Aamir Khan is one of the most popular and influential Bollywood actors in India today. He became a star of Hindi cinema in the 1980s, and his greatest commercial successes have been the highest-grossing Bollywood films of all time.
In 2012, Khan’s career took an unexpected turn.
Together with a childhood friend, he created a TV series called Satyamev Jayate (Truth only prevails) which became the first prime-time TV show in India to expose the country’s most critical social issues – from rape to female foeticide and dowry killings.
Khan was used to portraying macho men on a quest for vengeance and belongs to an industry accused of denigrating women and encouraging sexual violence.
But now, the 52-year-old actor with Peter Pan charm risks his career by challenging men to re-examine their attitudes and behaviour towards women, confronting the spiralling wave of gender-based violence in India and defying age-old stereotypes.
The Snake Charmer follows Khan on a journey through India’s TV and Bollywood industry, as he attempts to change the way Indians perceive and treat women.
From the set of Satyamev Jayate, the film follows Khan backstage to his new Bollywood blockbuster Dangal.
Khan’s quest ultimately opens a window into a country in crisis and the changes it is undergoing.