Television and OTT actor Aamir Ali is glad 2020 has ended. “It has been a very very tough year for all of us. I’ve tried to remain positive and just move ahead as happily as I could. The most important thing was to remain healthy and happy. If I am healthy and happy, so is everyone around me. I tried to stay physically and mentally fit. I am moving into 2021 without getting bogged down by external pressures. I don’t want to be pulled back. I want to move ahead into the next year with positivity.”
He is happy with the roles he did in 2020. “Workwise I had a good year with Naxalbari and then a special appearance in Black Widow. I got a call to start shooting in Goa for Naxalbari in May. I was very excited. I always wanted to do a tedha role. No one trusted me to be bad on screen. I was only being offered Good Boy roles. I am glad Zee5 trusted me with a negative role. I am so lucky to get good reviews despite taking an image risk.”
But for his OTT debut, Aamir wanted to do something different. “The OTT platform has changed the profile of the moviegoing audience. On OTT we’re now doing what we couldn’t do in the cinema. It has helped us actors and the audience. For me as an actor, it’s a great opportunity having done mostly television so far,” says Aamir happily.
His take on Cinema versus OTT? “Cinema is a different ballgame altogether. OTT gives filmmakers and actors an opportunity to go all-out and be real. Cinema doesn’t always offer us that kind of liberty. There’s censorship to ensure cinema remains family-friendly whereas OTT provides a larger platform of expression.”
Aamir watched a lot of shows during the year. “During the lockdown, a lot of people were cooking cleaning and learning carpentry. My thing was to just watch shows and films and learn from what actors were doing in India and the rest of the world. When I was feeling low during the lockdown I re-watched fun shows like Entourage, Californication, Game Of Thrones, Vikings, Kingdom of Heaven, Lucifer…all over again. In India too we’re making terrific shows on OTT. I loved Family Man and Scam 1992.”
As a huge a fan of Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan, Aamir Ali was heartbroken by their passing away. “Of course we knew they both, Rishi Sir and Irrfan Sir, had cancer. But somehow I thought Irrfan Sir would pull through. I was shocked by his going. I loved his performances. But I was most shaken by Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. We knew each other well though we didn’t meet that often. We had done a reality show Zara Nachke Dikha together. I’ve fond memories of him. Every time we met we took up from where we left off. How could he go away like this?.”
Aamir Khan handles the excesses of social media to the best of his ability. “You have to be strong and you have to take it with a pinch of salt. Being a Muslim I’ve been trolled for going to a friend’s house for Ganpati. I am a Muslim but I am an Indian first. For my personal life, I’ve luckily not got trolled.”
There is a lot of media speculation on Aamir’s marriage to actress Sanjeeda Sheikh. All he will say is, “I’ve known my wife Sanjeeda for a very long time. I’ve maintained a dignified silence all through the rumours and speculations. I wouldn’t like to speak about this. I hope you understand.” Aamir says he’s in a good personal space. “The year has ended well. 2020 has been good workwise. Personally, too I am more sorted now. I think 2021 seems promising. I hope all the terrible things of 2020 are behind us.”
Image Source: Instagram/aamirali
Image Source: Instagram/aamirali