Aamir credits 'piracy' for making him a 'star' in China
What's the story
Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan recently credited piracy for his unexpected rise to fame in China.
He revealed that his acclaimed 2009 film, 3 Idiots, became a massive hit in the country due to illegal downloads and word-of-mouth publicity.
Speaking at ABP Network's Ideas of India 2025, Khan stated, "Piracy made me a star in China. 3 Idiots went viral there because of piracy."
Statement
'The credit goes to the Chinese audience...'
Further, Khan said, "The credit goes to the Chinese audience for accepting a film from a different culture and giving it love and respect. It was all organic and I had no role to play in it."
Separately, Khan also spoke about his popular Mr. Perfectionist label, saying he doesn't like it.
"I'm more interested in magic. In a creative field, there's no such thing as perfect—it's always evolving. I enjoy going in-depth because that's where something special happens."
Career boost
Khan's success in China followed '3 Idiots' popularity
The film, directed by Rajkumar Hirani and also starring R Madhavan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sharman Joshi, Ali Fazal, Omi Vaidya, and Boman Irani became a rage in China.
This surprise success opened the floodgates for Khan in China.
His next films PK (2014), Dangal (2016) and Secret Superstar (2017) were all huge successes at the Chinese box office.
Today, Khan is fondly called "Uncle Aamir" by his Chinese fans, which speaks volumes about his popularity in the country.
Future endeavors
Khan's upcoming projects and popularity in China
Khan is currently busy with his next film, Sitaare Zameen Par, with Darsheel Safary. The film is scheduled to release in December 2025.
He will also produce Lahore 1947, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and starring Preity Zinta and Sunny Deol, among others.
He was last seen in Laal Singh Chaddha, released in 2022.