Aamir Khan rejects 'method actor' label, welcomes 'harsh criticism' during test screenings: 'I am not such a great actor'

Aamir Khan has never been one to follow the crowd, and this approach extends to his craft as well. Recently, the actor set the record straight on a long-standing assumption about his acting style, firmly dismissing the label of a method actor while opening up about the unique and deeply personal process he follows to bring his characters to life.

Aamir Khan at Masterclass: 'I follow my own method'

During the Masterclass, held in partnership with the Lodha Academy and the Sivasailam Foundation, Aamir also took the opportunity to clear the air around a popular misconception about his approach to acting. Firmly brushing off the method actor tag, he said, “It would be very presumptuous for me to say I’m a method actor because I’m not trained in acting. I follow my own method. For me, it’s very important to get into the headspace and energy of the character.”






He also put to rest the idea that he struggles to snap out of a character once the shot is done. Speaking honestly, he said, "Even if I'm able to be the character during the shot, it's a big deal. I consider myself blessed when I get into that zone. It's very rare. I'm not such a great actor that I become that character for all my life," and added, "Sometimes, it takes you a while to get out of the zone, but not more than 15-20 minutes."

Aamir Khan calls test screenings 'my survival instinct'

Despite being deeply involved in every film he makes, Aamir Khan always steps back to view his work with fresh eyes before it releases. Test screenings, where the film is shown to a select group of people before its public release, are something he considers a must. "Before I open my film out to the entire audience, I'd like the opportunity to make mistakes and correct them first. So, the abuses you get in test screenings, hopefully you won't get them after the release. It's just my survival instinct which tells me it's better to test," he said.


“My common sense tells me I haven’t quite gotten it right. Filmmaking is all about communication. Sometimes, what you’re trying to communicate, the audience is receiving something else. You need to be aware of that communication gap. You need to go back and tweak your communication, so that the person feels differently,” explained Aamir.

Aamir Khan returns to big screen with 'Sitaare Zameen Par'

On the work front, Aamir returned to the big screen with ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’, marking his comeback after his previous outing ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ failed to make a mark at the box office. He was also recently spotted in a cameo in ‘Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos’.