After portraying an alien in last year's blockbuster PK, superstar Aamir Khan made no bones about lending his voice to a dog in Dil Dhadakne Do, which opened in theatres on June 4. The 50-year-old actor says he so thoroughly enjoyed the movie that even playing a dog in it was a "pleasure".
Director Zoya Akhtar came up with the idea to make Khan the voice of the philosophical bullmastiff Pluto in her comedy about a dysfunctional Punjabi family that goes on a cruise in Europe.
"It was a joy for me to watch it [Dil Dhadakne Do], and a pleasure to be a part of it even if in a small way. I was happy to do it," said Khan.
But a dog’s role isn’t one that a superstar would be expected to do.
“[Laughs] ...Well, I loved it,” he said with a chuckle, adding that he watched the movie well before it was released.
He said: “I got a call from Zoya, and she asked me to see the film. I saw it and, of course, Pluto was also there in the film, with the voice of Javed Akhtar [who has penned Pluto’s lines] at that time.
“When the film got over, Zoya asked me what I thought of it. I told her that I loved it, and it was really amazing, and that I laughed and cried through it. I loved every character, it was well-written and every actor has performed well.
“Then Zoya said, ‘Listen, I want you to play Pluto’. I was a bit surprised ... because I thought Javed sir had done a great job. But I said ‘OK’. I had loved the film so much that I was just happy to be a part of it ... I think it is a great film to be part of.
“So, I didn’t even think twice. I said, ‘Sure, I will do it’. And two days later, I was dubbing for it. That was it.”
Pluto has been in the limelight, despite the importance of the character in the narrative of the film, which otherwise has actors like Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra, Anushka Sharma, Farhan Akhtar and Rahul Bose.
Khan is, in his own words, “a real animal lover”.
“I used to have two dogs, and now I have cats and a dog. Earlier, I had a Boxer named Chhoti and another was a pariah dog named Peanuts. Now I have a Yorkshire Terrier, and she is called Imli,” he said.
But Pluto, he says, is “quite different from the dogs I have had”.
“My dogs have been quite crazy. Pluto is a very philosophical dog. He is really into observing human nature and has a take on everything. But yes, since I am an animal lover... [I know that] pets very much become a part of family,” said the 50-year-old actor, who has three children, sons Junaid and Azad, and daughter Ira.
• Dil Dhadakne Do is out in cinemas now
artslife@thenational.ae
THE%20SPECS
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Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final (first-leg score):
Juventus (1) v Ajax (1), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Match will be shown on BeIN Sports
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Know your camel milk:
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Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
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Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
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WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets