PHOTO: BOLLYWOOD LIFE
KARACHI: Ace Bollywood actor Aamir Khan celebrates his 53rd birthday today. He also chose this auspicious occasion to make his big Instagram debut and has already garnered over 250,000 followers in a matter of a few hours.
SCREENGRABApart from starring in many movies, Khan has also been an avid social activist. He constantly tries to educate people about problems in the society and how to tackle them.
The 53-year-old has also taken this up a notch when it comes to signing up for films. To celebrate the actor's birthday, here is a list of four of biggest Bollywood projects that shed light on some social issues prevalent in the subcontinent.
1. 'Dangal'
Khan, along with Fatima Sana Shaikh and Zaira Wasim, was a part of 2016's Dangal. Based on the real life story of wrestler Mahavir Phogat, whose dreams of having a son to continue his wrestling legacy are crushed because he would always have daughters. The film shows that Phogat then trains his daughters, who go on to win medals in global championships. Hence, it breaks the stereotype that only sons can make their families proud.
2. 'PK'
In PK, Khan essays the role of an alien who finds himself living on Earth after his communicating device has been stolen. In order to find his device, PK is then advised by people of all religions to pray for whatever he is looking for. He tries to pray to the Gods of every religion but is still unable to find the device.
In the process, PK debunks how many scholars and leaders try to mislead others in the name of religion. Through PK, Khan teaches us that humanity is above everything like caste, race or religion.
3. '3 Idiots'
3 Idiots earned a lot of acclaim for being one of the most powerful Bollywood movies of all time. It stresses on the life of students, who are constantly pressurised into scoring well instead of applying their knowledge to something practical - or to something for the greater good. The film also highlights how such stresses can make students commit suicide.
Khan played Phunsuk Wangdu in 3 Idiots, a student who ends up opening a school for children where he teaches them how to apply their learning to solve everyday issues. 3 Idiots aimed to shed light on problems in the education sector of India.
4. 'Taare Zameen Par'
Much like 3 Idiots, Taare Zameen Par also aimed to educate people on the different learning disabilities in children. Khan's character Ram discovers that one of the students Ishaan has troubling studying. He soon realises that he suffers from dyslexia.
However, Ishaan's artistic skills are unmatched by other students. In this way, Taare Zameen Par proved that a child's level of knowledge cannot be limited to textbooks.
https://twitter.com/aamir_khan/status/973857730082390016
Being one of the most popular celebrities of the subcontinent, Khan has not only proved his prowess as an actor but also set the bar high by helping a lot people in the process and encouraging debate and discussion on topics of importance. We wish the Rangeela actor a very happy birthday.
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