Aamir Khan was born to film producer Tahir Hussain and Zeenat. He has a sister named Nikhat and a younger brother, Faisal. He attended St. Anne School in Mumbai and later shifted to Bombay Scottish School, completing his Junior College from Narsee Monjee College, Mumbai.

Aamir began his film career with Holi in 1984 and received his first commercial success in 1988 with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, winning a Filmfare Best Debut Award for his performance.

In 1998, his performance in the movie Earth as the Ice-Candy Man received rave reviews from Indian and international critics. He also produced and starred in the Academy Award-nominated Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India in 2001. It was in this year that Aamir established his own production house.

Under his banner he has made movies like Rang De Basanti, which went onto becoming one of the highest grossing films of 2006. He made his director debut with Taare Zameen Par in 2007, which was critically acclaimed and lucrative at the box office.

Aamir also had notable success in 2008 with Ghajini, which became the biggest grossing Hindi film of the year.

Aamir has a son and daughter from his first marriage to Renna Dutta, but the pair were divorced in 2002. He subsequently married Kiran Rao who was his assistant in the movie Lagaan.