What I am about to describe, it was only possible thanks to Shariva, Aamir’s creative assistant. Through the months we were talking and trying to make things work, she was always very supportive and patient. At last, 4 days before I leave India, she gives me the greatest news I could ever think of: Aamir invites me for lunch, at his home. I swear to you that, up to this day, when I am updating this text (July, 30th), I still cannot believe he actually did that.
I don’t truly know why he chose to accept my request and decided on meeting me. But I am so unbelievably happy that he did and I will be always grateful for that.
What is happiness? Can we measure it? Is there a difference between an absolute instant of happiness and a dream? And how do we differ between the two of them?
On the 22nd of June, 2023, I had an awakened dream. It became the most important day of my life. On that day, I experienced the happiest moment of my existence!
When he enters the living room, I think my heart stops completely. How to breathe?
He offers me his hand and says: “Nice to meet you!”, and gives me the cutest smile someone ever could. It is the same smile I have seen in some of his movies. He takes a seat beside the couch where I am sitting, on my 10 o’clock.
And then the world stops spinning, the wind stops blowing, and the sun stops shining… There is nothing else but him.
When I try to say – Thank you for having me here – he kindly says: “Not at all!”.
He asks me questions. What? Yeah, I know! Where do I leave in Brazil? / How is the weather there? / What do I do? … And of course, I answer. Well, I try… And honestly, I think I did but I am not entirely sure right now. How could someone possibly behave normally in his presence? How did I even manage to talk at all is beyond me!
I try to ask some questions too. I am shy because there are so many people in the room. Everybody is here! OK, it is actually just the five of us. Five? Yep! Aamir and Lei, Shariva, Aamir’s manager Janani, and his other assistant, Khurshed. They are all very lovely and kind to me! But I am already super nervous and with the audience it feels like me and Aamir are in a talk show.
We move to the table. Lunch time! Food? Of course, because I can barely breathe but eating would be great! And how on Earth can I possibly eat in front of him? Well, he helps me with that too, casually passing me a bowl with food and saying: “Here, you must try this: it is an onion curry!”, as it was just another Thursday. And me? Well… I am, again, barely believing that this is actually happening.
We chat in between bites. The food is vast and delicious! But my excitement makes me forget my manners and I don’t even compliment the food. Well done, Lei! (sarcasm)
Looking him in the eyes while he talks, is a blessing! And I love the fact that he looks right back to me! He has the sweetest eyes, you know…
I am trying to look at him as much as I can without making it creepy. I just want so much to remember everything about him. I never thought I would say that in my life but even the way he keeps arranging his moustache edges it is cute.
He tells me he loves reading and he seems a bit surprised when I tell him I love it too. We both rather read physical books than in any other way. The smell, the texture, the flipping, and in his case, the possibility of folding the edges.
Then he asks me about my 3 favourite books. When I answer, he seems truly interested in reading them and asks Khurshed to write the names down. What? This is another moment in which I fly away from Earth. How can he possibly be so amazing? And then I messed up, of course! I am so out of my mind, so honoured with the fact that he wants to read my top 3 books, that I don’t ask him what his favourite books are! Well done, Lei! (strike 2!) And now I will never know and read them…
After a bit more talking, Janani is back (she had left us earlier) and that means Aamir has to go for a meeting. He seems truly surprised by the time passing and remains quiet in the chair for some moments. Was he waiting for me to say something? How could I? How could I possibly ask for more time, which would be a slight complaint about something, anything, about this moment? He gets up and leaves, saying that he needs some time.
After some minutes he comes back and he gives me a bag. “Here, that’s for you!”. I finally manage to say something decent – Please don’t give me any gift. You are my gift! – He laughs… How good it feels to make him laugh!
He sits on the couch again. And I want to believe that he doesn’t want to go to any meeting.
When I try to refuse the gift, he tells me: “It is second-hand so you can accept it, just as you always do with your clothes”. Now, my dear friends, can you try to understand how I felt at this moment? He paid attention and remembered what I said about only accepting second-hand clothes; and then, he went through his stuff, looking for something to give me. Yeah… he’s just that great! I am holding a black leather jacket in my hands when he tells me it was his. I drop dead on the couch, while hugging the jacket, and a vanishing “what?” dies out of my mouth. Everybody laughs, including him. I feel like gravity ceased existing and I am drowned to the centre of the Earth. I am brought back by Shariva telling us to take a photograph before he leaves for his meeting.
Everything that happens next is too extraordinary to even try to explain, but I will try.
Aamir Khan puts his arm around my waist so we can take a photograph together. Luckily for me, I asked Khurshed to take photos with my camera too, and not only with his smartphone, so I have a few more seconds under Aamir’s arm. But I have to say, that was the most out of body experience I have ever had! Honestly, it was almost as if I was not there, only my body was there, and my soul was floating above us. As if that was not good enough, after the two clicks, I was about to (reluctantly) let him go, when he held on to me (Oh, dear Lord!) because he also wanted a photograph from his phone. What? Yes. He asks Shariva to take a photograph of us from his phone. As we say in Brazil: Noa stop the arc because I want to get out!
Do you think that is finished? Do you think this is good enough for a dream coming true? Nope!
In his final act of benevolence, he gives me a hug and says goodbye. Aamir Khan gives me a hug! In the gentlest way possible, he puts his left arm around my waist, quickly rests his head on my left shoulder, and then he says goodbye. I don’t even see it coming! It was so unexpected, so out of nowhere, and again, I am like… what has just happened?
I was gone!
It takes me a few moments to come back to my senses. During this time, Aamir and his manager enter another room. I fall on the couch… His perfume is still on my right shoulder, on my t-shirt.
What is my opinion about him? Well, let’s just put it this way… When we really admire someone, we tend to create an image of this person, an idea of who he / she is and why we like this person so much. So, we make ourselves believe that he / she is an incredible person, full of great qualities and reasons to be loved. Was I right about Aamir Khan? I have to say that, I could not be more right about him.
Aamir Khan is so amazingly down to Earth, mostly being who he is. If you were to meet him, without knowing he is one of the most famous, prestigious, and acknowledged actors of India, you could never tell. He is so humble, kind, simple, gentle, attentive to details and to everything that surrounds him. He knows so much about so many things, and at the same time, he talks in such a humble way, as if he is just another guy. And I love how much he knows about cinema! Aamir is a great actor and that was the reason why I became a huge admirer of his work. Now, I admire who he is as a person too. He is extremely polite, sweet and cute. He is adorable! And he is incredibly charming! He is a very handsome man in the most majestic way a man can look handsome. And I don’t think that he fully understands how amazing he actually is! I wish I just had had the chance to tell him that, to let him know that, to me, he is perfect. Well, if I am wishing for things, I wish I could spend some more time with him, to get to know him better, and let him know who I am. He made me feel so special that day, as everything was not about him but about me.
Before I used to think that I liked his characters, my favourite ones: P.K., Rancho and Nikhumb. Now I know that I adore Aamir Khan!
Aamir Khan helps me to become who I am. When he gives me a hug, I am in heaven, I become heaven’s flower. That’s the meaning of Leilane.
And trying to answer the questions on the beginning of the post… I know this was not a dream because, in the opposite of one, there was not that weird feeling we have when we are dreaming, you know? That odd feeling that something is quite not right, which is your brain telling you that you that this is not real. When I met Aamir, all I felt was happiness. A pure and great sense of rightness and realization. Everything was just so… good. I used to think of my dreams as something wonderful! I used to love to go to sleep only because I knew I would have dreams and remember them next day. And boy, I used to love dreaming! But I got addicted to them. Aamir changed that. After meeting him, I finally realize that, no matter how good your dreams seem to be, nothing is better than when you can, in real life, look into the eyes of someone, listen to the voice of this person, feel his perfume, and be given a hug. I don’t know if it is possible to measure happiness. But if it was, this moment of my life, would have reached the highest point. Can it get any better?
“काश this, काश that…”
As an Aamir fan through 25 years — I was was delighted to read your blogpost, to discover, the human behind the star. Thank you so much. Will now explore the rest of your writing. I love travel writing — and among my favourites are Bill Bryson , Paul Theroux, plus many more names in the genre.
Incidentally, I share a love of books with Aamir. Have read a lot about his favourite books. He has said that he loves books even more than films.:)
Dear Lalitha,
Thank you for your comment! It is great to hear from you!
I am very happy to know that you enjoyed the post! It is great “to meet” another fan 🙂
He is a wonderful actor, isn’t he? He never stops surprising me…
Recently I started watching more Indian movies (mostly inspired by my meeting with Aamir), and his movies always show up on top lists.
Thank you for sharing about your favourite travel writers. I haven’t read their works yet, so I would love to hear some suggestions from you. Where should I start? But I did watch a movie based in one of Bryson’s novels “A walk in the woods”, and it was very enjoyable!
Would you be so kind and share with me some of his favourite books? As you read, I lost my chance of asking him in person. It is funny that you mentioned about him loving more books than films. That’s exactly what I felt when we were talking 🙂
Please, let’s keep in touch!
Kind regards,
Lei.
Hi.
Was great to read your reply. 🙂 And am happy to be in touch with somebody who likes travelling — and Aamir. Great combo!
Love your minimalist thinking. Clothes need to be used fully, reused if still good.
In fact Aamir is one of the very few celebs seen in media wearing a tee shirt from 10 years back. 😉 His regular followers know 😂
Jokes aside — I would love to travel a lot, but family finances and the like make it an occasional treat. So, yes, travel writing appeals. Plus any sensible non fiction (mostly) book that engages — History,geography, historical novels, funny writing, biographies…
I was a member of Aamir’s blog from 2007-11. He interacted quite a bit with some of us who share his interests. And I discovered that he likes similar things. In fact, while chatting with other fans on his blog, I had mentioned William Dalrymple’s compact but intense book on Delhi ( past & present). The City of Djinns — and Aamir picked up on our talk. Wanted to know who had mentioned the writer and his Delhi book! After that, it was book talk (and a bit of film talk) with Aa!
His film Mangal Pandey ( 2005), a quasi- historical, had used research, one of them being Dalrymple’s book The White Moghuls. In fact, Ameesha Patel (who had a role in Mangal Pandey) spoke about being asked to read the book. Co-star Aamir wanted her to bone up on the book before doing the role 🙂
I met India based Dalrymple at his book reading, a free years back; mentioned my City of Djinns – Aamir story to him while he signed my Delhi book. He smiled and said yes, Aamir has attended his reading of The White Moghuls, has chatted with him.
In mid 2000s, even beyond his blog, Aamir, in media, would mention his favourite books — The Mahabharata (which he has read through years, wished to film, but not happening); a Swedish thriller writer Stig Larsson; a Philosophy primr by Will Durant ( apparently read in his twenties), Anna Karenina, the great Russian novel, ( read when he was 12); When Nietzche Wept (a philosophical novel ); The Confederacy of Dunces, a Pulitzer Prize winning black comedy set in New Orleans. In fact I bought it, this last one; read a portion…. And I need to complete it some time.:)
One of his favourite poems is my favourite too. Where the mind is without fear, by Rabindranath Tagore.
During a trip to US, Aamir is said to have searched out one of his favourite writers Harry Crewes, I think. Spent time with this old gentleman, somewhere in US 🙂 He has also met Amitav Ghosh (in US again when his Dhoom 3 was being shot through a month) and remained friends with him. Ghosh writes terrific historical novels, moody and compelling.
I have reviewed books for a Sunday supplement newspaper through seven years. Read a grand selection through 2012-19. Still read. And watch the rare Aamir film. 🙂
My reply has gone on and on. Will stop now. But I must share this — another Brazilian Aamir fan, a sweet lady, is my friend on social media.;)
Two typos discovered. :/
Free & primer are the correct words.
Will give you a list of travel writers,soon. Paul Theroux is good too. Funny and intense, Bryson is funnier.
Dear Lalitha,
Yes! Great combo indeed =)
You answer warms up my heart! I was trully oeverwhelmed by it. Thank you!
I cannot believe Aamir is also into “wearing clothes until they are vanishing”, haha. He didn’t mentioned that when we met.
This whole blog thing is a huge surprise for me! It is so sweet of him to have a blog! And then to interect with you guys and his fans. He is trully a sweetheart. But I actually miss those old times when blogs were the pick of social media. Everything was way more simple and closer to the heart than the “nowadays” social media, where there is so little true interection, and lots of crap. Such a shame! Good old times…
Thank you so much for all the info! I am trully glad and grateful!
I will write down everything and read all I can find in English! The truth is, I have never dug into Aamir’s personal life. I searched a few things here and there and watched a few videos / pieces of interviews. Normally I am like that, when I admire someone, I just go with the flow. Like with the Beatles, or Elvis, I love their songs but I know little about their personal lives. I was shocked when I watched the latest movie made about Elvis, for example. But with Aamir… I confess that I think that the biggest reason was that, in my heart, I had high hopes that one day he could tell me all that in person, and I could get to know him better by listening to him. I know, I know, I am a fool. Or a romantic. Perhaps both.
Your other Brazilian friend is Lirica? She is a Brazilian lady who added me on Instagram because of my post about Aamir.
Have you stopped reviewing books? And where in India are you from?
I am from a Southern Indian city. Have lived in North India (Delhi) and Eastern India while younger. Have visited Western India (Mumbai & a bit around) thrice in my teens, but never after. Somehow it has not happened. So, a bit of an all India citizen. 🙂
Great to read your replies, and happy that Naomi got her reply too.
Actually us three Aamir fans are already in touch on social media. And there are more of us — on twitter, Instagram, fb. But we are a niche group for a niche star.;)
Now to browse more through your blog.:)
That’s amazing! You are lucky because you could see, live and experience different parts of India, which is great because your country has such rich culture, in so many different ways!
I am glad I had the chance to travel a bit all around myself too, and experience a real India all over! It as amazing!
You all are amazing and such great fans! I had no idea about these communities of fans… I have been always on my own =)
I hope you enjoy the blog 😉
What an experience!
One lucky human you are! Reading the story, I could feel and see everything vividly. I could smell his perfume, hear his laughter, feel your excitement. At the point where you right “He has such sweet eyes”, I already completely melted down.
Aamir is indeed one of a kind, a true blessing from heaven. Thank you for this story. It gives a hope, that one day we all, his lifelong fans, can meet him, feel him and smell him. Most importantly learn from him.
Lalitha, my friend, already recommended some books to you, I can add A Short History Of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson. It has long been one of my favourites, then at one point I found out Aamir loves it too. He has also mentioned, See Of Poppies, by Amitav Gosh, it is a trilogy in fact, fantastic read with profound and rich language. And last but not least, he does often say A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole, is his all time favourite, but it has already been mentioned.
Don’t worry about not asking Aamir questions. I mean, you state conscious, which by itself is a big achievement of your willpower. 😁 Personally, I would faint on the stop.
Aamir has army of fans who follow every aspect of his life. It is not necessary to ask a question concerning him directly him in order to get the answer. ☺️
Thank you, once again!
Lots of love.
Dear Naomi,
Thank you for your comment! And you are right, I am the luckiest person on Earth!
And you are awesome! I am starting to believe that, to be Aamir Khan’s fan, you must be an extraordinary person (me as an exception, of course), because by the comments I have received and other people I have talked to, everybody is so great!
I am so happy that you liked my description of the events! Thank you for saying so and being so sweet about it. That’s why I love writing and reading so much. The way you can put your feelings into words is so unique and inspiring! I wish more people could understand that and start reading and writing more. But nowadays everything is about visual and videos. Life behind a screen. What a shame!
You girls are so sweet! Thank you for your suggestions too! I am so happy that now I can finally read his favourite books.
It is very kind of you for cheering me up! And in such a funny way too =)
Thank you! And don’t get me wrong, I loved every second of my time with him! I keep going over and over all the details of our time together. It is just that… he was so perfect all the time, and I wish I could’ve behaved diferently, and perhaps made a better impression on him. It was an once in life opportunity, and I wish he could’ve seen the real me, you know? Who Lei actually is when she is not almost fainting (it was really hard to keep conscious, for sure).
I believe that all his fans must keep hopes up that they can meet him. Being such an extraordinary human being, I don’t doubt that one day he will make a big event in his home, just for his fans.
A big hug full of love,
Lei.