As Mela completes 25 years since its release in 2000, Aamir Khan has addressed the serious allegations made by his brother Faissal Khan, who recently claimed that Aamir had locked him inside his Mumbai residence for over a year citing schizophrenia. The actor’s remarks come amid renewed scrutiny of their fractured relationship and the film that was meant to relaunch Faissal’s career.
“Kya karein? That is my destiny”
Responding to Faissal’s claims, Aamir spoke to Bollywood Hungama and said, “Kya karein? That is my destiny. You can fight the world, but how can you fight your own family?”
The statement follows Faissal Khan cutting off ties with Aamir and the rest of the family last year while levelling multiple allegations against them. At the time, Aamir and his family released an official statement calling Faissal’s remarks “hurtful” and maintaining that all decisions concerning him were taken collectively by the family based on medical advice.
“The failure of Mela definitely made a difference to me”
While addressing the controversy, Aamir also reflected on Mela, the 2000 film he produced to relaunch Faissal. The actor admitted that the film’s failure affected him deeply.“I was obviously disappointed by its failure to achieve its potential,” he said. “Every film I do means a lot to me. The failure of Mela definitely made a difference to me. It was hard on Faissal, but it was hard on me as well. I’m not comfortable with the idea of any of my films not realising their full potential. The entire team had worked very hard. We were all disappointed.”Mela went on to perform poorly at the box office, with director Dharmesh Darshan later publicly blaming Aamir Khan for the film’s fate.
From Raja Hindustani to a troubled reunion
Aamir Khan and Dharmesh Darshan had first collaborated in 1996 on Raja Hindustani, a film that went on to become a blockbuster. Starring Karisma Kapoor, the film was made on a modest budget of Rs 5.75 crore and earned Rs 76.34 crore, cementing Aamir’s position as a leading star and strengthening his association with the director.Encouraged by the success, the duo planned Mela the same year. This time, Aamir had a personal objective—to give his brother Faissal Khan a second chance after his debut film Madhosh (1994) failed to make an impact.
Allegations, delays and a legacy under scrutiny
Often described as a loose adaptation of Sholay, with Aamir’s character drawing parallels to Dharmendra’s Veeru and Faissal’s to Amitabh Bachchan’s Jai, Mela faced multiple delays during production. Both Dharmesh Darshan and Faissal Khan later alleged that Aamir’s interference contributed to the film’s troubled making.While Aamir has consistently maintained that his intentions were solely to help establish his brother’s career, Faissal has alleged that Aamir deliberately destroyed his prospects—claims that have gained renewed attention in light of the recent allegations. Go to Source
