Junaid Khan Reveals Why He Avoids Showing Scripts to Aamir Khan

Junaid Khan has spoken candidly about the underperformance of Ek Din, his father Aamir Khan’s emotional attachment to the film, and why he may avoid discussing scripts with him for the time being. In a recent interview, the actor said involving Aamir Khan in the project significantly altered its timeline and scale of production.

Speaking to journalist Vickey Lalwani on his YouTube channel, Junaid reflected on the reception of Ek Din, which starred him alongside Sai Pallavi in her Hindi film debut.

“We were hopeful. But I guess… It didn’t do well. It happens sometimes,” Junaid said. “It’s a film that I really liked, I really enjoyed. I think we all really liked and enjoyed it, and I guess… a lot of people did really like it, but I guess most people didn’t like it. That happens sometimes.”

Directed by Sunil Pandey, Ek Din is an adaptation of the 2016 Thai romantic drama One Day. The film was produced by Aamir Khan, Mansoor Khan and Aparna Purohit. Reports stated that it earned around Rs 5 crore worldwide during its theatrical run.

‘I made that mistake with Ek Din’

During the conversation, Junaid explained why he has become cautious about sharing scripts with his father.

“No, because I made that mistake with Ek Din,” he said when asked whether he discusses projects with Aamir Khan.

Junaid recalled that filmmaker Siddharth P. Malhotra had initially planned the project independently and had spoken to him about it while they were working on Maharaj. Wanting a second opinion, Junaid arranged a narration for Aamir Khan.

According to the actor, Aamir immediately became emotionally invested in the film and offered to produce it himself.

“So when the narration happened, dad really loved it. And he was like, ‘Siddharth, let me produce it.’ Suddenly he was like, ‘I want to make it. I really love it, sell it to me. I’m finally getting a chance to make a film for my son, everyone is making a film for him,’” Junaid recalled.

He described the decision as deeply emotional and admitted that while Aamir Khan Productions is a strong banner, its projects often take years to complete.

“I think he’s a fantastic producer, especially for a film like Ek Din. But what ends up happening is, then it takes five years to make. AKP is a big production banner, it takes time,” he said.

Junaid added that, as someone still beginning his career, he wants to work at a faster pace. “If I take it to dad and he loves it, then he’ll be like, ‘I’ll produce it,’ and then I’ll have a film coming out once in five years.”

He also revealed that Aamir is eager to collaborate with him again. “Dad’s now dying to make another film with me, but I’m like, ‘in a bit,’” he said with a laugh.

Aamir Khan’s reaction to Ek Din’s box office performance

Junaid also spoke about how Aamir Khan reacts when films he produces fail to perform commercially. He said his father remains emotionally affected by such outcomes despite decades in the industry.

“He is still hopeful. Yeah, even after all these years, after seeing everything, it still really bothers him. But he keeps himself busy and gets back to it, and goes back out there and does it all over again,” he said.

The actor also addressed reports claiming Sai Pallavi felt miscast in the film. Junaid clarified that her comments had been misinterpreted.

“She didn’t say that,” he explained, adding that Sai Pallavi tends to be self-critical about her performances. “We all think she’s spectacular in the film. But she is the kind of person who feels like, ‘I could have done better.’”

Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan’s advice to Junaid

In the same interview, Junaid shared anecdotes about his interactions with Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan.

Speaking about the bond between the three Khans, he said, “I think the three of them will hang out like maybe once a year, once in two years, and have a great time.”

He recalled Salman Khan advising him to explore action films after watching the trailer of Loveyapa. “Salman sir saw the trailer of Loveyapa and he was like, ‘Do an action film? You’ve got the height, do an action film.’”

Junaid also shared a light-hearted moment involving Shah Rukh Khan. “Shah Rukh Khan sir, I met at a party once, and he was like, ‘If you ever want to complain about your father, I’m just a phone call away.’”

Junaid made his acting debut with Maharaj, which received positive reviews for his performance. His subsequent theatrical releases, including Loveyapa and Ek Din, struggled commercially.