SRINAGAR: A 12-year-old Delhi Public School (DPS) student Zainab Bilal aka RJ Zainab has interviewed Bollywood’s ace actor Aamir Khan for the school’s radio station. The interaction recorded for in-house DPS Radio took place during Khan’s shooting scheduled for Laal Singh Chadda, sequences of which were shot in the school premises.
Khan, who is in town for his film Lal Singh Chaddha, has also been shooting at the school for the past couple of days.
Zainab, who had been aspiring to interview the Taare Zameen Par actor for a long time, had already approached him while he was in Mumbai. Khan had promised the teenager that whenever he visits Srinagar, he would give her the interview.
At last, the 6th standard student’s wish came true this week when the actor came to her school and agreed to an interview for her radio show Chai Shai.
In the interview, Zainab has revealed that she has been listening to Khan’s movies with an audio descriptor and Taare Zameen Par is her favourite movie from the actor’s kitty.
The actor at the end of the interview sang a Balraj Saini song, “Tu pyar ka sagar hai…” for Zainab as she had sung one earlier in the interview because of her passion for singing.
Excerpts from the interview:
RJ Zainab: How are you feeling in Kashmir and what motivates you to come here?
Aamir Khan: Well, I am feeling good in Srinagar. We came here after a month-long shoot in Kargil for my film Lal Singh Chaddha. It is a one-week shoot here. Srinagar is such a beautiful place. I along with my family went on a cruise in Dal Lake at sunset time. It was so beautiful. I feel that your city is among the most beautiful in the country.
RJ Zainab: I have heard that at my age you were an ace tennis player in Maharashtra. Why didn’t you pursue it?
Aamir Khan: It is true that I used to play tennis a lot till sub-juniors when I was 14. I was deeply interested in sports back then. I was less interested in studies. I used to play tennis for five hours a day. I loved all the sports.
RJ Zainab: As you have worked for visually impaired people. Are there any projects you are currently working on for special children?
Aamir Khan: Currently, I am working on just Lal Singh Chaddha and at one time I only worked on one project. But I believe we all have some shortcomings in life. The character Lal Singh also has some shortcomings. We all have our pluses and minuses in life and in that way we are all special.
RJ Zainab: Sir, as I told you that I have loved Taare Zameen Pe because it is based on a special child like me. Tell us about the character you played?
Aamir Khan: I played an art teacher but I am a terrible painter n real life. But during that movie, I would just sit down and start painting for hours. The paintings used to be very bad but the process is very soothing. It is like meditation and we should all be doing it.
RJ Zainab: You have been working with NGOs for water conservation. Do you believe that Kashmir should also be doing it?
Aamir Khan: Kiran (Rao) and I have started this company Paani foundation which has been working professionally for five years for helping conserve water in Maharashtra. We have been enjoying it. It is an enriching experience.
RJ Zainab: What would be your message to the children in general and special children in particular?
Aamir Khan: I will tell all the children, what my mother has taught me, that you should never hurt someone’s feelings or break their heart. I have taught my children that also. Don’t do something that brings hurt to others. Sometimes, we end up hurting someone unintentionally but then we should ensure to make that person feel positive again. That is what I do and what I follow.
