Aamir Khan recently offered an intimate insight into his son Junaid Khan’s acting abilities during a conversation on Duologue with Barun Das. Reflecting on Junaid’s journey, Aamir described how, after years of theatre training and stage experience in Los Angeles, Junaid returned to India with significant growth as an actor. To assess Junaid’s skills, Aamir had director Advait Chandan organise a screen test, shooting several challenging scenes from Laal Singh Chaddha with Junaid in the lead role.
Watching the results, Aamir was deeply impressed by his son’s performance. He felt Junaid fully embodied the role, displaying depth that surpassed expectations. To ensure his judgment was not biased by his position as a father, Aamir sought the opinions of his family and trusted industry colleagues. Even those known for their critical perspectives agreed that Junaid’s portrayal was outstanding and that he suited the character of Lal perfectly.
Despite this positive feedback, Junaid was not cast in the film in the end. The decision came after concerns from the studio about potential perceptions of nepotism. Aamir admitted this was a difficult moment because he believed Junaid deserved the role based on his actual skills and abilities, not his family ties. He expressed his belief that casting decisions should focus on proper matches between actors and their roles, rather than on family background and lineage.
Aamir explained that he developed his character through his reaction to Junaid’s screen test performance, which made him think about Junaid’s possible acting choices for different scenes. The experience taught Aamir that he should recognise true talent, as the film industry values genuine skill that exists apart from professional connections.
