8 Aamir Khan Movies Outside the Standard List, Dil to Talaash

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Yeah, I’m just gonna count down all the Khans! They all have the big spectacular global hits with the big promotions on streaming sites and the rest of it. And the movies they are very proud of and bring up in their highly publicized interviews and so on. And then there are the other movies, the ones that are secretly kind of good even if no one talks about it.

I’m not including the big popular hits (Dhoom 3, Ghulam) or the big critical hits (Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak). And I’m not including the stupid ones that no one should watch (Mangal Panday, primarily). So, this are the ones that aren’t talked about as much any more as big popular hits, and the critics have kind of forgotten them, but they are still worth watching.

Dil

Dil was a hit back when it came out, but that was a while ago and people tend to have forgotten it recently. Certainly Aamir never brings it up! Or the critics, it is not a good movie for the critics to look at. Or, really, the kind of sophisticated global audiences that Current Aamir courts. But boy is it fun if you like the original romantic kitschy version of Aamir! College romance, much angst and drama, and ridiculous twists. Very enjoyable in a kind of roller coaster way. Also, only Aamir-Madhuri movie ever!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml2WW4oHHKU

Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke

Oh, this movie is so cute! Juhi is cute, Aamir is cute, the kids are cute, future Mr. Soha Ali Khan is cute, it’s all good. And there is a dance number in a shirt factory, in which gendered power structures are upended (Aamir’s female employees sexually harass him). It’s kind of light weight, and a little silly, but super fun to watch.

Ishq

This one might be a bit of a hard sell. You know that kind of dog that is so dumb it keeps running into the wall? And how some people find it frustrating that a dog could be that dumb and other people find it cute? This is the movie equivalent of that dog. It is real real dumb. And yet, I kind of want to pat it on it’s little dumb head. Oh right, plot. Two couples love story, Juhi and Aamir and Kajol and Ajay, class warfare issues, something about caste too that isn’t really clearly, and some super catchy and stupid songs.

Mann

Another one that was a hit when it came out! Really, Aamir tends to either have hits or massive flops, not a lot of middle of the road ones to pull out. Anyway, it is not a very well-remembered movie now, and certainly not critically acclaimed or anything. Aamir and Manisha Koirala play out An Affair to Remember, in bad 90s fashion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMKQ5GpfYEw

Fanaa

This was a modest hit, but nothing special. A more uneven film than most of Aamir’s recent movies, and not with the most memorable message. Also (and this is very VERY important), really terrible Aamir hair. But the songs are decent, Kajol is amazing, and it has the kind of over the top YRF romance that Aamir doesn’t do enough of. At least, not since the early 90s.

Ghajini

Kind of amazed I am putting this movie on the list, it was a literally record breaking hit just 10 years ago. And yet, it really doesn’t come up that much any more! It doesn’t have an obvious social message, not like the preachy preachy ones Aamir makes now. And it’s also way too fun for the stuff Aamir makes now, action scenes and AR Rahman songs and just a wee bit of moral uncertainty. Really, this is not a “lessor” movie at all, it’s just one that isn’t talked about as much as I would think it would be.

Talaash

I love this movie, it is truly brilliant. But it’s small brilliant, not big brilliant, not like his other stuff. No box office records broken, no big awards sweep, just a really good film. Plus, Kareena and Rani, and little baby Rajkummar Rao. Any other actor, this movie would be on the A list, not the C list. But it’s Aamir, he makes so few movies, of such high quality, that this ends up on the C list just because it wasn’t the biggest brightest film of the year.

Sarfarosh

Again, a good solid movie that would be A List for any one else. A really twisted thriller plot that keeps you going, an interesting non-showy kind of police officer hero, an adult kind of romance, and Naseeruddin Shah. Very much worth watching!

26 thoughts on “8 Aamir Khan Movies Outside the Standard List, Dil to Talaash”

  2. Fanaa wasn’t a big hit? I didn’t know it. It was partialy filmed in Poland – the first Indian movie to be filmed there, and exactly at the beginning of bollywood mania, and everybody was so excited and was talking about it so I was sure it was a huge success.

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    • It wasn’t a flop, it’s just that Aamir’s other movies are such big BIG hits that Fanaa kind of fades away. Was Poland a stand in for Kashmir in that? Anyway, it was definitely a hit, probably about the same or better than Kick.

      On Thu, Feb 21, 2019 at 10:48 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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  3. I love Fanaa. I know it’s kind of dopey, esp. the sooper spy stuff in the middle but the scenes when Aamir and Kajol are reunited and then it all comes crashing down, gah. I sobbed my heart out.

    Talaash is one of the best Bolly films I’ve ever seen and a great Aamir performance because he always does better when he has strong actors to push against. It helps rein in the ticks and weird props he relies on when he doesn’t have a strong director or costar.

    Dil is Sexy Aamir and we never see that anymore which is kind of a shame because he can absolutely turn that on when he wants to. Also, he needs to do another film with Madhuri!

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  4. Yay yay yay! I am so glad you did this post. Aamir is to me that Shah Rukh is to you (I think), especially young Aamir. He was also my first celebrity crush! Therefore most of his movies in the 90s are my absolute favorites including Hum Hai Rahi Pyar Ke, Jo Jeeta, and Sarfrosh! It is quite unfortunate though that he hasn’t aged as well as some of the others.

    I would include at least two other movies (and potentially four more) to this list. First one is my all-time favorites, Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin. Awesome songs, fun story, young Pooja Bhatt with over the top feathery hair, and a mischievous Aamir in a sailor’s hat – what’s not to love?! And the second one being Daulat Ki Jung. It’s a treasure hunt love story (so awesome) and Aamir and Juhi are just so young and innocent (freakin adorable!). Two others that are also worth watching in my opinion are Baazi (from what I remember, it was because of this movie that he was chosen for Sarfrosh, plus it is also his first full movie with Ashutosh Gowariker) and Parampara (completely over the top but so many great actors).

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    • PARAMPARA! I did review that, I did NOT like it. But found it enjoyable to watch in that kitschy “so bad its good” way: https://dontcallitbollywood.com/2016/07/29/parampara-a-movie-about-tradition-in-the-long-tradition-of-movies-about-tradition/

      I considered Dil Hai and decided it is just barely on the edge of being critically acclaimed and popular enough not to include. Daulat Ki Jung I have never even heard of! And now really want to watch. Baazi I had heard of, but only heard bad things/drag scene. It’s worth watching?

      On Thu, Feb 21, 2019 at 3:00 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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      • Parampara is SO bad because how can a movie written by Aditya Chopra and Honey Irani, directed by Yash Chopra, with so many amazing actors be so bad?? Yet it is kind of like a train wreck you can’t stop watching. So it might be just me but I do think it is worth a one time watch. With regards to Baazi, it is no where near the caliber of Sarfrosh but I still think it is worth a one-time watch. Hense these two were on my B lists. But do watch Daulat Ki Jung and let me know what you think.

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        • Oh also, from what I remember, I didn’t find the drag scene to be super offensive and it also didn’t pull me out of the movie. At the time, I remember just thinking okay this makes sence. It didn’t seem completely illogical.

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          • The one in Duplicate isn’t offensive either, but it is really really illogical. But still fun!

            On Thu, Feb 21, 2019 at 4:38 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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    • I think part of the standard list. Not the “big blockbuster” list, but the “critically acclaimed” list.

      On Thu, Feb 21, 2019 at 4:01 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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