How did Aamir Khan become known as ‘Mr Perfectionist?’

During an appearance on The Great Indian Kapil Show, Aamir Khan explained how he became known as ‘Mr Perfectionist’.

The star is revered for his conscientiousness and his ability to usually choose the right scripts to do.

His film choices and the manner in which he goes about his work have led fans and media to label him as a perfectionist.

In the episode released on Netflix on April 27, 2024, host Kapil Sharma also used the term to describe Aamir.

Delving into the origins of the tag, Aamir Khan said:

“One person is responsible for the tag of a perfectionist on me. That is Shabana Azmi Ji.

“When I was new to cinema, I was shooting for the movie Dil (1990).

“Baba Azmi was the cameraman. We often visited his house.

“One day, we were immersed in a discussion. Shabana Ji had brought tea for us.

“She asked me, ‘Aamir, how much sugar would you like?’

“I was so engrossed in the discussion that I didn’t realise what she was asking me.

“It took about five seconds for her question to register in my mind.

“Because there is mental clutter when you are overthinking so it takes time for a question to set in.

“So I’m thinking, ‘What is she asking? Is it about the sugar?’

“And then I said, ‘How big is the glass?’

“She showed me the cup and said, ‘This is the size’.

“I was still engrossed in the discussion and I was trying to answer her question accurately.

“I asked about the size of the spoon and she showed me. I said, ‘One spoon, please’, and I got into the discussion again.

“She narrated that story everywhere.

“She said, ‘If you ask Aamir Khan about sugar in his tea, he will first ask you about the size and cup’.

“So, that’s how I got the label of a perfectionist.”

Aamir also revealed other interesting anecdotes on the show.

For example, he narrated the story behind his nude radio scene in PK (2014), as well as how his ex-wife Reena Dutta slapped him during the birth of their son Junaid Khan.

The star also admitted that his reference points for his character in 3 Idiots (2009) came from Ghajini director AR Murugadoss and his nephew Pablo.

He said that Murugadoss did not have a filter while responding to people while Pablo never remained static.

Incidentally, Shabana Azmi is set to star in Lahore, 1947 – a film that Aamir is currently producing.

Aamir Khan will make his acting return in the upcoming Sitaare Zameen Par.