Makarand Deshpande recalls laughing at Aamir Khan's face when he said he was playing lead in 'Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak': ‘You are the hero?'

Aamir Khan made his debut as a lead actor in his uncle Nasir Hussain’s 1988 film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. The film also featured veteran actor Makarand Deshpande, who had previously starred in theater productions where Aamir worked backstage. Upon learning that Aamir was playing the lead, Deshpande couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
In a recent interview with Kunickaa Sadanand, Makarand Deshpande explained the reason behind his laughter. He clarified that it wasn’t meant to undermine Aamir but was purely out of surprise, as the Dangal actor had always maintained a low-key presence.

Makarand recalled that Aamir Khan was working backstage when he was cast as the lead in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, while Deshpande himself was playing lead roles in theater. During a visit to Nasir Hussain, he ran into Aamir and casually asked about his role in the film. When Aamir revealed he was the lead, Deshpande couldn’t help but laugh in surprise.
Deshpande further admitted that he laughed in surprise upon hearing that Aamir was the lead. His reaction wasn’t meant to belittle him but stemmed from the fact that Aamir was always so sincere and low-key that he never imagined him as a hero.

Kunickaa Sadanand, who had worked with Aamir Khan, recalled an incident from the sets of Baazi that showcased his dedication to his craft.
Kunickaa Sadanand recalled working with Aamir Khan in Baazi and noted his commitment to perfection. She shared how he insisted on rehearsing a scene multiple times, even amid a traffic jam, always striving to improve his performance.
Earlier, actor Sujata Mehta had earlier spoken about Aamir Khan’s theater days, recalling how he worked backstage during her play Chitkar. She mentioned that Aamir even served water to the audience and trained from the ground up before making it big in the industry.