2001
Lagaan
Epic drama
For scale, ensemble storytelling and a landmark international breakthrough.
The gist
- Best all-round starting points: Lagaan, 3 Idiots, Dangal, Rang De Basanti and Taare Zameen Par.
- Career breakthrough: Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) established Khan as a leading star after earlier child and supporting work.
- Academy recognition: Lagaan was nominated for Foreign Language Film at the 74th Academy Awards.
- Latest major lead in this guide: Sitaare Zameen Par opened on June 20, 2025; Khan’s 2026 activity also includes producer and cameo work.
- This is curated, not exhaustive: the selection favors career significance, variety and rewatch value rather than listing every credit.
Six films to start with
If you want the shortest route into Aamir Khan’s filmography, these six cover the breadth of his mainstream work: spectacle, social drama, comedy, family storytelling and sports cinema.
2001
Dil Chahta Hai
Coming-of-age
For modern friendship, urban India and an influential shift in Hindi film tone.
2006
Rang De Basanti
Drama
For a charged blend of youth culture, history and civic conscience.
2007
Taare Zameen Par
Family drama
For an empathetic story about childhood, learning and how adults see children.
2009
3 Idiots
Comedy-drama
For a highly accessible mix of campus comedy, friendship and education-system critique.
2016
Dangal
Sports drama
For a disciplined sports narrative anchored by family conflict and transformation.
The original page, rebuilt
The legacy page focused on these early and mid-career titles. The descriptions below preserve that intent while removing broken “Read More” links, dated filler and unsupported claims.
Breakthrough romance
Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988)
Khan’s first major commercial breakthrough as a leading man. The film remains a natural starting point for understanding the screen persona that made him a star.
Early dramatic turn
Raakh (1989)
A much darker early performance than the romantic roles associated with his breakthrough. It is useful for seeing the dramatic range he was exploring near the start of his career.
1990s blockbuster romance
Raja Hindustani (1996)
One of the defining commercial hits of his 1990s period, pairing melodrama, romance and a performance that became closely associated with that era.
Ensemble comedy-romance
Ishq (1997)
A broad, energetic multi-star entertainer that shows a more comic side of Khan’s 1990s work.
Epic sports-period drama
Lagaan (2001)
A career pivot in both acting and producing. Lagaan was nominated for the Academy Award for Foreign Language Film at the 74th Academy Awards.
Urban coming-of-age
Dil Chahta Hai (2001)
A defining friendship film of the early 2000s. Khan plays Akash in an ensemble with Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna.
Historical drama
Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005)
Khan returned to a leading role after a break, playing Mangal Pandey in Ketan Mehta’s historical drama.
Political youth drama
Rang De Basanti (2006)
An ensemble film that moves from carefree friendship to political awakening, and remains one of the most discussed films of Khan’s mid-2000s run.
Family drama / directorial debut
Taare Zameen Par (2007)
Khan directed and co-starred in this story centered on a child who struggles in school and the teacher who recognizes what others miss.
Later essential films
The old page stopped before most of Khan’s 2008–2025 work. This update adds the films that now matter most to a modern reader trying to understand the second half of his career.
Ghajini
2008Action thriller
A muscular revenge thriller that marked another sharp change in Khan’s screen image.
3 Idiots
2009Comedy-drama
One of his most widely recognized films, using friendship and comedy to question pressure inside the education system.
Talaash
2012Mystery drama
A quieter, grief-driven mystery that works best for viewers who prefer psychological drama to spectacle.
PK
2014Satirical comedy-drama
A high-concept social satire built around an outsider asking literal questions about belief, custom and authority.
Dangal
2016Sports drama
Khan plays Mahavir Singh Phogat in a sports-family drama that became one of the most globally visible Indian films of its decade.
Secret Superstar
2017Supporting role
Khan appears in a flamboyant supporting role in a film he also produced; the core story belongs to a teenage aspiring singer.
Laal Singh Chaddha
2022Drama
A Hindi adaptation of Forrest Gump and Khan’s major leading-role release after Thugs of Hindostan.
Sitaare Zameen Par
2025Sports comedy-drama
Released June 20, 2025, with Khan as Gulshan, a basketball coach assigned community service training neurodivergent adults. It is the most recent major leading-role release covered here as of September 2026.
What changed since the old page?
The original ASP.NET page was built around a small set of films and short teaser copy. This version adds major later releases including Ghajini, 3 Idiots, PK, Dangal, Laal Singh Chaddha and Sitaare Zameen Par. It also separates substantial starring roles from cameos and producer activity so the guide does not blur different kinds of credits.
As of this review, current filmography listings show Khan’s 2026 activity extending beyond starring roles, including Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos as a production and cameo credit. Because announced projects can change, this page treats unreleased titles as fluid rather than ranking them as finished movies.
Original image gallery
These are the meaningful JPG images already referenced by the source page. The small rating GIFs were decorative and have been removed from the rebuilt layout.
How to choose what to watch
“Best” depends on what you want from the evening. Use the mood rather than a single ranking.
BIG-SCREEN EPIC
Lagaan or Dangal
Choose Lagaan for a period ensemble and underdog spectacle; choose Dangal for a more intimate sports-family arc.
SMART + ACCESSIBLE
3 Idiots or PK
Both use broad comedy to ask pointed questions about social systems, while staying firmly in mainstream-entertainment territory.
EMOTIONAL DRAMA
Taare Zameen Par
The most intimate recommendation here, centered on a child’s learning struggles and the adults responsible for seeing him clearly.
Sources used for the refresh
The page keeps the legacy source for its original movie selection and image paths, then checks dated claims against current or primary references.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesOfficial 74th Academy Awards record confirming Lagaan as India’s Foreign Language Film nominee.
View the Academy record
View the Academy record
Aamir Khan TalkiesOfficial trailer listing the June 20, 2025 release date, cast and production credits for Sitaare Zameen Par.
View the official trailer
View the official trailer
Central Board of Film CertificationCertification record for Sitaare Zameen Par, including film title, producer, lead cast and director.
Visit CBFC
Visit CBFC
Bollywood HungamaCurrent Aamir Khan filmography listings reviewed in September 2026 for newer acting, cameo and producer credits.
View current filmography
View current filmography
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions readers most often need before choosing a film.
What is Aamir Khan’s latest major leading-role film?
Sitaare Zameen Par, released on June 20, 2025, is the most recent major leading-role release covered on this page as of September 13, 2026.
Which Aamir Khan film was nominated for an Academy Award?
Lagaan was nominated for the Academy Award for Foreign Language Film at the 74th Academy Awards, representing India.
What is a good Aamir Khan movie to watch first?
For a broad introduction, start with 3 Idiots for comedy-drama, Lagaan for epic storytelling, Dangal for sports drama, or Taare Zameen Par for a more intimate family story.
Is this a complete Aamir Khan filmography?
No. This is an editorial guide to notable and recommended films, not a complete acting, cameo, production, television, or guest-appearance filmography.
Why are some older films included even when newer blockbusters exist?
The guide balances commercial impact, critical importance, genre variety, and career significance, so breakthrough films such as Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Raakh remain useful alongside later hits.