Former actor Faisal Khan rose to fame with the film Mela alongside actors Aamir Khan and Twinkle Khanna. After a long break, Faisal is all set to make his directorial debut with ‘Faactory’. The brothers have worked together on Mela and Faisal was also the assistant director on Aamir’s Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. However, their relationship has soured over the years. Talking about the project and Aamir’s involvement in it, Faisal told The Times of India in an interview, “No, I didn’t get any help from Aamir, he has not even heard the script of the film that I am making. And I didn’t need any help as such because I’ve been through the process.” He added, “With Aamir also, when I joined his production house, I was reading scripts. All the experience that I have gained from my initial assistant days till now, I’ve put it all into this film. So I don’t need to rely on Aamir for anything because ultimately it has to be a vision that a director has. And I didn’t want to take any inputs from anyone; I wanted to helm the project on my own. Whether it is a hit, it is my baby, whether it is a flop, it is my baby. I didn’t let anyone take the decisions, ultimately, as a director, you’re supposed to take your own decisions.”
Faisal said that he wants to break out of his star brother’s shadow. “Also, how does one form one’s own identity? I have had my own struggles. How does one break out of that. How does Faisal Khan ever break out of Aamir Khan’s shadow? Why doesn’t one write it as Faisal Khan’s brother Aamir? The whole system needs a big change,” he said. The brothers’ relationship soured after Faisal was allegedly diagnosed with schizophrenia and Aamir and his mother put him on medication against his will. Claiming that he was never ill, Faisal had told Hindustan Times in a 2008 interview, “Frankly, I was never ill.. what has been said so far was speculative and spread by my elder brother Aamir Khan and other family members. In fact, I was kidnapped.. I was under house arrest, unwanted drugs were given to me. On the judgment day, judge saab announced that I’m not suffering from any illness.. and that I’m normal and capable of handling life on my own. I should be treated as a normal person.” In February 2008, a Bandra court said that Faisal need not be in anyone’s custody and could live anywhere he wanted to. Faisal’s directorial venture will be an action thriller and the former actor will also make his singing debut, as per reports.