'It’s very similar': Aamir Khan compares Thugs of Hindostan to Sholay, explains why he chose the film
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'It’s very similar': Aamir Khan compares Thugs of Hindostan to Sholay, explains why he chose the film")
Aamir Khan compares Thugs of Hindostan to Sholay Photograph: (X)
During a recent interaction, Aamir Khan revealed why the 2018 big-budget film Thugs of Hindostan failed to perform at the box office. He also compared the project's narrative to the blockbuster Sholey.
Aamir Khan has recently opened up about the failure of Thugs of Hindostan, which was released in 2018. The actor admitted that the film marked a rare occasion when he chose a project because of his role rather than the strength of the story.
Why did Aamir Khan decide to do Thugs of Hindostan?
While speaking at the Screen Academy Masterclass held at Whistling Woods International in Mumbai, he also compared the film’s narrative with the 1975 classic Sholay, sparking a buzz on the internet. "For me, what character I'm playing comes secondary," Aamir said while discussing his approach to scripts. "So, when I say yes to Dangal, it's because I love the script. It's a great story with all parts having wonderful stuff to do. Then I focus on my character, Mahavir. But I haven't said yes to the film because kya character hai Mahavir ka (what a character Mahavir is!)."
The actor then acknowledged that Thugs of Hindostan became the lone exception to this rule. "There has been only one instance, when I gave precedence to my character over the story, but it bounced very badly," he added. “Thugs of Hindostan has a very normal story. It's Sholay.”
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Aamir Khan compares his film to Sholey
Aamir went on to explain the similarities between the two films. "In Sholay, you have Sanjeev Kumar’s Thakur, who needs to take revenge for his family being wiped out. And two people come in and help him - Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) and Veeru (Dharmendra). Over here, it’s Zafira (Fatima Sana Shaikh) whose family gets wiped out. She needs help, and Firangi (Aamir) comes in," he said.
Also Read: Aamir Khan birthday: From PK to Ghajini, 7 times actor completely transformed himself for a film
He further elaborated, “It’s a very similar format. So, Jai and Veeru are the heroes of the film, but it’s not their story. It’s Thakur’s story. Similarly, it’s not Firangi’s story. It’s Zafira’s story. So, in terms of its formula, it was more similar to a film like Sholay.”
Why the film failed
The actor also revealed that the final version audiences watched in theatres was drastically altered from the original screenplay. "For casting reasons, we kept changing the script. I wouldn't know I'd do a fundamental error, but sab se hota hai (it happens with everyone). We should not have changed the script even if we didn't get the casting we wanted," he admitted. "So, when you've seen Thugs, you haven't seen the original script that Victor had written because it went through a lot of changes."
Despite the film’s disappointing response, Aamir said, "Firangi is such an unreliable character. You don't know when he's speaking the truth and when he's not. He's only about himself. I found him to be a very attractive and engaging character. He's got some great moments," he said.
About Thugs of Hindostan
Helmed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, the film starred Amitabh Bachchan, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Katrina Kaif alongside Aamir. It was mounted on a massive budget, but the film did not perform well at the box office.
