Ashutosh Gowariker's directorial, Lagaan, has completed 20 years. The film's lead actor Aamir Khan speaks about what he felt when Lagaan failed to bag an Oscar.
Aamir Khan on 'Lagaan' Not Winning An Oscar
Lagaan was Indian’s third film — after Mother India (1957) and Salaam Bombay! (1988) — to be nominated at the Academy Awards. Speaking about the movie not winning an Oscar Aamir Khan said, "A lot of people have asked me how disappointed I was when Lagaan didn't win. Of course, I was disappointed. I have also been asked what we could have done differently that would have increased Lagaan's chances to win the coveted trophy. 'Was it because there were songs? Was it because it was so long?' What I have been trying to tell people over the years is that to get nominated itself is a big deal because the process is so difficult. If your film secures a nomination, it means that many members of the foreign language committee have loved the movie. They have loved it so much that you are in the Top 5".
Aamir continued by saying that in Los Angeles people give nominees equal respect as they give the winner.
"In LA it's considered that nominees are as good as the winner. What we fail to appreciate is that the members of the foreign language committee actually loved our film. If they hadn't, we wouldn't have reached the top 5. That means there was nothing wrong with the film. The length, the songs, the music, the cricket - everything about Lagaan was appreciated".Aamir Khan, Actor
Aamir Khan reiterated that awards mean nothing to him. "The other thing I want to say is that at the end of the day when you look at award ceremonies for films, I think all of you know my opinion. Let me elaborate. You can't compare films. How can you compare Lagaan to Dangal? Both are my films. Which is better now, tell me? Can you compare the two? No, you can't. So, don't take awards so seriously".
'Value The Oscars Because of the Process They Follow'
Despite opining that he doesn't care about award shows, Aamir Khan said that the reason he respects the Oscars is because of the process they follow. "As far as the Oscars are concerned, the reason I value them is because of the process they follow. Secondly, it opens up a window of opportunity for the movie's marketing. Because Lagaan was nominated, a whole lot of people in the world suddenly said, 'Which is this film that's nominated? Let's watch it'. Most people watch nominated films. So, you get a chance to increase your audience and that's how I looked at it. Winning or not winning an award is not that important to me. What is important is the fact that the audience, for whom we made the movie, enjoyed it. There is no bigger award than that".
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