During the Singapore International Film Festival, Bollywood actor Amir Khan experienced strong emotions. He recalled the most challenging period of his acting career and discussed how constant work over three decades prevented him from dedicating time to his family.
Superstar Amir Khan was presented with the 'Screen Icon Award' by renowned Hong Kong director Peter Chan Ho-Song. This emotional moment occurred late in the evening during a conversation with Singaporean comedian Rishi Budhrani when he was asked about a difficult period in his career.
According to Variety, Amir Khan stated: 'During the COVID pandemic, while sitting and reflecting, I realized that about 30 years of my life had passed. It is good if you are completely immersed in work for one or two or five years, becoming obsessed, but if it continues for 30 years, it means you have lost your relationships. Your children have grown up; now they are adults. So I felt a deep loss of many things.'
Khan paused for a moment, became emotional and cried, apologized, and composed himself while the audience applauded. Wiping away his tears, Khan noted that this realization prompted him to make serious changes. For the last four years, he has intentionally been spending time with his family and close friends.
According to Khan, he is glad that this thought came to him at the age of 56, rather than at 86, when it would be too late to change anything.
During the conversation, he was also asked about creating a sequel to the 2009 comedy film '3 Idiots', directed by Rajkumar Hirani. Amir Khan replied: 'I cannot say much, but I can say that Raju is working on the script. In fact, I hope that when I return in a few weeks, they will show me the final version. So, we shall see!'
Speaking about the toughest moments, Khan recalled another difficult phase early in his career. After the success of his first film 'Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak' in 1988, he signed nine films within six months. He believed that if big stars could handle multiple projects simultaneously, he could also act in 10 films.
When filming began, he realized his mistake. He would come home and cry in front of his then-wife Rina, after which his films began to fail one after another, and he was labeled as a 'one-hit wonder.' Khan recounted: 'At that time, mentally and emotionally, I felt trapped in a swamp. I was slowly drowning, and the more I fought to get out, the deeper I sank.'
Accepting the 'Screen Icon Award,' Khan thanked the festival and noted that receiving this award from Jackie Chan made the moment even more special. He emphasized: 'Making a film is a collective art, in which many people contribute to each other's work.'