Aamir Ali, who was one of the biggest television stars of his time thanks to serials like Kohi Apna Sa, has recently opened up about his experience of transitioning from the small screen to the big screen. In a candid conversation, Aamir recalled the peak of his popularity after winning the dance reality show Nach Baliye 3 along with then-wife Sanjeeda Shaikh.
The channel head himself had told the victorious couple that for one night, they were the biggest celebrities in the country. In the aftermath, Aamir and Sanjeeda were in high demand at all major Bollywood awards ceremonies.
At one such event, Aamir was worried about being asked to vacate his aisle seat for A-list film stars. But then the legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra approached the television stars with a special request. Yash Chopra said that his wife Pam Chopra was a huge admirer of Aamir and Sanjeeda’s work. He kindly invited the duo to come sit with him and his wife instead.
Aamir expressed that this gesture by the late director was very reassuring for him during a phase when he was considering a transition from the small screen to the silver screen. Yet constant work in the television industry had also made him hesitant to take the plunge into an uncertain new field.
The anecdote offers a glimpse into not just Aamir’s stardom at the time, but also the respect television actors were gaining in the overlapping world of Bollywood awards galas.
