Kamal Ghorui
Aamir Khan has reacted to the much-talked-about train scene in Pathaan (2023), where Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan jokingly discuss who could replace them — hinting that they might be indispensable.Speaking to Variety India, Aamir addressed the tongue-in-cheek moment and shared his perspective on the new generation of actors.He said, “You know, there was a very funny scene in Pathaan. I don’t even know whether I should mention this, but I haven’t watched the movie because I don’t watch that many films. But I was told about the scene and I saw it on YouTube. Salman and Shah Rukh are sitting at the end of the film and discussing who is going to… It was tongue-in-cheek. It was about the film, but it was also about outside the film. Usme masti, mazaak tha (It was said in fun)… and people laughed as well.”
“They are very capable of taking over from us”
While the scene was played for laughs, Aamir believes the younger lot has already proved itself through its work.He said, “Without taking names, a lot of people guessed what they were trying to say. But today, those same young actors have shown us that not only are they there, they can give us a run for our money — Chhaava Vicky Kaushal, Animal Ranbir Kapoor, Dhurandhar Ranveer. They’re there. They’re very capable of taking over from us. I would say they are very talented actors, perhaps more talented than us. They are staking a claim for a rightful place. So they have answered without saying anything, they’ve answered with their work. Which is fantastic. I really appreciate that. It’s wonderful to see that.”
The ‘Pathaan’ scene that sparked debate
In the action sequence aboard a moving train in Pathaan, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan’s characters take on a group of villains. After catching their breath, they jokingly wonder who will take over the reins of Indian espionage from them — a moment widely interpreted as a meta reference to the future of Hindi cinema.The two then quip that they will have to shoulder the responsibility themselves, as no one else seems fit for the job. Salman appeared in the film in a cameo as Avinash Singh Rathore, aka Tiger.
Aamir’s recent work
On the work front, Aamir was last seen in Sitaare Zameen Par (2025), directed by RS Prasanna. The sports comedy-drama is considered a spiritual successor to his 2007 film Taare Zameen Par and also stars Genelia Deshmukh.He also made a cameo appearance in Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos, which he produced. Up next, Aamir is backing Ek Din, starring Junaid Khan and Sai Pallavi.
