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Aamir Khan Recalls Being Scolded by Assistant Director Reema Kagti on Lagaan Set

The recollection highlights how assistant directors enforce tight timing on large shoots to keep casts and crews on schedule.

Overview

  • Aamir Khan said in a recent interview that Reema Kagti, then a second assistant director, scolded him for not being ready within the 15‑minute breakfast slot during Lagaan.
  • He said the rebuke hurt his feelings and he briefly stopped eating breakfast on set before giving up the protest after a week due to fatigue.
  • Khan explained that Kagti managed call times, meal breaks, and hair and makeup for a large ensemble, which required strict rules to keep filming on track.
  • Assistant director Apoorva Lakhia has described the same shoot’s discipline, recalling a moment when a transport bus nearly left without Khan because he was late.
  • Khan later worked with Kagti on her directorial Talaash, and Lagaan, released in June 2001, earned an Oscar nomination and won eight National Film Awards.