Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, who has been an influential force in the industry for nearly 40 years, had quietly made up his mind to retire during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it was the intervention of his family that led him to rethink this decision. After the underwhelming response to Laal Singh Chaddha in 2022, Aamir took a step back from acting, announcing a break to focus on spending time with his family — a realization that stemmed from years of neglecting them due to his intense work schedule.
In a candid conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, Aamir opened up about his surprising return to the film industry with six projects lined up — a first in his entire career. He shared, “I have never taken up six movies together in my life. This time, I had my own reason for it. When I finally decided, ‘Okay, I won’t leave films yet,’ the next thought was that this is probably the last 10 years of my active working life.”
The actor, now 59, elaborated on his mindset, acknowledging that the clock is ticking on his career. He explained that he wants to make the most out of what he considers his final decade in the industry. His ex-wife Kiran Rao, who was also present during the interview, playfully disagreed with this notion. She cited the example of Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood, who remains active even at 97. Aamir countered with a laugh, saying, “You guys are giving an extreme example. He is one of the rare people who, even in his 90s, is still thinking straight.”
Aamir Khan’s decision to take on multiple projects is driven not just by his desire to stay productive, but also by his aspiration to support emerging talent. He shared, “As I am getting older, I want to support talent that I believe in — writers, directors, all creative people. I want to become a platform for talents I believe in before I retire at 70. That’s why I took up more films.”
During the interview, Aamir reflected on the moment he almost announced his retirement to his family. Kiran Rao recalled, “Can you imagine him sitting around and not doing any movies and doing nothing? His daughter told him, ‘Please papa, you can’t spend all your time with us, we will go crazy.’” This light-hearted family moment seemingly convinced Aamir that his retirement might be a little premature.
Aamir humorously added, “I would love a retired life. Reading books, doing Yoga.” However, for now, it appears that the actor has decided to give his best to his final decade in the industry.