A significant Taare Zameen Par Fan Meetup took place on June 2 at an auditorium in Mumbai, drawing together key figures from the beloved 2007 classic. The event was graced by actor-director-producer Aamir Khan, alongside fellow actors Darsheel Safary, Vipin Sharma, Tisca Chopra, and the musical trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Adding to the excitement, the team of Aamir Khan's upcoming film, Sitaare Zameen Par, also attended and entertained the audience.

During the meetup, Aamir Khan shared a remarkable insight into the making of Sitaare Zameen Par. He revealed, "I have made 40-45 films until now. All the people in a film unit are creative and passionate. As a result, there are always clashes... I have experienced in every film that there’s some argument, whether small or big." However, he noted a unique experience with his new film: "When Sitaare Zameen Par was being made, I told my director, ‘Prasanna, have you noticed something? During the shoot of this film, not a single person ever raised their voice. There was no problem at all that a neuro-typical person would have usually when they are working together’." Aamir attributed this positive environment to the "10 people" involved in Sitaare Zameen Par, stating, "They used to come with a lot of energy. They would come happily on the set and would kiss and hug you! As a result, the energy of everyone, from a spot boy to the director, would change." Sitaare Zameen Par, directed by R S Prasanna, is set to release in cinemas on June 20.

In the latter part of the event, Aamir Khan engaged with fans, answering their queries. Known for his marketing acumen, he was asked about his approach. Aamir explained, "In my understanding, marketing is a part of storytelling. Imagine you are in a party with 20-25 of your friends. The music is playing and food is being served. Suddenly, you feel like sharing an interesting anecdote. What would you do then? You’d say, ‘Guys, guys, suno. Music kam karo…idhar dhyaan do. Meri baat suno’. These 3 lines that you tell your friends – ‘music kam karo’, ‘idhar dekho’, ‘meri baat suno’ – is marketing!" He elaborated, "So, you grab the attention of the people in the room and then you narrate the story. No one will start narrating a story without catching the attention. Toh marketing aur kahaani sunana ek judi hui cheez hai. When you narrate the story, you always reach to the audience before that. That is marketing. Often, people assume that marketing is separate. No, it’s not. It’s a part of creativity."

Reflecting on Taare Zameen Par, arguably his most acclaimed film, Aamir Khan confessed his surprise at its profound impact. "No, I didn’t [know it would touch people in such a manner]," he said. "Whenever I make any film, I have no idea. My subjects are very ajeeb-o-gareeb that they don’t fit in the mainstream cinema. Hence, even if someone wants to have expectations that the film will work, that person won’t be able to. Kaise chalegi bhai (laughs)? Hence, I had no idea that Taare Zameen Par was going to do well." He hoped it would reach audiences and sensitize them, particularly about learning disabilities, a struggle he was familiar with as his own son faced similar challenges. "It was my way to sensitize people so that children don’t have to suffer like this as it’s a lot of torture for a child to go through it," he shared.

Aamir also recalled the skepticism surrounding his 2008 action film Ghajini. "You guys must have thought that since it was a mainstream film, it was expected to be a success. But that was not the case. Uss time pe action films nahin chal rahi thi. I was told, ‘The era of action film is over 2-3 years ago. Aur tumhari action film ab aa rahi hai’!" When asked by stand-up comedian Harsh Gujral if he ever knew a film would be a massive hit, with audience members suggesting titles like Lagaan (2001), Dangal (2016), and 3 Idiots (2009), Aamir was candid. "I’ll be honest... I swear that when we were making these films, we had no idea at all at that time, we were very stressed. We worry if the film will be completed. Secondly, if it does get complete, kya yeh film theek thaak banegi ki nahin? Would we be able to translate the idea on paper on screen properly? This is something I have no idea about."

He concluded with a humorous yet telling admission of his persistent self-doubt during filmmaking, quoting a famous dialogue from Lagaan: "There’s a dialogue in Lagaan, ‘Ee peeda utha ke humne kono galti toh nahin ki?’ (Did we make a mistake by taking on this burden?). I ask this question to myself and my director every single time!" This provided a glimpse into the mindset of the acclaimed actor-producer, even with his string of successful and impactful films.