Aamir Khan had his brief ‘angry young man’ moment with Raakh that won him his first and only National Film Award for acting: ‘He wasn’t star material’ | Bollywood News

Aamir Khan was all of 23 when he made his debut with the Saiyaara of the 1980s, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. But this wasn’t his first feature film. Aamir first shot for a film called Raakh, directed Aditya Bhattacharya, and the film could have easily become his debut and perhaps, if this was released first, Aamir would probably be known as the ‘angry young man’ of his generation. Raakh, also starring Supriya Pathak and Pankaj Kapur, was also the debut film of editor Sreekar Prasad and cinematographer Santosh Sivan who became the pioneers of their respective professions in later years. Raakh also remains the only film that has fetched Aamir Khan an acting honour in the Special Mention category (along with his work in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak).
It is said that Aamir’s father Tahir Hussain and uncle Nasir Hussain wanted to release QSQT first as this was more of a commercially viable launch vehicle for the young actor and upon watching Raakh, one can imagine why a traditional Bollywood producer would choose the romantic drama over the film. Raakh is the story of a 20-something man, named Amir Hussain (AH), who spirals after he starts blaming himself for his girlfriend’s sexual assault. AH believes that had he not acted in a short tempered fashion with the local goons, they would have left without bothering his girlfriend Neeta (played Supriya Pathak). He finds ways of punishing himself, planning his revenge, and in the process, descends further into the world of crime.
ALSO READ | Accused: Anubhuti Kashyap makes a film about harassment, but doesn’t know what it is. That explains Bollywood
Aamir Khan’s Raakh uses sexual assault as a plot point
Raakh, in many ways, is a product of its times. It released at a time when Bollywood films often used crimes against women, mainly sexual assault, as a plot point for the story to progress. It was through this plot point that the protagon got the opportunity to turn into a “hero” as he spent the entire runtime of the film trying to plan his revenge, and execute it.
Raakh does not try to exploit the female character, but it certainly presents the man as the saviour, while completely omitting the journey of the woman. In fact, it only comes back to check on the woman twice – once, when she explains how she is ‘ashamed’ of the incident, and the next time, when we are told that she is now married to someone else while AH is now behind bars. It’s almost passing on the subliminal message that she is not grateful for the risks that AH took for her, and has moved on without thinking about him. Even though she is the survivor who needs support, the film offers her none as it delves deeper into AH’s guilt.
Aamir Khan in a still from Raakh. (Photo: Express Archives)
Raakh was directed Aditya Bhattacharya, who is the son of legendary filmmaker Basu Bhattacharya (Teesri Kasam, Anubhav), and grandson of filmmaker Bimal Roy (Madhumati, Do Bigha Zamin). Aditya, like many would assume, grew up in a sheltered environment, much like Aamir (the actor and the character both), and wanted to push the boundaries with his debut feature. “Like Aamir, I was a Bandra boy, but I was intrigued the netherworld. What concerned me most was how violence would affect somebody who was otherwise from a protected environment,” he told Mumbai Mirror in 2011.
Aamir Khan could have become his generation’s ‘angry young man’
Aamir had done a couple of short films but did not have much acting experience when he was asked to play Aditya’s version of an ‘angry young man’. “It was tough for him to get there, but I have not seen this kind of vulnerability in any of Aamir’s performances, and I am not saying it because it is my film,” he said in the same chat. Raakh was shot before Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak so Aamir was a complete newbie, and surrounded many new technicians when he signed up for this film. The only experienced actor on this set was Pankaj Kapur, who came with a strong body of work.Story continues below this ad
ALSO READ | Shatrughan Sinha was the first ‘angry young man’ but Amitabh Bachchan walked away with that title
The film largely revolves around Aamir’ AH and Pankaj’s PK, who plays a vigilante cop, as he acknowledges the diminishing state of affairs around him. Aditya presents Mumbai (without naming the city) in Gotham-like fashion where crime lords run the show, and law and order has lost its standing. PK finds AH in a vulnerable state as he is living on the streets, and trains him to become a vigilante. AH, believing that this would solve his crisis, follows along but unlike the films that we often consume in the mainstream, the character does not go on a killing spree as soon as he is handed a gun. He actually has a breakdown when he first kills a man, but PK pushes him to pursue that path.
Aamir’s craft was not as polished back then so there are scenes when his shrieks pull you out of the film and his attempt at giving an ‘intense’ performance makes you laugh a bit, but nevertheless, Raakh continues to intrigue for how Aditya chooses to show the city that has been romanticised in so many different ways in the movies since the 1940s. There are places when the film might look like an amateur college project but one can’t forget that this was made newbies who were still trying to find their voice. In many ways, this was a college-like project for them that gained prominence in later years because everyone associated with it became a star.
Aamir Khan and Pankaj Kapur in Aditya Bhattacharya’s Raakh. (Photo: Express Archives)
‘Aamir Khan was short, had big ears; was not star material’
In a chat with Rediff in 2009, Aditya shared that he had known Aamir since school and at this time, Aamir wasn’t certain about his career as an actor. “Some people had their doubts about him, as he was short and had big ears. He was not star material. But I had absolute faith in him,” he said. But Aamir, as per his own admission, had grown into liking acting when he started working in short films.Story continues below this ad
In fact, the time he did Raakh, Aamir was so certain to pursue this path that he applied what he thought to be a ‘method acting’ principle as he did not take a shower for many days during the shoot. In a chat with ABP, Aamir shared, “When I was doing the second film of my career, Raakh, I didn’t take a shower for many days. In that film, a situation is created where I have left the house and have been living on the streets. So to stay in that character, and to make people believe I am actually homeless, I didn’t shower until the shots were done.” In the years after Raakh, Aamir stumbled a fair bit until the late 1990s, when he got the moniker of ‘Mr Perfection’. And it appears that he always had that streak.
Raakh might not be the best work of Aamir Khan, but it could have been the film that changed the trajectory of his career, had it been released first. He never became the ‘angry young man’ then, but he continues to be the ‘Mr Perfection’ that his fans continue to love.