Aamir Khan
A meticulous cinematic storyteller who uses blockbuster entertainment to provoke national conversations on India's social taboos.
Born 1965 (age 61)·Indian actor and filmmaker·Birthday: March 14·Generation X
Biography
Aamir Khan, born into a film family in Mumbai, began his career as a child actor before his leading-man breakthrough in the 1988 romance 'Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak'. He quickly defied the typical Bollywood path, taking long gaps between projects to develop stories with societal heft. His production company pioneered the "content-first" model, leading to films like 'Lagaan', an Oscar-nominated sports epic set under British rule, and 'Taare Zameen Par', a sensitive look at childhood dyslexia. Khan became a one-man cultural phenomenon, hosting the television talk show 'Satyamev Jayate' to dissect issues like dowry and medical malpractice. His choices, from playing a vengeful ghost in 'Ghajini' to a wrestler coaching his daughters in 'Dangal', consistently merge commercial spectacle with pointed commentary, making him a unique force in Indian popular culture.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Aamir was born in 1965, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Aamir Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Aamir's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Produced and starred in 'Lagaan' (2001), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
- Hosted and produced the groundbreaking social-issue talk show 'Satyamev Jayate', which sparked national debates.
- His film 'Dangal' (2016) became the highest-grossing Indian film of all time upon its release.
- Won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film for directing 'Taare Zameen Par' (2007).
Did You Know?
He is the first Indian actor to have a wax statue at Madame Tussauds in Washington, D.C.
He learned to play the tennis court game for a year to prepare for his role in 'Lagaan'.
He performed all the wrestling moves himself for 'Dangal' and gained and lost over 60 pounds for the role.
He is a trained tabla player.
“When you have a strong social fabric, when you have a society that is more just, that is more fair, you have a better life for yourself.”
