the movie Ghajini. The film was a major commercial success and became the highest grossing Bollywood movie of all time in nominal terms (i.e., without taking inflation into account). For his performance in the film, Khan received several Best Actor nominations at various award ceremonies as well as his fifteenth Filmfare Best Actor nomination.