This IITian-turned-director, won National Award for debut film, left Bollywood to become farmer, brother is superstar

A number of Bollywood celebrities like Nitesh Tiwari, Jitendra Kumar, and Amol Prashar among others who made their names in the entertainment industry are IITians. Another IITian who went on to be a National Award-winning director, left films to become a farmer. 

The director made a smashing debut in Bollywood and his film won National Award too. His brother is a superstar in Bollywood who has given a number of blockbusters. He is none other than, Mansoor Khan. 

Son of filmmaker Nasir Hussain, Mansoor Khan attended IIT Bombay, Cornell University, and MIT before making his foray into Hindi cinema. He made his Bollywood debut with the super-hit Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak in 1988, for which Khan received the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. 

Later, 4 years after tasting success, he made a comeback with the film with Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander in 1992. His last two films Akele Hum Akele Tum in 1995 and Josh in 2000 were moderately successful. The filmmaker then made a comeback in 2008 as a producer and collaborated with his brother Aamir Khan for his nephew Imran Khan’s film Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na. 

Mansoor Khan left his Bollywood lifestyle for idyllic pastoral life in Coonoor on his Acres Wild farm, nestled in Coonoor in the Nilgiri hills in Tamil Nadu, situated at 6,000 ft above sea level and 20 km away from famous Ooty. The filmmaker grows vegetables and fruits, and is engaged in farming and making their own cheese at The Acres Wild farm, which is a 22-acre family-run property belonging to the director. 

Mansoor Khan talked about leaving the film industry and choosing to be a farmer and told FirstPost, “I will tell you. I was never meant to be a filmmaker. (Laughs) Let us be the judge of that. No, seriously, that was always my plan. To do what I am doing with my life right now. I had planned it that way. When I was in the US studying in 1979 my plan was that when I return to India I won’t stay in Mumbai. I was always an out-of-the-city guy.” 

Talking about his children, Mansoor said, “Well, they are no longer children (laughs). They are working in Mumbai. My daughter Zayn is an actor. She was in Mrs Serial Killer. She got noticed in that. My son Pablo is a musician. He plays the guitar and drums, and he composes music. Right now he is working in Aamir’s production house. My daughter has found her calling but my son is still searching for his true vocation. But he recently discovered that he loved film editing when he sat with director Advait Chandan on Aamir’s Laal Singh Chaddha.” 

Meanwhile, Mansoor Khan is the brother of Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan. The actor was last seen in the movie Laal Singh Chadha which failed to perform well at the box office and is now set to make a return to films with his new film Sitaare Zameen Par. Talking about his new film, Aamir said, “I have not spoken about it publicly and I won't be able to say much now also. But I can tell the title. The title of the film is "Sitare Zameen Par". You must have remembered my film Taare Zameen Par and the name of this film is "Sitare Zameen Par" because we are moving 10 steps ahead with the same theme. Taare Zameen Par was an emotional film, this film will make you laugh. That film made you cry this one will entertain you. But the theme is the same that"s why we kept this name very thoughtfully. We all have flaws, but we all also have something special,  so we are taking forward this theme but this time the character of the special child Ishaan in that film, my character helps that character in Taare Zameen Par, In Sitaare Zameen Par, those 9 boys, who have their own issues they help me. It's the opposite.”

Read 'Aamir kitna overacting kiya': Mansoor Khan reveals SS Rajamouli's reaction to actor's performance in Laal Singh Chaddha