Aamir Khan Wants Wife Kiran Rao To Act But She Won't

New Delhi: Aamir Khan says that his filmmaker wife Kiran Rao is a 'fantastic actor' but she's adamant that she only wants to direct films, reports news agency PTI. Aamir Khan told reports at the trailer launch event of Secret Superstar, which Kiran has produced and features Aamir Khan in a pivotal role, that he has failed to convince Kiran Rao to become an actor. "I have been requesting her to act for the longest time because she is fantastic. When we were working on Dhobi Ghat (which Kiran directed), she used to read out Yasmin's (Kriti Malhotra) role so well. I was tired of telling her that she should take up this role but she was adamant that she only wants to direct," Aamir said, reports PTI.

Of a (im)probable career in acting, Kiran told PTI: "In college, I enjoyed acting. I learnt a lot from it and it helped me while I was directing my film. But I have no real intentions to act. I do have an interest in theatre though. I feel when I retire, I would like to do theatre."

Kiran's new film Secret Superstar, which is directed by Advait Chandan, is the story of teenaged girl (Zaira Wasim), who wants to pursuit a career in singing but her father is opposed to her ambition. "I just want to tell women that the best message through this film is that don't be scared to dream. Don't be scared to desire or want things. It's your right to have freedom, to follow your heart and dreams," said Kiran Rao.

"Historically, girls and women have been suppressed. It's known to all that for 1,000 years, women have been given secondary position. Not in India, but in other parts of the world women got voting rights much later. All over the world, women have to struggle to get their rights and recognition. If we talk about pay, the fact that women have to fight for 'equal pay for equal work' is shameful," Kiran told reporters at the event.

Secret Superstar also stars Meher Vij and Raj Arjun and is slated to release on Diwali.

(With PTI inputs)