Aamir Khan, known as the Mr. Perfectionist of Bollywood, often draws inspiration from his own life experiences to make his scenes look real and believable. One such instance occurred on the sets of 3 Idiots, where Aamir asked Mona Singh to slap him during the intense delivery scene.
Mona Singh recalled the initial discussions about how to shoot the scene. “Pehle toh discussion yeh ho raha tha ki karna kya hai (They were first discussing how to shoot it). Am I supposed to like bite him, kick him, slap him or just say get out?” After various suggestions and anecdotes, they concluded that Mona would slap Aamir.
Aamir’s Commitment to Realism
Aamir Khan’s pursuit of perfection led him to request a hard slap from Mona. “Knowing Aamir Sir, more than method [acting], he wants perfection, he wants it to look real. (He said) ‘We will only shoot one take and you have to slap me really hard’,” Mona shared. She described how she delivered the slap with full energy, noting Aamir’s bodyguard’s tense reaction. After the scene, Aamir’s nod and thumbs-up signified his satisfaction with the shot.
Real-Life Inspiration
In a recent appearance on The Great Indian Kapil Show, Aamir recounted a real-life incident that influenced his performance. He narrated how his ex-wife Reena Dutta slapped him during the birth of their eldest son, Junaid Khan. As a supportive husband, Aamir had practiced breathing exercises, but during intense labor, Reena slapped him and told him to “stop this nonsense.” She was in extreme pain and even bit his hand.
Despite the slap, Aamir couldn’t help but observe Reena’s expressions during labor. He noted, “Her facial expression was ‘surprise and disbelief’. She couldn’t fathom the intensity of the pain. As an actor, I was like, ‘For extreme pain, surprise and disbelief are the expressions.’” However, Reena was not pleased with his observation and was furious that Aamir was focused on her expressions instead of her pain.
3 Idiots: A Critical and Commercial Success
Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, 3 Idiots opened to critical and commercial success in 2009. The movie, which starred Aamir Khan alongside R. Madhavan and Sharman Joshi, was particularly successful in China and eventually grossed over Rs 450 crore worldwide. This scene, among others, showcased Aamir’s commitment to bringing authenticity to his roles, contributing to the film’s enduring popularity.