In a Two-Day Visit, Junaid Khan Leaves Hyderabad With More Than Applause

On a short, two-day maiden visit to Hyderabad, actor Junaid Khan, Aamir Khan’s son, but very much his own person, slipped quietly and effortlessly into the 20-year celebrations of the Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival. He spent more time beneath the stage lights than under the wide Hyderabadi sky, rehearsing, and performing. Yet, even with a schedule packed tighter than a festival backstage, the disarmingly modest and sharply observant actor carved out a pocket of time for an unfiltered, heartfelt conversation with Syed Khaled Shahbaaz about craft, legacy, and the turns shaping his artistic journey.

Having landed on Thursday morning, Junaid walked into the city without the weight of fanfare that typically follows star kids. By Saturday, he had already left audiences with a gentle but lasting impression through his performance as a dhoti-clad groom in Faezeh Jalali’s spirited production, Runaway Brides. When asked why theatre became his first love, Junaid candidly says, “Theatre was always what excited me more. I think I was always a very shy person.

I always wanted to be able to speak in front of people and perform in front of people. I always admired people who could go in front of a crowd and not feel shy. So I think that’s probably what excited me more to the stage.

– Junaid Khan

Coming from a celebrated lineage of filmmakers, writers, and directors, one might assume a natural inheritance of cinematic and linguistic flair, especially with legendary producer-Director Nasir Hussain, the elder brother of Taher Hussain, grandfather of Aamir Khan. Nasir Hussain’s insistence on obtaining film certificates in Urdu is well-known. Nasir Hussain produced movies like Anarkali ,Teesri Manzil, Yaadon ki Baraat movies with urdu certificate from the Film Censor board. Aamir khan made his bollywood debut as child artist in Yaadon ki Baraat and as a hero in ‘Qayamat se Qayamat Tak’. Tahir Hussain, father of Aamir and grandfather of Junaid Khan will be remembered for Jitendera-Asha Parekh starrer Caravan and Aamir Khan-Juhi Chawla starring Hum hain Rahi Pyar Ke..

Junaid, however, responds with a chuckle and an unpretentious shrug. “I cannot read, but Urdu bol lete hain thoda bahut, yeah…” with zero attempt to embellish.

His lineage stretches back even further to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Yet, Junaid gently sidesteps any notion that such ancestry dictates the themes he must explore. “I don’t think I see it that way,” he says thoughtfully.

“I mean, we’re more storytellers. Storytelling in general always brings people together –  that’s very important for any community, for any country, for any city. Always, storytelling just brings people together, so we see it more as storytellers.”

For him, theatre is not just performance, it’s a place where truth stands unfiltered. Reflecting on its future in an OTT-obsessed world, he says “I think that live performance always stays in its place. With OTT and social media and all of that, we are becoming so isolated. I think people like to go out and see something that’s real and in front of them, live.

So I think more and more young people are going out for the experience of something that is live, real and in front of them. And I hope that will continue to grow.”

His most cherished memory so far goes back to his very first play in Mumbai. “The first play I did in Bombay… there was a play called Mother Courage and Her Children, directed by Quasar Thakore Padamsee and staged in Mumbai. The lead in the play was played by Arundhati Nag, a very senior actor with a tremendous work profile. When my father found out that I was working with Aru ma’am, he said, ‘When I was in college and working backstage theatre, I wanted to work with Arundhati ji, but I couldn’t. Mera sapna ab tum poora kar rahe ho.’”

Over the years that followed, he built a solid theatre résumé with standout performances in plays such as Medea (2019), Runaway Brides (2024), Shikhandi (2024) and Strictly Unconventional (2024) — diverse roles that showcased his range, sensitivity and willingness to dive into challenging material. Over time, Junaid made the transition from stage to screen.

After a stint behind the scenes (he worked as assistant director on the film PK in 2014), he made his lead-man acting debut with the period drama Maharaj (2024), portraying reformer Karsandas Mulji, a role that demanded deep preparation, including weight loss and dialect training for authenticity. Soon after came the 2025 romantic comedy Loveyapa, opposite Khushi Kapoor, and more projects are already in the pipeline, signalling a young actor performing on both stage and screen.

Ask him how Aamir Khan reacted to his decision to dive into theatre, and Junaid’s answer comes with a gentle finality. “He was very, very happy. He let us do whatever we wanted to do.”

And what about cinematic influences? Here too, Junaid says: “I think it was more from within. I don’t think it was an external thing. I think it was just a form that really appealed to me,” he says, making it clear that his compass has always been deeply personal.

Speaking of what lies ahead, Junaid shares that Runaway Brides is headed to Ahmedabad next month, and he’ll be backstage for another show in Pune. “Log sab kuch karte hain theatre mein. Sab log, sab kuch karte hain theatre mein…” he laughs, capturing the spirited all-hands-on-deck energy that makes theatre so alive. And then, almost as an afterthought, he offers, “And yes… I will have a film coming out at some point.”

Though rehearsals kept him from exploring Hyderabad, the city left its mark.

“We got a really warm reception for the show, and it was great fun coming here. I think we had a lovely time over these two days. I think everybody’s been really helpful and supportive. We have been busy since I arrived yesterday morning – we are leaving tomorrow. We had dinner at Mohammad Ali Baig sahab’s home, and have been working at the stage since morning. I will have to come back to Hyderabad for a proper tour.”