Mr. Perfect reaches a milestone.....

It has indeed been a long journey of quality and perfection for Aamir Khan whose first attempt at riding two boats as producer and lead hero of `Lagaan' is ready to hit the silver screen later this week. K. KANNAN talks to him....

The QSQT guy has finally come of age. After regaling audiences all over the country by playing multi-farious roles from a romantic prince to a jilted lover to even an anti-hero, he has now turned producer with his soon to be released ``Lagaan''. The additional responsibility of experimenting with producing a film has only added to the lustre and charm of this boyish hero, who has given the film industry some memorable hits.

In a career spanning 12 years, Aamir has done about 25 odd films. ``Dil'', ``Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander'', ``Hum Hai Rahi Pyaar Ke'', ``Ishq'', ``Ghulam'', ``Sarfarosh'', ``Earth-1947'' -- to name a few -- and now ``Lagaan''. It has indeed been a long journey of quality and perfection for Aamir, whose meticulous nature makes him very choosy about the roles he does. ``I never do two things at a time,'' he admits, revealing the secret of his success.

No wonder then that the making of ``Lagaan'' turned out to be a great challenge for him. ``While my attitude towards the film as a producer was not much different from that of an actor, it was a tall order for me initially to take up the additional responsibility of making a film, and also acting in it. I got a lot of help and support from my wife, Reena,'' Aamir recalls, giving full marks to the director, Ashutosh Gowarikar, as well for labouring hard in the sets of the film. ``It is he who deserves all the credit. It was his script that made me venture into production.''

While he would not like to reveal the details of the film much, all that Aamir wants to say about ``Lagaan'' is that ``it is a film about the triumph of the human spirit, about a group of people who stand up against the might of the British empire''. A love triangle is interwoven into a script that manages to stir patriotic feelings.

Unable to conceal his excitement at the rave reviews that ``Lagaan'' has been getting in the run-up to its release on June 15, Aamir is emphatic in stating that it has been team work all the way. ``The experience of producing this film has been quite exciting and pleasant for me. I learnt many new things and made many new friends. I would like to produce films in the future also,'' says the actor, who seems to have come to terms with the art of riding two horses at the same time.

Interestingly, the film is evincing a great deal of interest also because of the fact that it was shot completely in Bhuj between January and June last year, a full six months before it became the epicentre of the devastating earthquake in January this year. ``Bhuj was selected because of the requirement of the script. We needed a quiet, secluded place which receives less rainfall.

Aamir is also eagerly looking forward to the release of his next film, ``Dil Chahta Hai'' in August. ``I am doing a film for Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited which is tentatively titled Happy Diwali. Shooting will start sometimes in October,'' he discloses.

Looking back at his career with satisfaction, Aamir, who has been hailed as an actor who oozes attitude, says he has managed to stay away from the trap of the stereo-typed image. ``I do not look upon cinema as just roles. The script is more important to me than the role,'' he points out. The bottomline of any successful film being the script, the actor in him is ready to accommodate the producer and he is prepared to travel down both roads at the same time. ``I do not look upon it as a problem. As it is, I do only one or two films a year. Anyway, I do not intend to produce films just for the heck of it. Only when I find am exciting script ....''

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