Aamir tops Filmfare Power List!

MUMBAI : You’re only as big as your last hit, right? Perhaps that’s what explains how actor Aamir Khan, who was nowhere on the 2007 Filmfare...

MUMBAI: You’re only as big as your last hit, right? Perhaps that’s what explains how actor Aamir Khan, who was nowhere on the 2007 Filmfare Power List, is up there at No. 1 this year. It must have something to do with the Rs 265 crore (gross) that his film ‘Ghajini’ earned worldwide, making it the biggest hit in the history of Bollywood.

The actor has also scored a hat trick by emerging first in the pecking order of actors and directors as well. As for producers, the father-son team of Yash and Aditya Chopra is still the top name in the game, but Aamir is close behind — his two films ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’ and ‘Taare Zameen Par’ had the box-office jingling sweetly.

Shah Rukh Khan remains entrenched at No. 2. Yash and Aditya Chopra, for two years in a row, are down to No. 3, preceded by the two Khans — Aamir and Shah Rukh — who are now eyed as the two power centres in filmnagari.

A surprise showing was Ronnie Screwvala, a new entrant who has stolen a march over Karan Johar who produced just the one film this year, ‘Dostana’. Contrast this with Screwvala’s company, UTV Motion Pictures, which has had a golden run in 2008 with commercial success for ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ and critical acclaim for ‘Aamir’ (the film not the actor), ‘A Wednesday’, ‘Welcome to Sajjanpur’, ‘Fashion’, ‘Oye Lucky Lucky Oye’ and ‘Mumbai Meri Jaan’.

Despite all the hype surrounding ‘Singh is Kingg’, Akshay Kumar slid from No. 3 to No. 6, while composer A R Rahman (obviously the poll was a pre-Oscar one) is at No. 8. In a more serious upset, Hrithik Roshan is now at No. 9, having been rocked by filmmaker-turned-actor Farhan Akhtar who is at No. 7.

Kareena Kapoor is the only woman in the top 10, and she’s made it by the skin of her teeth at No. 10. None of the Bachchans grace the coveted list this year.

Power list-2008
1. Aamir Khan
2. Shah Rukh Khan
3. Yash and Aditya Chopra
4. Ronnie Screwvala
5. Karan Johar
6. Akshay Kumar
7. Farhan Akhtar
8. A R Rahman
9. Hrithik Roshan
10. Kareena Kapoor