The book sits fat in between us. Veteran photographer Pradeep Chandra rests his phones on the table and starts unfurling its pages. Years ago, the scene was similar, but the book was on MF Husain. And, prior to that was one on Amitabh Bachchan. However, Aamir Khan, Actor, Activist, Achiever is not just a pictorial treat, it is filled with testimonials and essays on the star, right from the time Aamir appeared on the big screen as a vulnerable lad, and it was also the time when Pradeep, like many others, took notice of him. That was back in 1988 and with 26 years of association, one assumes that the book would be endorsed by Aamir in some way. That doesn’t seem to be the case. Aamir Khan is known to be super reclusive, but not having come across any major publication on the star before, there was considerable reason for our assumption. Pradeep is planning to send the final copy to Aamir before the release, hoping that maybe then he might be interested in releasing it. Even as he waits in anticipation, after a lot of rummaging through old photos that he got by requesting people in the film industry and some as favours from his colleagues in the press, Pradeep’s third book is all ready to get published this March.

The efforts have been worth it. Like the exclusive image of Aamir shooting in Chicago for Dhoom 3. “I asked a friend of mine if he knew any photographer in Chicago. He directed me to a girl who clicked the actor in action on the sets there.” Another rare photo of Aamir accepting his first award back in the ’80s, considering he publicly refuses to attend film awards now is in the book. Then, there is the photo of him with Inder Kumar, Madhuri Dixit and Amitabh Bachchan at a mahurat of a movie that didn’t really take off after that. “After finishing my book on Amitabh Bachchan and MF Husain, I was looking back at Bollywood and Aamir Khan was an obvious choice. I think after Satyamev Jayate, he is now at his peak,” is Pradeep’s thought behind his choice. Satyamev Jayate was a great PR exercise for him, and Dhoom 3 brought him back into the 200-crore club. But, Pradeep’s fascination with Aamir began due to his off-beat choice of movies. It started with Ghulam, but there have been others. “Who would have done a movie like Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander? I think that was a rather bold choice.” The director of both the movies, Mansoor Khan, too gets a bit of a mention in the book. Aamir’s cousin, Mansoor, was a thinker, a term now attached to the actor.

Pradeep’s first shoot with the actor was along with Aamir’s father, Tahir Husain, at their residence in Pali Hill (Bandra), a place that Bollywood likes to call the Beverly Hills of India. Aamir entered the room in an outfit that Pradeep thought was inspired by Aamir’s favourite hero, Dev Anand. Pradeep also recollects that even though Aamir had had just one release, a girl interrupted him so that she could get an autograph of the star.

Was he a perfectionist even then? Affirmative. Aamir Khan apparently wished to share his ideas on the poster designing of Dil, his 1990 super hit movie with Madhuri Dixit. Inder Kumar promptly got him in touch with the concerned designer who requested the actor to visit him the next morning at six. As unusual as that sounded, Inder Kumar still remembers the astonishment when the actor landed at the crack of dawn!

Nine years later, a similar predicament happened when the makers of Sarfarosh decided to erect a bust of Aamir with reference to his character, ACP Ajay Singh Rathod, in the movie. The sculptor told them that he would need at least four to five hours of sitting by the actor. Not expecting Aamir to spend so much time, the filmmakers chucked the idea. But, as you might have guessed, Aamir heard about the plan and agreed to pose for the sculpture despite his tight schedule.        

It was 2007 when Taare Zameen Par released. During the shoot, ace artist Samir Mondal was requested to train Aamir to look the part of an art tutor. And, not opting for the easy route of taking hourly coaching from him, Aamir instead invited the artist to his Panchgani home and studied his style. The result was there for everyone to see. 

Meanwhile, during the shoot of Mangal Pandey: The Rising in the scorching sun of north India, amenities were in place to make sure that the actor was well-rested. But, after a quick glance at the crew and the location, Aamir impulsively called the crew for a game of chess, out in the open. Amazed and star struck, they obliged. The exercise went on for days until they realised what the real idea behind the ‘impulsive action’ was. The story Pradeep uncovered from someone in the crew was that, “Aamir wanted the complete outdoorsy, tanned, sweaty look for his shots. And, he devised a way to stay in the sun and also be entertained. But, when the crew got a whiff of his real intentions, they refused to indulge in his hobby.”

However, along with Aamir’s pursuit for perfection is a side completely emotional and vulnerable. During the shoot of Ghulam, Aamir had signed the movie thinking it was a Mahesh Bhatt-directed venture. A director he had successfully collaborated with for Dil Hai Ki Maanta Nahi. However, after the initial days of the shoot, Aamir noticed that Mahesh’s assistant, Vikram Bhatt, was the real director, while Mahesh would come and park himself in a corner with a book. Confused and frustrated, Aamir approached senior Bhatt and asked him who the real director was. He was in turn asked to mind his own business. Aamir however refused to relent and threatened to leave the movie, even if that meant reimbursing the losses incurred. Pradeep continues, “And then the Bhatts took a call and the movie eventually fell into Vikram’s kitty.” 

Pradeep adds another bite of information about Aamir’s quirky side. For instance, the purchase of huge chunks of land from his cousins in his hometown in UP so that one day he could retire from the industry and be a farmer for the rest of his life. Pradeep shares another hitherto unknown anecdote, “Aamir wanted to gift his father’s movies to his mother. He realised that his father had sold all his movies to some Hindujas. So, he called his trusted aide, Jayantilal Gada, and asked him to unearth the old movie reels. It seemed that the owners had sold it Shemaroo, who happily sold it back to Aamir Khan.” He adds, “After all, who can refuse Aamir Khan?”

Anyway, to put the matter in perspective, Pradeep feels that Aamir Khan has been the perfect subject for his book, even though he has hardly cooperated for the same. Yet, his demeanour has been as cordial as it can be. “He kept saying, ‘Very nice, very nice,’ whenever I spoke to him about the book, but nothing happened after that.” It has been the same with his close aides too. Prasoon Joshi and Ashutosh Gowarikar have wished Pradeep the best for his book, but are still to provide any tangible support. But, Pradeep isn’t perturbed. His association with Aamir goes back a long way. In 1969, as a 19-year-old, while shooting Rajesh Khanna, Pradeep had come in contact with Raj Khosla who wanted a photographer for his movie. Pradeep got a new camera and a dark room right in Khosla’s garage and from there started a friendship fondly remembered by Pradeep. “Raj Khosla’s daughter and Aamir became the best of friends.” 

Moreover, if you were to imagine an image of Aamir and Rani Mukherjee from Aati Kya Khandala, most possibly, it is a shot taken by Pradeep. As serendipity of sorts, Pradeep was informed by a friend about a late night shoot of the song with Aamir Khan at the Asiatic Library in south Mumbai.  Pradeep decided to go and even a change of location at the last minute didn’t deter him from being there for the shoot. And, as luck would have it, it was Pradeep’s picture that appeared in the newspapers the next day. Aati Kya Khandala became a hit and strangely Pradeep’s photo was the only one that they had and wanted to use it in the posters. Like the song, Pradeep’s photograph went on to become a classic too.

Back on the topic of Aamir, Pradeep thinks it is Inder Kumar’s words which describe his stardom in the best way. He said, ‘With the super hit Dil in 1990, we were both born together. But in time, Aamir has gone much ahead while I am left behind.’ This, coming from the director of the mega hit, Grand Masti, is a mark of respect for someone who has decided to take another path altogether. Pradeep’s book talks about Aamir’s professional journey, and even has a chapter on Pali Hill. He mentions, “Aamir called it the place where all three—the Rangeela, the Dilwala and the Bodyguard (characters of Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan respectively)—live”. But, that is just a part of the book. The rest is filled with the unknown quirks of Aamir contributed by editors, journalists and fans. The title of the book calls him an actor, activist and an achiever, but even skeptics would agree that Aamir is an exception to all the rules of Bollywood. And, so will Pradeep!