New Delhi, Dec. 7 -- It's time for a new approach to movies, Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan said, speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on Saturday. That would be another new approach; Khan, 60, has been the happy disruptor in Hindi cinema, changing how things are done for about four decades. One such change, early on, was his decision to do one film a year, at a time when stars prided themselves on doing dozens. He would make his one film count, he decided. (And, of course, he did.) This time around, it's the options for access that must change, he said on Saturday. It is time "to introduce a new window for audiences, and one more avenue of earning for the producer". The window he's referring to would be a pay-per-view stage for major releases, after the theatrical run - and before the film becomes available to all subscribers of a streaming platform. The pay-per-view stage is a model he experimented with on a recent release, Sitaare Zameen Par (2025). "With Sitaare... it was very moving to see the reaction of audiences, especially those who are neuro-atypical or people with disabilities and their loved ones," he said, smiling. As for the model of a "new window", that would require widespread support in order to take root. "I think if the industry can collectively create this window, it will be helpful for all of us," Khan said. How did he go from being a young actor with one massive hit (Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak; 1988) followed by a string of flops. to someone with the courage to effect change and birth new templates for storytelling (think, Lagaan, Rang De Basanti)? It was a quiet moment of courage, he says. Offered a film he didn't believe would work - by one of his idols, the director Mahesh Bhatt, no less - he considered saying yes, for all the obvious reasons (he needed a big name to show belief in him; he needed a big release and a possible hit). But he realised this would be a pivotal choice, whichever way he chose. And the wrong turn, even for the right reasons, wasn't the route he wanted out of the "quicksand" he found himself in, with his string of unsuccessful releases. So he apologised, said no to the movie (which didn't eventually get made). Bhatt was more than gracious. And Khan realised, both in that moment and as his career unfolded, that he could be this person. "When my back was against the wall, when I was at my lowest, I had the conviction to say no to something that I didn't believe in. That gave me the strength to take all the difficult decisions that I took in my career after that," he said. It set him on the path of taking other kinds of risks, and shaped him as an actor, director, producer and storyteller. By 34, he had launched his production house, Aamir Khan Productions, which has backed audacious and distinctly original titles ranging from the Oscar-nominated Lagaan (2001) and Taare Zameen Par (2007) to Delhi Belly (2011), PK (2014) and Dangal (2016). Last year, the comedy-drama Laapataa Ladies, directed by Kiran Rao and co-produced by Khan, was selected as India's official entry to the Oscars. In a wit-filled conversation with Sonal Kalra, HT's chief managing editor for entertainment and lifestyle, Khan discussed other lessons he has learnt. Pick a project for its plot, director and producer, he noted. Or else, you could end up visualising a pivotal romantic scene in the mountains of Kashmir while the director is thinking of Lonavala, the small hill station two hours from Mumbai, and the producer is determined to not leave the sets at all, since Mumbai's Film City has two hillocks of its own. In response to a question about something in a beloved hit of his that he would change today, he spoke of an emotional scene in Rang De Basanti. He agreed to shoot it in a way that made budgetary but not creative sense. In a lesson that applies perhaps to every profession, he noted that one must always "choose the creative over the practical". The conversation took on a deeply personal note, as Khan and Kalra discussed his family. He spoke of his partner of two years, Gauri Spratt, a styling professional and entrepreneur. "To be honest, I had reached a point where I felt that I probably won't be able to find someone who can be my partner. I was not expecting it. But Gauri brings a lot of calm and steadiness to my life," he said. He spoke with great warmth of his first wife, artist and film producer Reena Dutta, with whom he has two children; and his second wife, filmmaker Kiran Rao, with whom he has one. "We are all one family," he said. "I'm very fortunate that while our marriages may not have worked out and we parted ways, we didn't part as human beings." The conversation took a rather delightful, if unexpected, turn, as Khan discussed his love for music and his recent foray into training with a guru. He then treated the audience to a few mellifluous lines from the song O Mere Dil Ke Chain (from Mere Jeevan Saathi; 1972). All in all, his biggest lesson, he noted, was learning to trust himself. People will often tell you certain things "cannot happen". "I didn't listen to anyone."...