Actor Aamir Khan has finally broken his silence on the public fallout with his younger brother Faissal Khan, a controversy that resurfaced last year after Faissal made a series of serious allegations against his family, including claims of illegal confinement and professional sabotage.

Aamir Khan responds to brother’s claims

Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Aamir addressed the strained relationship with Faissal, with whom he shared screen space in the 2000 film Mela, also starring Twinkle Khanna. Released on January 7, 2000, the film marked their only on-screen collaboration.

Asked about Faissal’s accusations — which include misuse of power and influence — Aamir chose not to escalate the dispute. “Kya karein? (What to do?) That is my destiny. You can fight the world, but how can you fight your own family?” he said.

Aamir reflects on Mela and its failure

The actor also opened up about Mela failing to meet expectations at the box office and how deeply it affected him personally.

“I was obviously disappointed by its failure to achieve its potential. Beyond that, I think it’s tough to answer your question. First of all, let me tell you, every film I do means a lot to me. The failure of Mela definitely made a difference to me. It was hard on Faissal, but it was hard on me as well. I’m not comfortable with the idea of any of my films not realising their full potential. The entire team had worked very hard. We were all disappointed,” Aamir said.

How the family rift unfolded

The conflict between the Khan brothers entered the public domain last year when Faissal announced that he had cut all ties with his family. He further alleged that Aamir was involved in a relationship with UK-based journalist Jessica Hines during his marriage to first wife Reena Dutta, claiming the actor fathered a child during that time.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Faissal accused Aamir of projecting a carefully curated public image that he believes does not reflect reality. “He is trying to create a clean image for the audience, but you can find out his image by him having so many relationships with women and all that… He likes to whitewash his image which is not the reality,” he said.

Family issues statement defending Aamir

Following Faissal’s remarks, Aamir Khan’s family issued a public statement expressing anguish over what they described as “hurtful and misleading” representations of family members, including Aamir, his mother Zeenat Tahir Husain, and his sister Nikhat Hegde.

“It is important to share that every choice regarding Faissal has been taken collectively as a family, in consultation with multiple medical professionals, and has been based on love, compassion, and a desire to support his emotional and psychological wellbeing. For this reason, we have refrained from publicly discussing the details of a painful and difficult period for our family," the statement read.