After Salman, Aamir is a painter too!

Clever cookie Aamir Khan is at it again. Though wife Kiran Rao’s Dhobi Ghat has been promoted as Pratiek Babber’s starring film, Aamir Khan has a significant role in it and not a cameo.

A source explains why this marketing strategy will benefit Khan. “It is a very clever marketing gimmick to say that Aamir only has a guest appearance in the film. It ensures that the audience will go to watch the film with minimum expectations from an actor of Aamir’s calibre. What the filmmakers want is for the audience to be glad to see Aamir throughout the film after expecting him to play a brief role in it. Consequently, viewers will feel that they have got more than their money’s worth and that will work in the film’s favour. Which is why, it has been intentionally announced that Aamir only has a cameo in the film. Actually, Aamir plays the central character along with Pratiek. Even the publicity around Aamir will be low-key.”

And what role does Aamir play in the film? “Aamir shot for 30 days for the film. He plays a painter who lives and works from his tiny studio-apartment in a noisy and congested Mumbai neighbourhood (Bhuleshwar in South Mumbai). In our normal day-to-day life we meet so many people on a daily basis… say a watchman, a servant or a dhobi. Pratiek plays a dhobi and the film is about how one day such people become very significant in your life. That’s the story of Kiran never wanted to cast Aamir in the film but Aamir insisted and even screen tested for the role.”

The film is complete and is under going post-production and will release in a couple of months. Singer Monica Dogra of Shaa’ir + Func plays the female lead in it. It is Kiran Rao’s directorial debut.