Actors and filmmakers are often accused of living in a bubble, out of touch with the pulse of the audience. To ensure his son Junaid doesn’t fall into this trap, Aamir Khan encouraged him to travel across India by bus, immersing himself in the country’s diverse cultures before making his acting debut in Maharaj. Aamir shared this on Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 16, where he and Junaid joined Amitabh Bachchan to celebrate the legendary actor’s 82nd birthday. Although the episode will air on Friday night, Sony TV released a press statement revealing some of the exchanges between Big B and Aamir during the show.

In the conversation, Aamir admitted he wasn’t initially in favour of Junaid taking on the role in Maharaj, even though his son had faced numerous rejections during screen tests. He explained, “Initially, I had advised Junaid not to do the film since he had undergone multiple screen tests and faced rejections each time. However, he was selected for Maharaj, and I thought he shouldn’t take it.”

However, Junaid Khan was determined, reasoning that since this was one of the few auditions he had succeeded in, he wanted to seize the opportunity, uncertain when the next one might come. He shared Aamir’s advice, saying, “I wanted to join a theatre school, and Dad agreed, giving me valuable advice: ‘You can learn acting anywhere, through experience. But if you want to succeed in the Indian film industry, you must understand Hindi and the culture of this country. You need to connect with the people of India. Otherwise you might be a great actor, but you won’t fit in here.'”

Aamir added, “I also advised him to travel from Kashmir to Kanyakumari by bus, and stay there for a certain period exploring local cultures. That journey will teach you things no school or college can.”

Aamir Khan ke sawaal ka koi jawaab nahi hai AB ke pass! ????????

Dekhiye #KaunBanegaCrorepati, 11th October raat 9 baje sirf #SonyEntertainmentTelevision par.@SrBachchan#KBConSonyTV #KBC16 #KBC2024 #SonyTVShow pic.twitter.com/m8SHfhwcXE

— sonytv (@SonyTV) October 9, 2024

Amitabh Bachchan, listening to Aamir and Junaid, reflected on his own experiences with his son, Abhishek Bachchan. He recalled, “I gave the same advice to Abhishek. I suggested he live for two or three months among the locals, engaging with them, as it would greatly aid his acting career.”

While Junaid debuted with Maharaj, produced by Yash Raj Films, Abhishek began his career with JP Dutta’s Refugee (2000). Following Maharaj, Junaid is set to star in a romantic drama alongside Khushi Kapoor and has another film in the pipeline with Sai Pallavi.

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