KARACHI:
The critically acclaimed ‘Khamosh Pani’ was the journey of Saleem Khan that starts as a teenager who falls in love with a schoolgirl named Zubeida and ends as a religious extremist. The real life journey of Aamir Aali Malik, the actor who played Saleem, has not turned out to be any different: he ended up on the extreme end of success after a brief stint of fame.
With his torn clothes, long hair and skeletal appearance, you’d confuse him for any other drug addict who roams the streets of Karachi.
“I am the idiot you knew as Saleem from ‘Khamosh Paani’. Look at this,” he pulls out the film’s DVD from his jacket, pointing to his picture on its cover, “this is me.”
“Unfortunately, Saleem is dead. In fact, Aamir died with Saleem. Now you are talking to ‘Amar’, a being who lives at the mercy of this earth and the sky above.”
Partly drugged and partly melancholic, Malik recalls and explains how he ended up on the streets – literally. “What happened to Ghalib, Bhagat Singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Bhutto and Bugti is what will happen to me, people will only realise my importance once I die.”
Why does he compare himself to past masters like Ghalib when he hasn’t really done anything apart from one great film? “I couldn’t do anything big after my first film because I was born in Pakistan. This is such a discouraging place that even a person like Che Guevara wouldn’t survive.”
His train of thought is not very cohesive. He blames black magic and other ‘sinister tricks’ used by his contemporaries and family members for his current situation. But some of the very senior artists who don’t know of his whereabouts today remember him as a passionate but unprofessional actor with drug issues.
Nevertheless, Malik’s version of the story doesn’t end here. He mentions an Indian actress who made her big screen debut with him in Khamosh Pani and went on to become a prominent actor in Bollywood.
He finishes his cup of tea and sighs. “And after all this suffering, you want me to go back to acting? You, this world, especially this entertainment industry, have no respect for an artiste’s emotions”.
“Shilpa is Amar and Amar is Shilpa. No one is ever going to change that,” he talks of his love. “I know I was stupid to have fallen in love so early in my acting career, but then again, emotions have no boundaries. I will remain an artiste and she’ll continue to be a star,” he smirks.
His passion for film brought him to Karachi and eventually made him part of a film that went on to win a number of Golden Leopard Awards.
Veteran actor Arshad Mehmood recalls, “I remember the young lad very well from the sets of Khamosh Pani and I think he had done a pretty good job in the film.” His interaction with Malik did not stop after the shooting of the film as he was a frequent visitor of Mehmood’s studio and also of his office at the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa). “I even advised him to join the academy, because all an actor at that age needs is a crash course in professionalism. But he didn’t show much interest, probably because he had achieved so much recognition so early in his career.”
But for someone like Malik, Khamosh Pani was just the beginning of a journey that had eventually led him to Aamir Khan’s Rang De Basanti. Senior filmmaker and producer Farooq Mengal confirms these claims and considers that trip to India a wasted opportunity for the now-missing actor.
“I was supposed to play Bhagat Singh in the film and Abhishek Bachan was supposed to play the Air Force pilot. But then Rakesh told me to be a consultant for the character of the Muslim boy played by Kunal Kapoor. I had to teach him the behaviour of and the way of life of a typical Muslim family in India. And for that, he used to give me pick and drop from my hotel in Andheri.”
Amar or Aamir continues to roam the streets of Karachi like any other homeless person. But he has one request: he wants another copy of Khamosh Pani. “Those street kids constantly harass me. They haggled me into ‘borrowing’ the DVD and only returned the case.”
He also wants a director who understands him – he has a script in mind.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 10th, 2014.
COMMENTS (19)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
I would always pray for this guy and hope all ends well.. But when I saw this person face to face recently, it felt as if he'd lost all hope and there was no chance left of him to recover and return to reality. He had been drinking when we met him. He said that his personal doctor had strongly advised him against doing so. The doctor believed that Amir would be committing suicide if he would drink anymore. Lets pray for this person and hope he finds his path.
Where is my comment MODERATOR? I wrote about my experience with a friend who had similar drug induced Schizophrenia! . I often see that my harmless comments are not published. Why this discrimination (for no reason!)??
Don't file a missing persons report for this loser. He's done. Keeping smoking that crack and blaming others for you downfall. After all that is what we Pakistanis do best!
use too see him daiy in my area :o
@Kazim Abidi: tuaheed commercial 29th street dha karachi ....he comes late in the night and roams around i met him 2 days ago
I really felt bad for him but success is continuous struggle, he should not give up, keep trying and one day you will ride your own horse. best of luck Malik
He was my neighbour in quetta.Heused to tell his stories about the industry worked with Kiran Kher too. Poor guy.
Where can I find Saleem Khan. Please email the exact location on my email sabidi20@gmail.com.
Thanks.
Shocked. He couldn't manage with the fame that he got 'by chance'. Blaming Pakistan for one's own failures has become fashion of the day.Remember this is the very land that gave birth to hundreds of legends,in all walks of life. At least he got a chance to prove his worth but he strayed and ended up with drugs,there are many people in the country who are more talented than him,but they are never appreciated,infact they are Un-sung heroes.
@Chanda: You believe in black magic? Did Voldemort tell you that or Gandalf?
Rafay Mahmood, I truly appreciate you for this piece. That's a great story which needed to be told. Please continue the great work that you're doing.
comradely, Ammar Aziz
He shows classic signs of heroin/drug addiction and some kind of narcissistic personality disorder that could have been brought on by the drug use. He has a tragic past. Tribune Express: I hope that instead of just exploiting his incredibly sad story, you offered to help him? Rehab? Medication? Doctor check up? Food besides just the 'chai' to add to the spice of the story? This is a sad story that ET has made disgusting by exploiting it. I hope Aamar gets the help he needs and I hope journalism in Pakistan learns, ethics, humanity and basic respect for human life soon. P.s: Not an Indian troll. P.p.s: Usually like ET.
well from the article it seems like he may be suffering from schizophrenia [with paranoid delusions] or maybe drug-induced psychosis [usually caused by cannabis]. This makes one become paranoid with compensated healthcare. I do think if he gets adequate psychiatric and rehab care, we may be able to resuscitate the Amir that he thinks is long dead.
Well sorry but reading the article, you can make out his rotten attitude would have gotten Aamir no where.
I dont know what would have lead him here and i feel really sorry for him. Unfortunately, I havent watched this movie and hearing about it for the first time. There are many actors in Pakistan, who did earn alot of fame yet being in Pakistan. Thus, Pakistan is not responsible for his downfall. The favour he needs the most is to get him rid off drugs and some respect. I hope we will not let such a life being wasted.
What in the WORLD! Seems like he lost his marbles. Who would have thought? I remember watching the movie for an anthropology class in college in 2007; it was a great effort and very meaningful. Kind of a pity to see that he just threw it all away. Ye artist log....
''Khamish Pani'' a great movie, A must watch ! Feel sorry for this talelented actor.
Welcome to Pakistan, as place which will kill you after you give it everything.
Also - black magic doesn't help anyone except the one who is doing it.