
Aamir Khan returns in wrestling drama Dangal
Highlights
- Dangal, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, opens this Friday
- Aamir transformed himself physically too look like a wrestler
- He also trained intensively in the sport
The sports hero:Dangal, in which Aamir plays a wrestler in his prime and then past it, is the latest in several sports films he's made. His natural athleticism has seen him play cricket in Awwal Number and Lagaan. In Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, he wins a prestigious cycle race for his school. As the young Mahavir Phogat, Aamir transformed himself physically too look like a wrestler. He also trained intensively in the sport with co-stars Sanya Malhotra and Fatima Sana Shaikh, who play his daughters.

The lover who defies family opposition: This is a role Aamir has played over and over again. In Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Aamir and Juhi Chawla battle the disapproval of their warring families - sadly, there is no happy ending in store. In Afsana Pyar Ka, Aamir and Neelam fight parental opposition. In Dil, Aamir and Madhuri Dixit are forbidden to see each other by their fathers. In Daulat Ki Jung, Aamir and Juhi escape their furious fathers and end up on a treasure hunt. In Ishq, Juhi's powerful father almost proves to be the undoing of Aamir. In Raja Hindustani, Karisma Kapoor's stepmother succeeds in creating a rift, temporarily, between the couple. In Dil Chahta Hai, he shows up to claim Preity Zinta on the eve of her wedding, from under the noses of her foster family who are marrying her off to their son.
The slacker: Many years before Satyamev Jayate, Aamir much loved for playing no-good idlers - Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar's Sanjaylal Sharma, Andaz Apna Apna's hilarious Amar, Rang De Basanti's bike-riding DJ. Even in Ishq, his character Raja does very little other than goof around with his best friend.
The revenge-seeker: In both Raakh and Ghajini, Aamir's character becomes a vigilante of sorts, exacting deadly justice to avenge the rape of one female friend and the murder of another. In Rang De Basanti, Aamir's group of friends take the law into their own hands with tragic consequences after the government blames the death of an Air Force officer friend on 'pilot error.' Revenge is also the motivating factor behind his crimes in Dhoom: 3.
The tapori: One of Aamir's best-loved screen selves is Rangeela's Munna, with his technicolour clothes, his street-smart conversation and ready arsenal of hilarious one-liners. Ghulam's Siddhu is also a 'tapori,' albeit much less light-hearted than Munna.
The righteous cop: Aamir has been in uniform more than once. In Baazi, he plays Inspector Amar Damjee pitted against the corrupt underling to the Chief Minister. In Sarfarosh, he plays ACP Ajay Rathod who uncovers cross-border terrorism while investigating illegal trafficking in weapons. In Talaash, he deals with the murder of a prostitute and subsequent blackmail.
Dangal, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, opens this Friday.