Aamir Khan celebrates 46th birthday!

 

In Bandra's Holy Family Hospital, Aamir was born to a Muslim family which had history of success in Bollywood - his father, late Mr. Tahir Hussain being a producer, and his uncle Nasir Hussain a producer, director, actor. Aamir also happens to be a descendant of freedom war times noted scholar and politician, Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad.

The actor started his acting career as a child artist in his his uncle Nasir Hussain's superhit blockbuster, Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973). Eleven years later, he returned to acting as a young boy with Holi (1984) but his first taste of well earned success came through Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), co starring the lovely Juhi Chawla. He received his first National Film Award (Special Jury category) for his role in the film Raakh (1989). The 1980's and 90's saw him give the audiences a line of entertainers - Dil Hai Ke Maanta Nahin, Jo Jeeta Wohi SIkandar, Hum Hain Raahi Pyaar Ke (for which he even wrote the screenplay), Andaaz Apna Apna, among the best.

Following a four-year break from acting, Khan made his comeback playing the title role in the historical Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005) which was a rare instance of BO flop in his career, but he bounced back with a Critics Award for Best Performance for his role in Rang De Basanti (2006). The following year, he made his directorial debut with Taare Zameen Par, for which he received his first Filmfare as Best Director. This was followed by Ghajini (2008), which became the highest grossing film of that year, and 3 Idiots (2009), which became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all-time at that point, unadjusted for inflation. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 2003 and the Padma Bhushan in 2010 for his contributions towards Indian cinema.

In his personal life, Aamir has two children, Junaid and Ira, of his first wedlock with Rena Dutta who was part of the production team for his Oscar niminated film, Lagaan. Incidentally, Kiran Rao, his second and curent wife happened to be the assistant director to Gowarikar on the same project at that point. While Reena and Aamir parted ways in 2002 with Reena gaining custody of the children, Aamir tied knot with Kiran in 2005. This never media friendly Khan has not only infamously been absent from all Indian award ceremonies, tagging them as 'lacking credibility',but also happens to be one case of a kind in having turned down the offer from the museum of Madame Tussaud's (London) to have him waxed as a statue.

Nonetheless, Aamir has been a longtime favorite among countless ardent fans worldover, for his sheer dedication to his work - whatever the controversies with his personal life may have been.