Aamir Khan cries on stage in Singapore over lost family years; 3 Idiots 2 script being written by Hirani

Aamir Khan broke down on stage at the Singapore International Film Festival as he spoke about the family time he lost to three decades of non-stop work, and gave the first real update on the 3 Idiots sequel: Rajkumar Hirani is writing it, and Aamir hopes to hear the final script within weeks. The Express Tribune reported his remarks on Friday, 23 October 2026, first carried by Gulf News.

Aamir was in Singapore to receive the festival's Screen Icon Award, presented by Hong Kong filmmaker Peter Chan Ho-sun. The festival is also screening Lagaan (2001), his first film as a producer, for its 25th anniversary. He last attended nine years ago, with Secret Superstar.

"You've lost your relationships"

Partway through his speech Aamir paused, wiped away tears and apologised before going on, to applause from the audience.

"It's okay to work like a madman, completely obsessed with what you're doing for one year, two years, five years," he said. "But if it goes on for 30 years, I mean, you've lost your relationships."

"Your kids have grown up; they're adults now. So I felt a deep sense of loss," he said, adding: "I'm so glad that this thought occurred to me when I was 56 and not when I was 86." Covid made him rethink what mattered, he said, and for the past four years he has made a conscious effort to spend more time with his family and close friends.

The flops after his first hit

Aamir also went back to the start of his career. After Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) made him a star, he signed nine films in six months, and several of them failed at the box office. Some people called him a one-film wonder. "At that time, mentally and emotionally, I felt like I was in quicksand," he said, crediting his then-wife Reena Dutta for her support.

3 Idiots 2: where it stands

"Raju is working on the script," he said.

For more from across the border this week, see Udta Teer at Wagah and the rest of our entertainment news.