Aamir Khan, who has been very careful about the choices of movies he does in his career, saw one of his most criticised and disastrous films release 25 years ago. On January 7, a film starring Aamir Khan, Mela,
was released, and it went on to become one of the most criticised and disastrous films of Aamir’s career. As the movie clocks 25 years, the actor opened up about how he did the film only to launch his brother Faisal Khan.
Faisal Khan, Aamir’s brother, marked his debut with Mela, but while the superstar did the movie for his brother, Faisal later accused Aamir and made serious allegations, including illegal confinement and career sabotage. While speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Aamir reacted to the accusations and said, “That is my destiny. You can fight the world, but how can you fight your own family?”
Reflecting on Mela, Aamir Khan candidly acknowledged that he took up the project just to launch his brother Faisal Khan. While the movie tanked at the box office, Khan has no regrets about being a part of the film.
“I was obviously disappointed by its failure to achieve its potential. Beyond that, I think it’s tough to answer your question. First of all, let me tell you, every film I do means a lot to me. The failure of Mela definitely made a difference to me. It was hard on Faisal, but it was hard on me as well. I’m not comfortable with the idea of any of my films not realising their full potential. The entire team had worked very hard. We were all disappointed,” Aamir shared.
About Mela
Mela, released on January 7, 2000, was a major box office dud. Starring Aamir Khan and Twinkle Khanna and directed by Dharmesh Darshan, known for the hit Raja Hindustani, Mela failed to connect with audiences due to its disjointed mix of action, romance, and drama.
After Mela, Twinkle Khanna, who debuted in 1995, never returned to acting, partly due to the film’s poor reception. She had once mentioned on Koffee With Karan that she had told Akshay Kumar she would only marry him if the movie flopped. Since then, she has found success as an author and often jokes about her acting career being filled with forgettable roles.
The film, a loud and over-the-top reimagining of Sholay, saw Aamir playing an exaggerated, comic-style version inspired by Dharmendra, while Faisal portrayed a stern, tight-lipped character reminiscent of Amitabh Bachchan’s legendary role.
