Bollywood Star: Aamir Khan

With Hollywood constantly on the tips of our tongues, whether we are following the latest actor/actress scandal or planning a family outing to the latest Disney flick, we all make the infamous city, and all it contains, a regular part of our lives. But, Hollywood is alone no longer. The Indian-based film industry is taking the world by storm with Bollywood, and its actors and actresses are as intriguing as any we have to offer.

Bollywood is the informal name given to the Mumbai-based Hindustani language film industry, but the term Bollywood is often used incorrectly to encompass Indian Cinema as a whole. There are many celebrities in Bollywood, one of which is named Aamir Khan.

Aamir Khan started as a Bollywood actor in 1973, but comes from a great film-embedded family. His father Tahir Hussain is a producer and his uncle, Nassir Hussain was a director. Khan's brother, Faisal Khan, also appears in Bollywood films, such as the 2000 film Mela. Many other family members appear as actors or directors in various Bollywood films, so Aamir certainly has the history to start a great future.

Aamir started his career at the age of eight, acting in the film Yaadon Ki Baraat, followed by Madhosh at nine. The years that followed were filled with Bollywood hits including Holi (1984), Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), Dil (1990), Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander (1992), Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke (1993), Rangeela (1995), Raja Hindustani (1996), Ghulam (1998), Earth (1998), Sarfarosh (1999), Lagaan: Once Upon A Time In India (2001), Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005), RangDe Basanti (2006), and Fanaa (2006). But, Aamir is not just an actor, he also writes screenplays and directs Bollywood films.

In 1993 Aamir not only acted in the Bollywood hit Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke, he wrote the screenplay as well. For the 2001 film, IndLagaan: Once Upon A Time InIndia, Aamir again tried on dual roles by acting in and producing the film.

The personal side of this acclaimed actor/writer/producer/director is not quite as interesting as his film career. Unlike Hollywood stars, Aamir was married to Reena Dutta from 1998 to 2002. The marriage had a rocky start because publicist for Aamir tried to promote him as a teen idol and in doing so were forced to hide the marriage from fans. In the four years they were married, Aamir and Reena had two children (son Junaid and daughter Aira) and seemed to shun the media all together. After their 2002 divorce, Aamir remarried the assistant to the director for the film Lagaan, Kiran Rao.

Aamir Khan has managed to fly relatively low under the controversy radar in Bollywood, with only mild ties to two Indian Political movements and an unpopular contract with the Coca Cola company. Coca Cola is not a popular company in the Bollywood community for claims the company uses polluted water and contributes to the pollution of clean water. Even though the support for Coca Cola is shaky, Aamir refuses to terminate his contract.

Bollywood, is the new Hollywood. The actors and actresses are talented, well-rounded individuals mostly unknown to Americans. As the movement reaches the United States, I doubt it will take long before everyone has the next Bollywood film on their "must rent" list!