The search for magic

The morning calm in the Aamir Khan household is difficult to miss. Seated in the sprawling living room — with couches draped in a soothing shade of ivory — one can hear the muffled sounds of the household waking up to yet another eventful day. The actor had gone to bed quite late the day before due to a much-delayed flight. Notwithstanding, he walks in exuding just-shaved freshness — a nice change from the handlebar moustache look he had been sporting when his latest movie Talaash was in the making. He is ready to head out for a shoot. By then, his staff is ready too with his food and other essential items packed for the day.

Soon, his blue Bentley is on the streets of Mumbai, allowing the travel time — from his Mumbai's Pali Hill home to the sets in Malad — for an interview. He settles down to the roomy vehicle's cosiness and takes off his chappals. Such relaxed demeanour can be one of the explanations for the low-key promotion of Talaash. After being termed "Bollywood's marketing guru" for being at the centre of promotions for hits such as Taare Zameen Par, Delhi Belly, Dhobi Ghat and 3 Idiots, the actor has taken it easy this time. He expresses faith in the film's story, written by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, who has also directed it. Since Talaash is a suspense drama, the actor felt the less they say about it the better. With the film's domestic earning touching Rs 70 crore in the first week, his strategy stands validated.

For the actor, a lot has changed since his last major release, 3 Idiots, that, in 2009, raised the bar for commercial movies in India. He produced Dhobi Ghat, Delhi Belly and Peepli [Live] in the interim. Though he played an important character under his wife's direction in Dhobi Ghat and showed some mean disco moves in Delhi Belly, Talaash has him playing the central character of inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat — his third turn as a uniformed hero after Baazi (1995) and Sarfarosh (1999).

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