30yrs later, Mansoor Khan confesses: 'I could've ruined Aamir's career'
Acclaimed filmmaker Mansoor Khan, cousin of Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, recently opened up about his cinematic journey in an interview with India Now and How. He reminisced about his debut film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (QSQT) and its follow-up Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (JJWS). Interestingly, he divulged that he had first planned to make JJWS Aamir's launchpad but later shelved it fearing it might ruin his career.
'Thankfully, I didn't make that film'
Mansoor revealed the idea for JJWS came before QSQT, his father Nasir Husain's brainchild to launch Aamir. He started writing a story that later became JJWS while his father was working on QSQT. "We started in 1986, and the film was released in 1988; I'm a slow filmmaker." "But the point is, even I had Aamir in mind for Jo Jeeta; he would've been 19-20 at the time. Thankfully, I didn't make that film. I would've destroyed Aamir's career."
Mansoor's dissatisfaction with 'QSQT' and script concerns
Despite QSQT's success, Mansoor was unhappy with the film. He remembered his father asking him to direct QSQT since he was unhappy with the JJWS script. "I asked him, 'What is this film about?' And he said, 'It's a love story.' I said, 'But every Hindi film is a love story,'" Mansoor continued. His displeasure didn't end even after its release as he thought some scenes should have been shot differently.
Mansoor's journey from 'QSQT' to 'JJWS'
Mansoor's experience with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak made him realize that his approach to Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar was all wrong. He rewrote the film. "My dad understood the audience's pulse, but I had no idea. I wasn't a film person; I wouldn't go to Gaiety Galaxy...I realized that people had even enjoyed the scenes I disliked. So I rethought and rewrote Jo Jeeta," he said.
Mansoor's current life and occasional involvement in films
Today, Mansoor lives a reclusive life in Tamil Nadu, working as a farmer. However, he occasionally lends a hand in films at Aamir's request. Most recently, he worked on his nephew Junaid Khan's upcoming romantic movie. Despite his initial fears and displeasure with some aspects of his early work, Mansoor has certainly left an indelible mark on Indian cinema with films like QSQT and JJWS.
