I'll Do It My Way: The Incredible Journey of Aamir Khan

by Christina Daniels

In contemporary Indian cinema, Aamir Khan has always taken the lesstrodden path, and also delivered box-office hits. Known for his selection of films, he has constantly re-invented himself, and re-defined the approach to filmmaking within the Hindi film industry over the last two decades. I ll Do It My The Incredible Journey of Aamir Khan is a filmography that presents Aamir s evolution as an actor, focusing on 21 landmark films. It retraces Aamir s rise to stardom as an actor with a difference, who broke new ground as a director and a producer. Aamir s story is told through interviews and research of press coverage from the last 20 years, including perspectives from directors, co-stars and other colleagues Mansoor Khan, Aditya Bhattacharya, Asif Noor, Indra Kumar, Mahesh Bhatt, Dharmesh Darshan, Nandita Das, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Ronnie Screwvala, AR Murugadoss, Asin, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Raj Kumar Hirani who have collaborated with him over the last two decades in his landma

Genres: Biography, Autobiography

280 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Bülent Ö. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Soğuk ve gereksiz bir kitap.

Bu kitap için Aamir Khan'ın kendisiyle yapılmış tek bir görüşme bile yok. Biyografik çok az öğe var. Filmlerin nasıl çekildiğine, yönetmenin kim olduğuna, senaristin kim olduğuna dair yığınla gereksiz bilgi var. Aamir Khan'ın ağzından söylenen sözlerinin tamamı daha evvel gazatelerde, dergilerde vs. yapılan görüşmelerden alınmış.

Verilen emeğe acıdım.

O kadar hissiz bir kitap ki yazılanları IMDB'den okuyormuş gibi hissettim.

[Pranali Brahmankar · Rating 2 out of 5]

It talks about Behind Scenes. It has interviews with the people around Aamir who made movies with him. It contains several stories happened during the shoots - few interesting, few knowledge boosting. It also tells how Aamir always tried new things. For example, QSQT was one of the rare, maybe first film to have a negative ending where hero-heroine die, Raja Hindustani's second half started where most of the movies end, Rang De Basanti was first movie of songs with no lipsing, Lagaan was entirely a different concept and so on..

In initial pages, I found it good and inspiring to know about Aamir's qualities, but later they were repeated; just from the mouth of different people. So this makes the book little dull. Book could have been smaller with no repetition of content. Instead of stating things in terms of interviews, if it'd have been written like a story, book could have been small yet better.

[Luna Oren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Büyük bir Aamir Khan hayranı olarak kitaba büyük beklentilerle başladım ancak okurken zorlandım. Kitabın çevirisinden ya da yazarın tarzından mı bilmiyorum fakat kitap akıcı değildi. Söylemek istediği yeni bir şey yoktu hep aynı kavramların etrafında dönmüş gibi geldi bana.

Ayrıca kitabı okumadan evvel Aamir Khan filmlerini izlemiş olmaktan öte birde sinema terimlerine az çok hakim olmak iyi olur diye düşünüyorum.

Kitap size Aamir Khan fanlarının oluşturduğu biyografik sayfalardakinden daha fazla bilgi sunuyor elbette ama sizi bunun çok ötesine taşımıyor.

Yine de Aamir Khan ile ilgili bu kitabı okumak onunla ilgili değil belki ama Hint Sinema sektörü ile ilgili yeni bir sayfa açtı benim için. Bu önemliydi.

[Kronik kronik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bu bir biyografi kitabı değil, olsa olsa filmografi olabilir. Okudukça filmleri izleme isteği uyandırıyor.
İzlediğiniz filmler ise de yüzünüzde bir gülümseme bırakıyor. Ama anlatım biraz zayıf kalmış. Yer yer çok sıkıldığımı söyleyebilirim. Yine de 3 * veriyorum ;)

[Subash · Rating 1 out of 5]

Apart from going over Aamir's Khan life movie by movie.. I somehow felt this book was never captivating enough...

Kinda liked the title and how it fits with the way Aamir works...

But the book was more or less .. dull..!

[Alokmahajan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Khambe jaisi khadi hai ladaki hai ya chhadi hai
shola hai phooljhadi hai pattakhe ki ladi hai
aankhon mein ghussa hai labon pe gaali hai
dekho jara dekhjo yaaron khudako samajhati hai kya

I loved this song when I was 1 year old (ok make it between 3 to 5 ;) ) and this song was a cult in Antakshri which is a spoken parlor game played in India reference Wikepedia. So this songs manifest that I am a naughty kid from my my inception and this also marked a relation I had with Aamir Khan Films.

While my favourite heroines changed all the way from Aaishwarya Rai, Pretty Zinta , Katrina Kaif which will soon be replaced by young babes coming in film industry but my favourite hero in Hindi Films was always Aamir Khan. So once I knew that a book is coming then I was very excited with my friend JB. I ordered a copy each for both of us at lowest price from www.uread.com after comparing prices from several websites ;). JB finished this book prior to me and told me that it is a good read.

Once I got my hands on the book I was impressed by the binding , scent of paper and my sniff check told me that it will be classic. Please note my domain knowledge is very minimal in film industry and I often get confused between roles of director and producer though my friend RD has explained the difference to me many times. I perceived it to be a biography of Aamir Khan but I just checked it on authors blog @ http://tinyurl.com/88ejxtg and came to know its a filmography. Journey stats from Protagonist childhood and gives user a insight into forming years of maverick dude. I was amazed when I came to know that he can solve a Rubik's cube under 20 seconds, was a state level tennis champion. Also I like the audacity of Aamir when he said no to his formal education during his formal year of graduation and his stubborn faith and conviction in his own abilities. Also covered are various interviews with Aamirs peer which gives you a great insight into Aamir’s mind. After reading it I came to know challenges faced during making a movie which is pretty much similar to a business plan where planning, logistic, execution and human relations are of paramount imporatnce. Interesting anecdotes like challenges faced while making Lagaan or knowing that Aamir Khan hasn’t washed his face for 8 days for Gulaam tells audience about his passion.

Though I quite don’t agree that JJWS(JO Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar) was not hit movie but the bitter fact is that I also don’t know how profitability of a movie is measured . A very interesting dimension is added where his peers say that Aamir barges rather interferes too much into the each movie because of perfection but I guess Steve Jobs did the same thing for Apple as he was deeply involved in the work.

After reading this you will have the idea of guts, determination and brilliance that Mr. Perfectionist takes to bring out his magical work to US. I have seen all his movies but I never knew that he has done movie by the names of “Raakh” and ”Aatank he Aatank”.

Read it to know more about the person who outshined students of IIM in chess while making of three idiots. Great works is done by author to compile all findings in one master piece.
I will surely like to see his autobiography one day.

This post is dedicated to

JB who is not on twitter
RD https://twitter.com/#!/rohitdograthe film sperm who will make one brilliant movie one day with me as the main villain teasing.banging hot chicks in the movie
Aamir Khan https://twitter.com/#!/aamir_khan·


My rating 10/10.

gora gora ye badan bijali se bana
440 volt hain chhuna hai mana) - 2
isase tum takraao na janake jaan gavaayon na - 2 no no no no no no ...
khambe jaisi khadi hai ladaki hai ya chhadi hai
shola hai phooljhadi hai pattakhe ki ladi hai
aankhon mein ghussa hai labon pe gaali hai
dekho jara dekhjo yaaron khudako samajhati hai kya

Please rhyme this song , sing it for your girlfriend she will love it.

For song my rating 100/10


http://humangb.blogspot.in/2012/06/il...

[Nikunj · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though I admire the actor and his movies, this book is a pathetic tribute to him. I mean the book hardly talks about any intricacies of his personality or the kind of person he is in real life. It is just a collection of redundant views and opinions of directors, co actors etc without any proper focus on the main person. So the message is that Aamir khan can do things his way but Christina Daniels should certainly not do things her way. A clear example of bad writing.

[Burcu Ece Kök · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hint sineması ve isimlerine aşina olmayan için zaten zor bir okuma teşkil ederken; çeviri ve redaksiyon eksikliği de zorluğunu arttırmış. Filmografisini izleme isteği uyandırıyor ama tamamen sinema hayatına ve sektöre odaklı bir kitap olduğu için bir biyografiden beklediğimi bulamadım. Bunda Aamir Khan’ın mahremiyetini koruması da etkili olmuş olabilir. Atlayarak okudum.

[Anand V · Rating 1 out of 5]

A boring book, meant only for the fans. Wonder if even they would like it. Read the first few chapters and it was so repetitive and too much details. Waste of time

[Mahrukh]

Superb book - story of Amir Khan...well written.

[Sameer Gudhate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prepare to delve into the captivating and often confusing world of Bollywood as we explore the book "I'll Do It My Way: The Incredible Journey of Amir Khan" by Christina Daniels. Brace yourself for an introspective account of one of Bollywood's most influential actors and the triumphs and tribulations he faced throughout his illustrious career.


In the vast and ever-evolving landscape of Indian cinema, understanding the complexities and nuances of an actor's journey can be a challenging endeavor. The book review highlights the confusion and lack of clarity surrounding "I'll Do It My Way," revealing the pain points of an incomplete and biased account of Amir Khan's filmography. The review suggests that readers seeking a comprehensive understanding of Khan's career may be left disappointed by the lack of depth and context.


Despite its shortcomings, "I'll Do It My Way" offers readers a record of Amir Khan's movies and serves as a testament to the impact he has made in Bollywood. The promise lies in uncovering the films that have shaped Khan's career and recognizing their potential as future classics that will resonate for decades to come.


Christina Daniels attempts to chart Amir Khan's journey from his breakthrough role in "Qayamat se Qayamat Tak" to his memorable performances in "3 Idiots" and "Dhobi Ghat." While the book acknowledges Khan's successes, it appears to gloss over some of his mainstream films and fails to provide a comprehensive analysis of his filmography. The review suggests that the book lacks the necessary context and analytical rigor found in other Bollywood biographies.


Christina Daniels takes on the task of unravelling the enigma of Amir Khan's career, drawing from interviews and film publications to piece together his journey.


Despite the criticisms, "I'll Do It My Way" offers readers a chance to explore the films that have defined Amir Khan's career and invites them to form their own opinions about his impact on Bollywood. It encourages readers to engage with the book, even with its flaws, and draw their own conclusions about Khan's journey.


Set the tone: The book strikes a critical yet informative tone. It encourages readers to approach the book with an open mind, acknowledging its limitations while recognizing the value it holds as a record of Khan's movies.


"I'll Do It My Way" is relevant to Bollywood enthusiasts, particularly those intrigued by the career of Amir Khan. It invites readers to explore the impact of his films and contemplate their potential as future classics while cautioning them about the book's incomplete and biased nature.


The book piques the reader's interest by revealing the controversies surrounding "I'll Do It My Way" and sparking curiosity about the accuracy of its portrayal of Amir Khan's career. It invites readers to question the book's content and encourages them to seek a deeper understanding of Khan's journey through additional sources.


The book leaves a lasting impression by acknowledging the shortcomings of "I'll Do It My Way" while acknowledging its potential value as a record of Amir Khan's movies. It encourages readers to reflect on the impact of Khan's career and contemplate the enduring legacy he may leave behind in Bollywood.


In conclusion, "I'll Do It My Way: The Incredible Journey of Amir Khan" by Christina Daniels offers readers an opportunity to explore the films that have shaped Khan's career, although it may fall short of providing a comprehensive analysis. While cautioning readers about its limitations, the review invites them to engage with the book, form their own opinions, and appreciate the impact Khan has made on Bollywood.

[Laina · Rating 3 out of 5]

2015 Book #30

I became an Aamir Khan fan 6 months ago and he quickly became a passion of my life. After I watched all his movies, it was time to return to my world of books. Reading "The Incredible Journey of Aamir Khan" marks my transition from my 6-month long Bollywood diversion back to the world of reading. At fewer than 200 pages, this large-type book reads fast. The title is a little misleading to the bulk of the text; a more appropriately descriptive title might have been: "Aamir Khan: Actor, Director, Producer and Promoter. The Complete Film Maker", or some such. It was obviously an unauthorized biography, but I do not mean that in a negative sense. It was actually very flattering and painted Aamir Khan in a positive light such that my admiration of him is at least as strong as it was, if not more so. As far as being a reader coming to this book, I am almost exactly the reader the author had in mind, as I am recently familiar with the plot details of almost all his movies, so I brought with me much perspective to the book. I also knew a few of the non-Aamir Khan movies referenced in the book, such as Salman Khan's "Hum Aapke Hain Koun!", though these were not critical to the appreciation of the spirit of the biography. That said, those readers who are only familiar with Aamir Khan's latest and greatest movies and came to this book wanting to know more about the person beyond the actor will likely be a little disappointed. The book started with the movie "Holi" and went chronologically through his filmography, interviewing directors, producers and co-stars. The only direct quotes from Aamir Khan himself came second hand from previously published magazine articles, television interviews and blog posts. I enjoyed learning more about what other people who worked with Aamir thought of him and also recalling my own journey through his movies. This writing of this book was wrapping up at the release and reception of "Ghajini" and at the end of production of "3 Idiots"; the book had merely a nod to "Dhobi Ghat"; therefore the book was published before Talaash, Dhoom3 or PK, which are some of Aamir's best works. I previously read the little 30 page book "Aamir Khan: Actor with a Difference" by Lata Khubchandani, which ended with Lagaan, while he was still "happily" married to Reena Dutta. That book was more like a magazine article, but had somewhat better little tidbits about Aamir's childhood and situations like Aamir's falling out with Juhi Chawla -- which was not even mentioned in "The Incredible Journey". In sum, I liked it, but it is only recommended for the Aamir Khan obsessed fan, like myself.

[Shehroze Ameen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Everything about this book can be best summarized as everything which Bollywood does to maintain and contain power among its own incest birthed nobodies. As well as the industry of simps, incels, and Modi endorsing genocide supporting, Israel policies of Palestinian famine slaughter supporting, anti-Muslim pro-rape policies which are fundamentally, and by all foundational analysis, the root cause of decay in that country. The people who benefit from this system which Modi has inculcated are the same people who read this propaganda and this approach because they are the ones who benefit the most from the approach.

India does not care about foreigners, it only cares about scams, rackets, gambling, prostitution, and post-capitalist free market trading which benefits only the guilded gentry. The same gentry is what drives Bollywood approaches which has, unfortunately, even in 2025, still remained the same - formulaic, horrifically predictable, and even by scripts it is grounded in lackluster structures which serve only to satisfy schizophrenic sociopaths and psychopaths both of whom engage in the fullest endorsement of bigotry which is pure misanthropy.

And Amir Khan is no different. He benefits from this same system. He benefits from everything that this system has given him. As far as this biography is concerned, there is nothing but white polished calumny to be found in each and every word that was written here. It is the purest example of ghost writing done by a ghost writer saving face with the whitest name possible.

I could have given this a 0.5 or even a 0 star. It really is not worth my time. I had no choice except the one star. Having said that, his approach only emphasizes the only message which Muslims in India know to be true - Modi does not respect you. Modi does not care about you, and all those who support Modi are unfortunately unwilling to accept that once their system is going to cease existing, and if it continues to wither away as it is rightfully and inevitably going to, they have no other place left to go.

But calling them out is unlikely to lead to any tangible results which benefit them. And just like Amir Khan, they're unlikely to change for anything beneficial.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I would actually rate it 2 stars but the fact that it is Aamir Khan, it’s 3.

I love Aamir Khan, I mean, who doesn’t? His films are amazing, he is an exceptional actor, he seems to be making all the right career choices, and a bonus, he is very good looking. Though this book was not a hit, at no fault of his own. This book was not biographical, it was more filmographical, if that makes sense.
If you want to know about Aamir’s life and his own feelings on Bollywood cinema, this is not the book for you. If you want to know about all the films he worked on and the feelings of others about Aamir, this is your book.

I did appreciate reading exactly what makes Aamir so special, what makes him (I think) the best actor in Bollywood. He works hard and is dedicated, this book is a testament to exactly just how dedicated Aamir is to his work. Working well over 16 hour days, changing himself physically for his roles, speaking up when something isn’t working on set, and pushing the limits to what is the “norm” in cinema. I love that he only works on movies that he 100% stands behind, there are definitely many things to admire about Aamir Khan, though I wish with this book we at least got a blurb from the man, himself.

[Billy Ram · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reason I picked up this book is that Aamir Khan is a person with a calling. He doesn't do films to survive. He does it because he loves it and that's the great thing about his job. His selection of films and his creativity to address topics of social influence is what makes me look up to him, to learn from his determination. The biography captures his early days and shares his story with the help of interviews with people and friend close to Aamir. The last film this book addresses is "3 Idiots". I am waiting for the second edition of this book where I can know Aamir's motivation behind Satyamev Jayate and his recent films.

[Shruti Chhabra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I quiet didn't like this book. It's my personal belief that if a biography is written about an actor then there should be some c contribution by the subject as well, for me that makes it authentic . Otherwise we keep listening to the stories from various sources all the time. I felt a little let down by the book.

[Gourang Ambulkar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Doesn't read like an authentic biography. It is more anecdotal collection of articles and snippets of interviews. Moreover it was written when Aamir Khan was pretty active as an actor and his career was far from over.

[Nida Çetin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Aamir certainly deserves much credit, but doubt the author does.
Reading along she sounds like a teenager, endlessly repeating how great her idol is. The most boring biography style ever

[Kala · Rating 1 out of 5]

Selling the fame of Actor aamir khan.

[Celia · Rating 3 out of 5]

not very good. only some stories mentioned Aamir Khan. Nothing interesting.

[Ankita · Rating 3 out of 5]

P

[Kitaplarikosturankadin · Rating 2 out of 5]

BENİM YOLUM , Biyografi kitabı olarak anılıyor. Ama bana göre biyografiden öte filmografi niteliğini taşıyor. Aamir Khan’ın çocukluğunu, gençliğini, aşklarını, yaşamını okuyacağımı hayal ederken kendimi bir anda filmlerin ve film eleştirmelerinin onun oyunculuğu hakkındaki yorumlarının arasında mekik dokurken buldum. O yüzden benim için çoğunlukla soğuk bir kitap oldu. Bir ara senaristler, yapımcılar, hint film piyasasının içinde boğulup kaldım. Benim beklentilerim karşılamadı. Çünkü Aamir Khan filmlerinde farkındalık yarattı. Bu farkındalığın sahibini ailesi , gençliği, aşkları, politik görüşleri, pişmanlıkları ile tanımak isterdim. Film setleri ile değil.Sinema sektörüne yakından ilgi duyanları ilgisini çekeceğine inanıyorum. Üzgünüm ben yine onu filmlerinde tanımaya çalışıyor olacağım.

[Serhat · Rating 4 out of 5]

İlginç bir kitap. Aamir Khan'ın kariyer hayatını ele alan filmelerine ve unlarda beraber çalışma yaptığı kişilerin görüşlerini içeriyor. Bir oyuncunun önce aktöre daha sonrasında star oluşunu ve bunu yaparken oynadığı rollerin karakterlerine nasıl adapte olduğunu anlatıyor. Konusu itibariyle başarılı bir kitap ilgililerine tavsiye ederim.



13.12.2015 tarihinde eklediğim yeni yorum
Aamir Khan çektiği filmleri ve kısmen hayatını içeren bu kitabı okudum birçok şeyi anlamamıştım. şimdi bütün filmlerinin izliyorum :D Hakikaten bu kitabın yazılması ve bu filmlerin seyredilmesi lazım

[Debaprabho Bhattacharya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Expectations are high when:
(a) the biography is of a person like Aamir, who seems to have found the rare algorithm to delivering bollywood success
(b) the biography is a person who is perceived to be uncompromising when it comes to detailing and quality
(c) steve jobs' biography by issacson is a wonderful insight into the person

Living up to that high expectation is tough. however, this manuscript is at best, a chronicle of events and reprint of newspaper articles and interviews.

Avoidable!

[Vartika · Rating 2 out of 5]

First up, this is not Aamir Khan's biography. It is more like a filmography that talks about what went behind the scenes in all Aamir movies. The book travels through his career with various people and voices responsible for those films.. while there are a few interesting and unknown anecdotes, the books falls prey to repetition and after a while fails to remain captivating. Maybe worth a read for die hard Aamir fans but don't keep your hopes very high..

[Neha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It would be wrong to say that it is a book about Aamir khan, the person..it is a solely a book about the movies done by Aamir khan, the actor. A few revelation are good to know especially about the movie 'lagaan'. The narration of the book is good and keeps you somewhat engaged but lost the connect towards end where it becomes repetitive & monotonous..
Overall a good read if you are an ardent fan of Aamir's work!

[Nikhil Talwar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reveals the filmography of Aamir Khan. The book is awesome read. I liked the whole book. The journey of Aamir Khan is incredible.
The book hardly talks about any intricacies of his personality or the kind of person he is in real life but still I like the book. It is solely a book about the movies done by Aamir khan.
If the actor's journey about life have been told it would have been more interesting.

[Akhil Jain · Rating 5 out of 5]

- But Aamir’s strategising mind was perhaps best reflected in his love for chess that continued into his adult years and has even passed on to his son Junaid. In fact, when shooting for 3 Idiots at the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore, Aamir would often engage in a round of chess with the captain of the IIM-B chess team. But the best young business minds in the country proved to be no match for Aamir, who won these rounds hands down.
-

[Nuri Uzunçakmak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Başlangıçta çok umut beslediğim, ama umduğumu bulamadığım zorla da olsa okuduğum, okurken sıkıcı bulduğum gibi akıcı olmayan bir kitaptı. Yani özellikle fan değilseniz, yada hint sineması ilginizi çekmiyorsa okumaya değecek bir kitap değil.

[Nambirajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have seen very few of Aamir's films - Lagaan, 3 Idiots, Rang de basanti.
this book made me understand the evolution of Aamir khan from his early stages to now.
and now i want to see QSQT, Andaz apna apna, Raja Hindustani etc.

Good read if you are interested in the history of films.