Bollywood Star Aamir Khan Stays Out of the Picture For “Peepli Live”

Aamir Khan is one of the biggest stars in Indian film, and he is driving some of his rabid fans nuts with his latest trend in movies -- staying off the screen.

Khan has produced his latest film "Peepli Live" which is earning rave reviews in both his homeland (despite his lack of screen time) and within art-house critic circles in the US.

"My fans have been writing me on my blog and on Facebook saying that they would like to see your next film as an actor," Khan tells PopcornBiz. "One of the big complaints I get is that I do very few films as an actor."

"I can understand that," he adds. "But the fact is "Peepli Live" is as much my film as my last film as an actor."

How big a star is Khan? During our chat at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles, the low-key Khan doesn't seem to notice the presence of two exceedingly large security guards who eye every passerby. Even in this showbiz heavy hotel, this is not a common site at press events.

"It's not so much the security threat," he says. "But it makes it more practical to move around. I love meeting my fans, but it's difficult to move from one place to another."

Khan admits that they are not needed as much in the United States (except for areas with a large Indian population). He is not the household name he is in his homeland even if he produced and starred in  "Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India" which was nominated for an Oscar for best foreign film.

Khan says he considered giving himself for a part in "Peepli," a sharp comic satire about a peasant who finds that the only way out of his financial problems is to kill himself. But he eventually changed his mind after finding the perfect actor for the part.

Either way, he admits he finds great satisfaction no matter what his role in the production.

"This film has as much as my emotions and my creative instincts in it," he said. "It has as much as me in it."

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