Aamir Khan reveals having insecurities regarding his height during early career, says, ‘I used to fear that people might not accept me’

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan recently shared a candid revelation about his early days in the film industry, admitting to feeling insecure about his height. The actor made this disclosure during a conversation with veteran actor Nana Patekar while promoting Patekar’s new film, Vanvaas.

At 5 feet 5 inches, Aamir is shorter than the average Bollywood leading man. According to the artiste, this height difference caused him anxiety as he began his career in the late 1980s. During their conversation, Patekar asked Aamir if he had ever experienced an ‘inferiority complex’ regarding his height. Aamir responded honestly, confirming that he had. “Yes, I did,” he admitted.

“I used to fear that people might not accept me because of my height. This was my fear. But later, I realised that all of this does not matter at all. But at that time, some kind of insecurity creeps in.”

This isn't the first time Aamir has spoken publicly about his height-related insecurities. Back in 2012, while promoting his film Talaash, he mentioned that he was sometimes called ‘tingu’, a colloquial term for someone short.

However, Aamir explained that as his career progressed, he came to a crucial realization: physical appearance is secondary to the connection an artiste forges with their audience. He emphasised the importance of honesty and dedication in one's work, stating, “The things that stress us out in the beginning, we later realise that these things don’t matter at all. What is important is how honestly you are working and how your work can enchant people, and after that, everything else is unimportant.”

Aamir’s last on-screen appearance was in the 2022 film Laal Singh Chaddha. This film, an official remake of the Oscar-winning Forrest Gump, received negative reviews from critics and performed poorly at the box office. Looking ahead, Aamir is reportedly set to star in Sitaare Zameen Par, a sequel to his critically acclaimed 2007 film Taare Zameen Par.