Why Aamir initially dismissed 'Peepli Live' script as a prank
What's the story
Aamir Khan, whose production house often produces unconventional movies, recently revealed the backstory of his critically acclaimed movie Peepli Live. On his YouTube channel, Aamir Khan Talkies, Khan revealed he almost skipped producing the film as he was initially unsure about its script. While shooting Mangal Pandey: The Rising, he got an email from Anusha Rizvi (then a journalist) with a script titled The Falling. Khan assumed it was a prank and ignored it.
Script acceptance
Rizvi's persistence convinced Khan to consider the script
Despite his initial dismissal, Khan was later intrigued by the sincerity in Rizvi's emails. He said, "I thought somebody was playing a prank." However, he later realized that "there was some sincerity in her mails, which made me say yes to listening to the story." However, Khan was still apprehensive about backing a first-time filmmaker for such a complex narrative. "I wasn't sure if she would be able to handle fiction filmmaking," he admitted.
Test shoot
The unconventional test shoot that won Khan over
To test Rizvi's caliber, Khan came up with an unusual test: she was asked to shoot select scenes from the script within limited time and show the footage. Despite limited resources, no access to real locations or actors and just 10 days to wrap, Rizvi delivered. "She was able to achieve things which were very difficult to achieve... her ability to bring things to life in realism was amazing," Khan recalled.
Film success
'Peepli Live' cemented Khan's reputation as a leading producer
Peepli Live became one of the most spoken-about movies of its era and India's official entry to the Oscars for the 83rd Academy Awards, though it did not get nominated. The project starred Naseeruddin Shah, Raghubir Yadav, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, among others. Khan's production slate also boasts critically acclaimed movies like Dhobi Ghat, Delhi Belly, Talaash: The Answer Lies Within, and Secret Superstar.