Veteran actors Aamir Khan and Rajinikanth both have massive fan followings and have delivered numerous blockbusters throughout their careers.
After starring in the heartwarming sports drama Sitaare Zameen Par, the perfectionist actor made a brief yet impactful appearance in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s action thriller Coolie, starring the one and only Rajinikanth. Aamir Khan reportedly (via India Today) did not charge a single rupee for his role in the film.
Did you know that many years before Coolie, Aamir Khan and Rajinikanth shared the screen in a film that was said to be inspired by Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic gangster classic The Godfather (1972)? The movie also featured Juhi Chawla as the female lead. Read on to find out which film it was, and why Aamir Khan, who played the role equivalent to Al Pacino’s character, was reportedly not satisfied with it.
Aamir Khan & Rajinikanth’s First Film Together
That movie was the 1995 action crime drama Aatank Hi Aatank, directed by Dilip Shankar. It was one of the films signed during the early 1990s, but ended up being a major box office disappointment. Even Aamir Khan admitted in an earlier interview (via MensXP) that their attempt to remake The Godfather had failed miserably.
Aamir Khan was critical of his own look as a gangster in the film. He also noted that The Godfather is a great story that could still be adapted today, but only if it’s carefully blended into the local cultural context; otherwise, Indian audiences won’t accept it. Ultimately, Aatank Hi Aatank flopped at the box office.
Other Indian Films Inspired By The Godfather
Before and after Aatank Hi Aatank, several Indian filmmakers attempted to adapt the epic gangster story for local audiences. Some notable examples include:
- Dharmatma (1975) – Starring Feroz Khan, Hema Malini, and Prem Nath
- Nayakan (1987) – Mani Ratnam’s acclaimed crime drama starring Kamal Haasan
- Sarkar (2005) – Ram Gopal Varma’s tribute to The Godfather, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Kay Kay Menon.
- Malik (2021) – Mahesh Narayanan’s Malayalam political thriller starring Fahadh Faasil.