Lagaan released on 15 June, 2001. As the Ashutosh Gowariker directorial completes 20 years, the film's lead actor Aamir Khan weighs in on whether it's feasible to make Lagaan again. Aamir also speaks about what changes he would like to implement if the movie were to be given a new lease of life.
Can 'Lagaan' Be Made Again? Aamir Khan Answers
Speaking to The Quint Aamir Khan says, "If we were to make Lagaan again... technology has improved a lot, so when you want to show 10,000 villagers watching a cricket match you can do the multiplication more easily today. At that time we actually had to get 10,000 people, so that's the difference. It would be easier, I suppose, on a certain level technically to achieve, but in it's essence I have realised that a film has its challenges. No matter when you make the film you are going to face those challenges, and how you respond to them will decide how the film turns out. Like today we had thought of doing that, but this happened. Now what to do? At that point, the kind of decision you took will decide how your film turns out".
Aamir went on to narrate an incident wherein a lot of brainstorming and efforts went into creating the film. "During Lagaan, I remember I was in the make-up room and, early morning, Ashutosh and Reena came to me. Ashutosh was the director and Reena was the producer, and they were always on loggerheads. And I used to be the referee. That day we had to shoot a scene where the villagers are practicing and people from other villages have come to watch it. So Ashutosh had given a requirement of, I think, 500 people. Reena and Rao sir got 500 people for that day. In the morning Ashutosh realised that 500 people were not enough. The mountain was quite big and 500 people on it looked less. So he told Reena, 'This isn't looking enough, I will need more people'. Reena was like, 'This last moment where will I get more people from? You asked for 500 and I got it, now you shoot'. Ashutosh came to me and said 'Aamir, I feel the number of people is not enough. What should we do?' Reena said, 'I don't want to hear anything, you all can't cancel the shoot. You have to shoot.' So I said let's go and check. From there, I had to walk almost 10 minutes to reach the location to assess the situation. I also found it to be less, so I told Reena that. She said, 'Then what should we do?' So I was like cancel the shoot. We won't shoot today. I got shouted at so badly. But he was saying the right thing. His judgement was wrong".
Aamir added,
"That day, if I would have said those 500 people looked okay and went ahead with the shoot, then the scene would have turned out a certain way. But we cancelled the shoot, insisting that 1500 people be present. We lost a day and money, but the scene came out the way it should have. Now, that's the decision I took in the spur of the moment. What I am trying to tell you in filmmaking is that every day you are making a decision. If the lakhs of decisions you took turn out right, then your film will turn out to be good".
Aamir on The Changes He Would Like to See If 'Lagaan' Was Remade
When asked about whether he would like to see any changes if the film were to be remade some day, Aamir replied, "I don't think I would have made any changes to Lagaan. Because I think the script that Ashutosh came with was great. I loved it and we wanted to achieve that. If today, 20 years later, he would have written a slightly different script, maybe I would have liked that too. Our basic process would have been the same - that we would give our hundred percent to the script we like. I think Lagaan would have been more or less the same, irrespective of when you would have made it. And the challenges too would have been similar, maybe slightly different".
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