‘Main bilkul nahi sunn raha…’: Aamir Khan recalls his initial reaction to Ashutosh Gowariker’s ‘Lagaan’

MUMBAI: Actor Aamir Khan revisited fond memories of working in his acclaimed 2001 film ‘Lagaan’, taking audiences on a nostalgic ride.

Speaking at the Red Lorry Film Festival, Aamir Khan revealed how he was initially reluctant to work in ‘Lagaan’. Aamir shared how Gowariker approached him for the film after working on it for three years.

“Suddenly, I stopped and thought, ‘Kahin yeh wahi kahaani toh nahi. Cricket…lagaan… ke bare mein. He (Ashutosh Gowariker) said ‘Tu sunn toh le’ and I was like ‘Main nahi sunn raha. Bilkul nahi. Tune 3 mahina waste kiya hai uss kahaani pe. Main 3 ghanta bhi nahi waste kar raha, and I refused to hear it. But then he requested me, and I felt bad. When I heard the script, it just blew my mind”, Aamir said at the film festival.

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During the conversation, Aamir Khan went on to share many more stories from the days of shooting ‘Lagaan’. He also spoke about a unique ritual that the entire cast and crew would listen to the Gayatri Mantra every day while travelling to the sets. “Usme ekdin bhi break nahi aaya. That also helped us to remain in a meditative state of mind. When you are going to work, the state of your mind matters a lot,” Aamir said.

Elsewhere, ‘Lagaan’ director Ashutosh Gowariker recalled how he had envisioned Aamir Khan’s character ‘Bhuvan’ with a clean-shaven look; however, the actor was keen on appearing unshaven. Recounting the moment with humour, Aamir joked that since the village depicted in the film had no water, it would hardly make sense for the character to appear freshly shaved.

On Friday, the Red Lorry Film Festival hosted a special celebratory screening of Lagaan to commemorate 25 years of the iconic film. Besides filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker and actor Aamir Khan, the event was also attended by actors Raghubir Yadav, Akhilendra Mishra, Amin Hajee, Pradeep Ram Singh Rawat, and Aditya Lakhia, who reunited to celebrate the legacy of the beloved film.

The Red Lorry Film Festival commenced on Friday, March 13, and will conclude on March 15. (ANI)