'I never look into the mirror while practicing scenes': Aamir Khan at WAVES

Mumbai: Actor, and producer Aamir Khan won many hearts with his tips on acting and the process of filmmaking at World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai.

“I have a weak memory. So, I hand-write dialogues. I take up the difficult scenes first. The dialogues must be by heart. On the first day, I just worked on it. I do it every day for 3-4 months, and then it gets into me. The dialogues have to become yours. You have to own it. When it was written, it was the scriptwriter’s. It later becomes yours. When you repeat the same line, you realise, you can do it many ways,” said Aamir Khan.

The Bollywood star was speaking on ‘The Art of Acting’ at the Creatosphere stage at the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) at the Jio Convention Centre in Mumbai.

The practical advice came from his years of experience in film-making as the veteran actor said: “I am not a trained actor. I wanted to go to the National School of Drama, but couldn't. I have picked up tips on the way, which work for me.”

What is a difficult task for actors? An actor has to repeat and go for retakes of scenes with the same emotional intensity every day, said Aamir Khan.

Another important tip for budding actors which came from Aamir Khan is – “The more honest you are, the better you will perform”.

So, how does Mr. Aamir Khan practice his scenes?

The answer is “I visualise scenes before giving shots. I never look into the mirror while practicing scenes.”

What is Aamir Khan’s personal favourite of all his film projects?

As many guessed, it is Taare Zameen Par as it taught many parents to be patient with their children, support them and be empathetic with their little ones!

Other tips did the veteran actor have for those who are just starting off:

“When I use emotion, it has to come from the script. You have to believe the script. Sometimes there are scenes in the films which are not believable. But the actor may make you believe it. Actor has to convince the audience about what is being shown”.

On what is a good script, Aamir Khan said, “A good script will have a clear premise. Goal setting should come in the first ten percent of the story. Otherwise the interest of the audience will be lost”.

But the most important tip for all involved in a film project – “Do what the scene demands, and don’t just think of your own work in it”.