Aamir Khan has finally spoken up about the failure of his latest film Thugs Of Hindostan (2018), which also starred Amitabh Bachchan, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Katrina Kaif.
Directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, the film received negative feedback from audiences and critics alike, and is struggling to reach even Rs150 crore at the domestic box office.
Speaking at the finale of the first edition of Cinestaan India’s Storytellers Contest, Aamir Khan said, “I take full responsibility for Thugs not working with the audience. I think we went wrong. But I would like to take full responsibility for that. We certainly tried our best. We didn’t leave any stone unturned in our efforts. But somewhere we went wrong.”
He accepted that the majority of the audience had rejected the film. “There are some people who have liked the film, whom we would like to thank,” he said. “We are happy that they liked it. But they are in a minority. Most of the people haven’t liked the film, and we have realized this. So, surely we went wrong somewhere and I take full responsibility for it.”
Khan also apologized for the film not meeting the expectations of the audience. “I also want to apologize to the audience that turned up to watch my film with a lot of expectations,” the superstar said. “I could not entertain them this time. We tried our best. But the ones who went with expectations didn’t enjoy it. So, I am feeling very bad that we were not able to entertain them.”
Asked how he copes when a film doesn’t work, he added, “I am still trying to do that.”
Actors, based on their own experience, often sense a film’s performance before it is even released. Asked if he expected such a performance beforehand, Aamir Khan said, “Yaar, I am not comfortable to share these things in public because I am very close to my films. They are just like our kids. So, even if they don’t succeed, they are my kids.”
Speaking about the audience reaction to Thugs Of Hindostan, Aamir Khan’s close friend, Shah Rukh Khan, recently said people were being too harsh on the film. However, Aamir Khan himself did not see anything wrong in it.
“I think the audience is free to say what they want to say about a film,” he said. “What I can say is that we certainly tried our level best and I am feeling very bad that we didn’t succeed. Next time we will try harder.”
The actor also refused to speak about the reasons for the film’s failure. “Again, I don’t want to discuss that publicly,” he said.
Asked about his next project, he said, “Actually I haven’t decided on my next film. As soon as I decide, I will let you know.”