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Aamir Khan Credited With Getting Lagaan Made as Film Marks 25th Anniversary

Kumar Dave says Aamir Khan’s decision to produce proved decisive, with festivals and retrospectives renewing attention to the film.

Overview

  • This month screenwriter Kumar Dave told PTI that Lagaan would likely not have been made without Aamir Khan’s choice to attach himself as lead actor and to produce the film.
  • The screenplay was developed in an intensive month in Karjat where Ashutosh Gowariker, Kumar Dave and Sanjay Damya produced about a dozen drafts before moving to location shoots.
  • Producers initially balked at the project’s scale and period setting, and the shoot in Bhuj required sync sound, long location work and management of extreme weather conditions.
  • To mark the 25th anniversary the film has been re-released in cinemas and Aamir Khan is scheduled to speak at the London Indian Film Festival while some outlets note the title is currently unavailable on Indian streaming services.
  • Lagaan was nominated for an Academy Award in 2001 and drew strong international reviews on release, a legacy critics say helped raise the global profile of Indian cinema.