I want to put all the colours,” says Azad, actor Aamir Khan’s two-year-old son, who enjoyed himself immensely while posing for HT City’s exclusive Holi shoot at the Khan residence. Aamir, his wife Kiran Rao and Azad took a while to choose from the array of colours — orange, pink, blue and green — but once they did, the Holi party refused to end. And Azad had a ball smearing gulaal all over himself and his parents.
“I was born on Holi — 14 March, 1965. Ammi (mother) told me that a nurse came and smeared some gulaal on my cheek. Every year, I celebrate Holi with my family. Earlier, we used to play with our neighbours and then go to my uncle Nasirsaab’s (Hussain, filmmaker) house and the tradition still continues. Through the day, the entire family has fun playing colours and eating. I don’t like the pucca or oil colours and usually play with organic colours only.”
Usually, Aamir doesn’t like venturing out on the festival day but he made an exception a few years ago. “I had gone to Amitji’s (Amitabh Bachchan) house once for a Holi party and it was fun. I didn’t try any bhang or thandai, but loved eating the mithai and savouries.”
And it’s not just in real life, Aamir has had a Holi experience on screen too. The 49-year-old actor reminisces shooting a Holi song, Dekho Aayi Holi,, for Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005). “The song went on for days. After a point, Rani (Mukerji), the dancers and I were drenched in colours. That was a bit too much,” he says, smiling.
“During Lagaan (2001), we played Holi on the sets and it was an out-and-out celebration. The entire cast and crew enjoyed the day, including the international actors who didn’t know what Holi was.” Incidentally, Khan met Kiran on the sets of the film.