- 7 minutes ago
Mumbai: The Red Lorry Film Festival hosted a special celebratory screening of 'Lagaan' to commemorate 25 years of the iconic film, bringing together members of the cast and crew for a nostalgic and heartfelt evening. The milestone event was attended by filmmaker Ashutosh Gowarikar and superstar Aamir Khan, along with actors Raghubir Yadav, Akhilendra Mishra, Aditya Lakhia and others, who reunited to celebrate the enduring legacy of the beloved film. During the conversation, Aamir Khan reflected on the journey of making the film and fondly remembered several members of the cast who are no longer with us, acknowledging their invaluable contributions to bringing the story to life.
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00:00Very different journey of, you know, just getting the right team and...
00:04Even then I didn't say yes.
00:06Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:07I told him I love the script.
00:09It's an amazing script.
00:12But it is so unusual for mainstream Indian cinema.
00:18Get me a producer who believes in it, who believes in you.
00:22And don't tell him I like the script.
00:25The producer should believe in you and the script.
00:29When you bring that person to me, I'll say yes.
00:32That was a big challenge.
00:33And that challenge lasted, what, one and a half, two years?
00:36One and a half, yeah.
00:37At which point he went to everyone in the industry.
00:41One of the producers even told him,
00:42that in the end, he'll put some action.
00:47Bhuwan, who is, come and come, Bhuwan's comp,
00:49and throw it to Captain Russell.
00:52You know that.
00:55So I said to him that, you know what,
00:57this is a very good idea.
00:58Because I was still struggling.
01:00So I said, this is a very good idea.
01:01Who, who is this?
01:02Tell us.
01:03No, no, no.
01:03I think it's a big deal.
01:04Okay, it doesn't look like it.
01:06So I said, this is why I have to write another picture.
01:09But if you want to do this film,
01:11then it has to be this end.
01:15And since when the two of you become so diplomatic,
01:18you all are like,
01:19you know, you don't have to do anything.
01:20No, no, no.
01:21We all play on the front foot.
01:22See what, me.
01:24But we don't like to hurt people's feelings.
01:27So,
01:28you know,
01:29so what happened is,
01:30Ashu and I have been very close.
01:31He used to,
01:32I told him,
01:32Kishun,
01:33go to other actors.
01:34I don't mind.
01:35Your script is beautiful.
01:37So he went to a lot of people.
01:39It took a year and a half.
01:40And each few months,
01:41he used to,
01:42and I used to meet,
01:43and I used to say,
01:43kya ho ba?
01:43He said,
01:44usko sunai ye ho gaya,
01:45usko sunai ye ho gaya.
01:46I mean,
01:46all funny, funny stories.
01:48And then,
01:51I kept feeling
01:53that this story is not getting out of my blood.
01:55So every six months,
01:56I used to tell him,
01:57me ko aapa suna.
01:59To woh phir suna ta ta,
02:00phir mujja achi lagti di.
02:02Phir suna.
02:03And I narrated this to him in Jaipur.
02:07Mysore,
02:08wherever I'm shooting.
02:09Abilishwar.
02:09Wherever he's shooting,
02:10I want to hear that.
02:11Let's sit.
02:13And then,
02:14you know,
02:14what happened for me,
02:15actually,
02:15what changed my mind,
02:16was that I have always looked up to filmmakers like V. Shanta Ram,
02:20Guru Dutt,
02:21Meibu Khan,
02:23you know,
02:25the greats,
02:26Bimal Roy,
02:27you know,
02:28whose work I really like,
02:30and whose passion for cinema,
02:33I've really looked up to.
02:35And they were not scared of picking up unusual films,
02:38you know.
02:38They used to make what they believed in.
02:41And I kept thinking of that,
02:43and I said to myself,
02:44Vyar,
02:44tu itna bada fan hai,
02:46itna maanta hai.
02:47Phir tu kyuni karra jo bo karta hai.
02:49They used to follow their instinct.
02:51They used to not look at logic.
02:53So that's something that kept playing in my mind.
02:56You know.
02:57And,
02:58then I told Ashur,
03:00ek dava ha sona.
03:00I think it was a fourth or fifth time I was hearing it.
03:03And I called my parents.
03:06And I've never asked them for advice in scripts.
03:09So I called Ammi Abba Jaan and I said,
03:11yeh kaani hai ham sunana chaathe hai.
03:13So Reena was there.
03:15Jammu Sugandu was there.
03:16And my parents were there.
03:18Jammuji is the one who presented the film.
03:19Yeah, Jammuji is also not with us today.
03:21Yeah.
03:21He was such an amazing person.
03:25He backed the film without batting an eyelid.
03:30Not once did he question me,
03:32ke aapka budget joh hai,
03:34oo double ho gaya hai.
03:36Aapka schedule totally out ho gaya hai.
03:38Koi bhi aatmi jo paisa lagathe hai,
03:40woha eek dava toho puchta hai,
03:41ke yaar,
03:42tiktak ja raha hai ka hai.
03:43Matlab, tu beda garb tu nhi kar raha hai bhai.
03:47He never questioned me.
03:49And he never made me feel also.
03:52That,
03:53you know,
03:53what are you doing?
03:54He never made me feel that.
03:55He just said,
03:56you don't worry,
03:57you'll make the film you want to make.
03:58So,
03:58I really appreciate that about them.
03:59Is that true?
04:02Well, to 24.
04:0324.
04:04So,
04:04double things.
04:05So,
04:06I'll just complete the story.
04:07So,
04:07my parents heard it
04:08and Jammu and Reena were hearing it.
04:10So,
04:11I remember my parents,
04:12when they said the thing,
04:13this line,
04:14you know,
04:14that
04:15was the final decision for me.
04:17Because I was not a producer until then.
04:20And I had sworn never to produce
04:22because I had seen my father,
04:24you know,
04:24go through hell.
04:25So,
04:26I said,
04:26ke eek jiz ne karunga life mein.
04:27O produce ne karunga.
04:29Now,
04:30this is a very dangerous line.
04:31I want all of you to hear this.
04:32Kabhi ne bolna,
04:33mein yeh ni karunga life mein.
04:36Aap woe karute ho.
04:37You end up doing that.
04:39So,
04:39my parents heard the script
04:40and I asked them,
04:41how do you like it?
04:42They said,
04:42it's very good,
04:42you must do it.
04:43So,
04:44I told my dad and mom,
04:45I said,
04:45it's a very unusual film,
04:46it's a very expensive film.
04:48You know,
04:48there's so many things
04:49going against it.
04:51You still are advising me
04:52to make the film.
04:54And my father said only one line,
04:56Aamir,
04:58a chee kahaani bhak muskil se milti hai.
05:01Aar jam milti hai na,
05:02usko chhodo maat.
05:04The story.
05:08Aafish,
05:09you know,
05:10going through this conversation,
05:12who were you most surprised with,
05:14with the rejection?
05:15Like,
05:16you went to a lot of actors,
05:18between this and,
05:18any names that you can,
05:19who were you surprised with?
05:20Like,
05:21you found it all.
05:22Then why wouldn't you say,
05:23headline chahi hai bae.
05:27No,
05:27I was,
05:28actually,
05:29saying surprise is a wrong thing,
05:30because I was expecting a lot.
05:32Because I knew this was very unusual.
05:35And this was at a time,
05:36when period films are not working,
05:38gaon ki filmi are not working.
05:40Nobody's making.
05:42Sports films are not being made.
05:44Sports films had never worked,
05:45cricket pe kabhi work nini viti,
05:46seven, eight films had been made.
05:48They were all disasters.
05:49So,
05:49I would,
05:50actually,
05:50sit on their side,
05:52and,
05:53agree with them ki,
05:54you know,
05:54in my mind,
05:55ki haan hai,
05:55reject kar rahe hai,
05:56heet risk kar.
05:57But,
05:58I tried to make them see that,
05:59you know what,
06:00if this gets made to be,
06:01it's supposed to get made,
06:03and if you back it with your,
06:05with your money,
06:06with your vision,
06:07with something,
06:07whatever dreams that you have attached,
06:09to make a film,
06:10that is special,
06:11we can do this.
06:13So,
06:13that kind of constantly,
06:15the rejection of,
06:17saying no,
06:19did not disturb me so much.
06:20And hence,
06:21I was mocking at Amir all the time.
06:23Because I knew that,
06:24Amir,
06:24because he always has taken,
06:27risks anyway.
06:28And time.
06:29Oh, sorry,
06:30yeah,
06:30and time.
06:30Yeah,
06:31yeah.
06:31I've been to his house once.
06:33Six hours in,
06:34and we hadn't gone through the first point.
06:37I went to his loom,
06:38I peed two,
06:39three times,
06:39he has books in his toilet,
06:44so I know how he operates.
06:47I don't know if you remember this.
06:49I don't remember this.
06:50You were ideating on,
06:51what we would do on a gamification.
06:53Oh,
06:53for people's life.
06:54Okay.
06:55I said,
06:55you guys had a spat,
06:57or a disagreement on,
06:58who won shaving during the drought?
07:00Who won?
07:02No,
07:02no,
07:02it was a failure.
07:04But,
07:04keep it in the heart,
07:06keep it in the heart.
07:07How do I feel,
07:08my mouth and my dad,
07:09and my dad?
07:09That's how it was.
07:10it's coming.
07:12Look,
07:12Ashur,
07:14I was truly,
07:15you know?
07:15I was also saying,
07:16keep it in the heart,
07:17keep it in the heart and keep it in the heart.
07:20And I had to keep it in the heart.
07:21My life was dobre.
07:22I was told that,
07:22Amir had a good experimental film,
07:25experimental script,
07:26and all things being experimental.
07:28And all the characters,
07:30I was doing fresh casting.
07:32I was told,
07:37Amir has to look handsome in the film.
07:46So I thought that was more important for the film.
07:53I have one answer.
07:54It's not the rain.
07:56This person is shaving a day.
07:58Why did the rest of the country get wet?
08:01Why don't you drink water in the kitchen?
08:04Why don't you drink water in the kitchen?
08:08His water is saved.
08:11But no one reacted to it in the film at that time.
08:16It's a logical question.
08:18Why is he shaving?
08:19There's no water there.
08:20The last thing on his mind should be to shave.
08:23Philips Trimmer.
08:25Amir, you were both the star and the producer.
08:27There were moments where you were pulled into two different roles.
08:31How did you deal with that dichotomy of you being an actor and a producer?
08:36That's a battle that the producer in me always loses.
08:40And quite easily.
08:42There was an incident when I was getting ready in the makeup room.
08:48So behind the temple in the village that you see, the temple behind the temple is our production office.
08:56We had 10,000 square feet built temporarily just for the shooting.
09:00So all our makeup rooms and costume department was there.
09:03So Reena came to me one day really upset.
09:06My wife, my ex-wife.
09:08She was heading the production.
09:09And Rao sahab and she came and said that Ashu had asked for 200 extras.
09:15And we got the 200 extras.
09:18Now he's saying 200 is less.
09:20So he doesn't want to shoot the scene.
09:22So I said, okay.
09:26So the locations were so far and far.
09:28So I started walking and went to the location.
09:33It's the scene when we are practicing or something.
09:36And in this practice field, the other villages have come.
09:40You know, 2-3 villages have come.
09:41They are all watching the team.
09:42How are they playing?
09:44The team was playing.
09:45So the team was sitting and sitting.
09:49And Ashu said, look, this is looking a very small crowd.
09:52So I said, yeah, you're not a matter of it.
09:54You're not a matter of it.
09:55You must have 800,000.
09:57You're not a matter of it.
09:59You're not a matter of it.
10:01You're not a matter of it.
10:02So Ashu said, it's my fault.
10:04I asked for 200.
10:05I didn't judge it properly.
10:07But in this vast space, 200 is looking like 20, you know.
10:11So I said, make up cricket.
10:17So it was not difficult for me because I've always felt you have to make the film you're setting out
10:21to make.
10:21But I want to actually tell you all one incident that I don't think I've ever shared Ashu with anyone.
10:27Not publicly at least.
10:29When we started the shooting, one of the earlier shoots was Ganan Ganan.
10:33You know, Baga spots the clouds and all of that.
10:36And I think it was day 5 or something.
10:39Early in the shoot it was.
10:41So the shot was that Baga has spotted the clouds from the temple and he starts shouting.
10:47And he's pointing and all of that.
10:49And all of us come out from our houses and I'm like, Baga why are you playing?
10:52And he points and we look.
10:55The shot was that we emerged from different places and we kind of joined together and we were walking.
11:01And we were walking and we were all excited.
11:07You know, rain clouds.
11:10So Ashu had said that you should come and stay here somewhere.
11:13And he was with Anil Mehta.
11:16And he was setting up the trolley.
11:18So he was being very particular about the speed of the trolley.
11:21I think he wanted it.
11:21Very slow, you know.
11:22Very slow trolley.
11:24So he told us just show me a rehearsal.
11:26And he sat on the camera and he was seeing the speed of the trolley, timing of when we come.
11:32Two, three rehearsals went in that.
11:34Now what used to happen is that quite naturally, when we would come from different places, I would come and
11:39stand in the center.
11:40Then Bura, then Ismail, then all the people would gather around me.
11:47I was naturally in the center of the group.
11:51So in all of the rehearsals, that happened.
11:54But Ashu wasn't really instructing us yet.
11:56He was dealing with Anil.
11:59And then he said, okay, I'm set with the camera.
12:03He said, now I'll instruct you on.
12:05So he said, show me your last position.
12:06I was in the center.
12:07He said, go on, you're from here.
12:10You're from here.
12:12Have you had that?
12:13I'm from here.
12:14You're from here.
12:15You're from here.
12:16You're from here.
12:17You're from here.
12:18You're from here.
12:18You're from here.
12:19You're from here.
12:22I thought, oh, man.
12:26We're all experimental films.
12:30After that, the rest of us were one actor.
12:34But he wasn't a big star.
12:37So I said, Ashu is making a mind-blowing film.
12:46So my heart broke.
12:48I said, Ashu said, you're from here.
12:51Not that I want to be in the center or something like that.
12:53That's what I was thinking.
12:54I was just thinking,
12:55you're from here.
12:57So he did a rehearsal for 2-4
12:59And we shot too
13:00But I didn't get away from him
13:02So I asked Ashur, Ashur, 2 minutes
13:04So I went to the side
13:06In one of those huts
13:08And I asked Ashur, Ashur
13:11As it is, it is a very big deal
13:12Take it and take it and take it as one star
13:14That's me
13:16You can also side it
13:19So we are going to talk about it
13:23So he hurt me out very carefully
13:26And he said, no, no, no
13:27That's not why I am putting you
13:29On the side
13:30So I said, why are you doing that?
13:32He said, look, all are equal
13:34One man is the one who is a little higher
13:37And he is the Mukhya
13:39The Mukhya
13:41Played by
13:44Rajendra
13:46So he is the Mukhya
13:47He is special amongst all these people
13:49If there is a central position
13:51It will be the Mukhya who takes the central position
13:54Your character is not special at this point in the film
13:57Your character is going to become special
14:00I don't want to put you in the centre
14:02Because you are Aamir Khan
14:05You will take the central position
14:07When Bhuvan takes leadership
14:09When Bhuvan takes leadership
14:11And he says, Sart Manjur
14:13So you will become the centre of the frame
14:16When the story requires you to become the centre of the frame
14:19Not because of the casting
14:27This was very early in the shoot
14:29When he said this
14:30I was like blown
14:32I was like, wow
14:33I had not even thought of that
14:34I didn't see this
14:37And because it happened so early in the shoot
14:40It gave me so much confidence
14:42In Ashu
14:43I felt that
14:44This guy really knows this film inside out
14:48He is not doing anything like that
14:50He is behind all things
14:51He has a reason
14:52He has a thought
14:53He has a reason
14:55So when you fight in the city
14:57You will stand alone
14:58Then you will join each other
15:01And you will join each other
15:02Then you will become a leader
15:03Then you will become a leader
15:05Then you will become a leader
15:07Then you will become a centre
15:08So as a director
15:09I am conceiving it that way
15:10So that gave me so much confidence
15:13Very early in the shoot
15:14It gave me a lot of confidence in Ashu
15:16That you know
15:17He is completely in command of the material
15:20And you know
15:21Then I was totally relaxed
15:22I was like
15:23I was like
15:23I am going to do this
15:25Incredible story
15:26I have not mentioned this publicly anyway
15:28Yeah, yeah
15:29Let's go
15:30One headline will be
15:32Ashu
15:33You directed a part of the film from the hospital bed
15:35You had a slip desk
15:37In the hospital bed
15:38You didn't have a set in the hospital bed
15:41So
15:41So
15:41What was going through your mind?
15:43Like I mean
15:43How were you managing?
15:45Well
15:46We achieved something that
15:47Ikea still has not been able to achieve
15:49We created a bed
15:52Which is a
15:53Flattish kind of a bed
15:54But with a monitor
15:55That came on my head over here
15:58So
15:59I could lie down
16:00And
16:01Look at the monitor like this
16:02And direct
16:03Now
16:03It had to be done
16:04Because
16:05The
16:06All the British cast
16:08Was there only for
16:09For
16:09Very limited duration of time
16:12And
16:12We could not have broken the schedule
16:14Because we don't
16:14Remember how we sat and discussed it
16:16And we decided
16:17Yeah, yeah
16:18Did he break the other schedule?
16:19Because he
16:19He developed a very serious slip disc
16:21And he was in a lot of pain
16:23He couldn't do anything other than lie down
16:26So
16:26What do we do?
16:27What do we do?
16:27What do we do?
16:28Should we stop the shooting?
16:29Should we go back to Bombay?
16:30And it was a very expensive shoot
16:33So
16:33So many people
16:34You know
16:34Our crew itself was some 400 people
16:36Actors
16:3750-60 actors
16:38And
16:39Once
16:39Once the British actors went back
16:41They had other schedules
16:42There was no chance of them coming back
16:44Yeah
16:44So then we came up with this idea
16:46That we will give him a bed
16:48Where the monitor is such that he can just lie down and look at it
16:52He doesn't have to get up from the bed
16:54So
16:55So
16:55I think for a month almost
16:56You were on the bed
16:57Directing from a bed
16:59And
16:59When he had to say something
17:00He used to go running to it
17:03Look
17:04That's what he did
17:05He used to come to us
17:06See guys, don't clap
17:07You would have done the same thing
17:09In a situation like this
17:11Where you cannot take a pause
17:12You know
17:13No, no, no
17:14Also with the time value of money
17:15Like 20 crores at that time
17:1725 years ago
17:18You take a four and a half
17:20Five year doubling compounded
17:21This film is like over 150 crores today
17:24I mean if you just do the math
17:26So
17:27I am sure any possible needs was needed
17:30Actually listen
17:30You
17:31Had many extras
17:33And
17:33There was
17:34There was a lot of chaos
17:35Is it true that
17:37To control the crowd
17:37Aamir
17:38You dressed up as a villager
17:40And sang
17:40Aati Kia Khandala
17:41To sort of
17:42And that became
17:43And that hysteria moment
17:44Became
17:45A footage for the film
17:46Is it true or is it just bullshit
17:47No, no
17:48It's true
17:48But I didn't dress up like a villager
17:50I was a villager
17:52So I was in costume only
17:54On one day we had called for a crowd of 10,000
17:57Yeah
17:58And all the white shots that you see
18:01Was taken
18:02Because that time there was no crowd multiplication
18:04So I remember there was a lot of discussions
18:07And Reena and Rao Saab
18:10I had told them that you know we need about
18:135,000 crowd
18:14Originally we called them 5,000
18:17So I said that it was very difficult
18:19See Kaatcha is a very large area of land
18:22And the density of population is very low
18:24There are many cities
18:26There are many cities
18:27There are many cities
18:27Where there are many cities
18:28And we wanted people to be in traditional outfits
18:33With thoti, kurta
18:34You can't have city folk coming in with shirt pant jeans
18:40So there was one person who was like a huge help and support to us in Kash
18:45And that is Danabai
18:48Danabai was someone who actually was the person who constructed the village for us
18:54And he was our go-to person
18:56That if there is any problem then Danabai will solve it
19:00So they said that we will not do it
19:01You know Reena and Rao Saab said that we can do 2,000
19:05We can do 2,000
19:075,000
19:085,000 will not do it
19:09So I called Danabai
19:11So Danabai
19:14Danabai
19:14You want to have public
19:16Climax
19:17And you want to have one day
19:18Just take one day
19:19We will take 10,000
19:20We will take white shots
19:21We will take 10,000
19:24So he said
19:24How much do we need?
19:25I said 10,000
19:26So first Reena and Rao Saab were like
19:28You said 5,000
19:31So I said we need 10,000
19:33So I said we need 10,000
19:34And Danabai
19:35This is the question of our people's love
19:36And I am depending on you
19:39I am doing it
19:40I am doing it
19:42Danabai in his Maruti 800
19:44Went from village to village
19:46Village to village
19:47Village to miles
19:48He drove
19:49And he told everyone
19:51That this is our
19:52We all have to turn up
19:55And 10,000
19:56We also did know
19:57On the day of the 10,000
19:59Crowd
19:59People will come or not
20:01So at 4 o'clock
20:02The truck started to come in
20:05At 3 o'clock
20:05At 2 o'clock
20:06At 4 o'clock
20:07At 4 o'clock
20:08At 4 o'clock
20:08At 4 o'clock
20:08The last trucks had come
20:10And there were
20:10Truck full of villagers coming
20:12Just Tom Danabai's word
20:15You know
20:15You know
20:17We had to
20:18Because some of them were
20:19You know
20:20They thought
20:20In the film
20:21They had to
20:22You know
20:23Jeans wheels
20:25Youngsters model
20:27Which we had calculated for
20:29Which we had calculated for
20:30So for about
20:32Three to four thousand
20:33Peeps, kurtas, bandis
20:34We had kept it ready
20:36So they were separated into
20:38You know
20:38Two batches
20:39People who were
20:40Already correctly dressed
20:41People who were not dressed
20:42Were sent to the
20:43Costume department
20:44They were quickly changed
20:46Into traditional clothes
20:47And sent
20:47Ghadi utaro
20:48Jute utaro
20:49Because nothing modern
20:50We were talking about
20:501857
20:53So it was a
20:54Massive exercise
20:55Like an army operation
20:57That day
20:57Because even feeding
20:5810,000 people
20:59Is such a huge task
21:00You know
21:01So somehow
21:02Now
21:02We have to think
21:03If we have to think
21:04Once again
21:04It will not be done
21:0510,000 people
21:06You know
21:09There is no problem
21:13So what happened
21:15That day
21:15Was that
21:16See
21:16When there is 10,000 people
21:18Also
21:19The first TD
21:20Apurva Lakya
21:21Who is now a director
21:22He was our first TD
21:23He was
21:24He is the one
21:25Who controls crowd
21:26But
21:2610,000 people
21:27They don't hear
21:28It's very difficult
21:29To control them
21:31So then I realized
21:32What is happening
21:33And then I said
21:34Apurva
21:34I have a mic
21:35So I got onto the horse
21:36Because there are horses
21:37I rode all around
21:39The area
21:40Where everyone was sitting
21:41I spoke to them
21:42On the mic
21:42I explained to them
21:44What we are doing
21:45And then they started
21:46Reacting to me
21:47So I said
21:47Ashu, camera on
21:48Camera on
21:50And I started singing
21:51Hey
21:52What are you saying
21:53They were cheering
21:54They were cheering
21:55They were cheering
21:56They were cheering
21:56And all that
21:59Because I started dancing
22:00They also started dancing
22:01So we got a lot of shots
22:03You know
22:03Which they didn't know
22:04Actually we were shooting
22:05At that time
22:06And is it true
22:08That you had 12,000 cricketing shots
22:11That you took
22:12And you shot for the film
22:14It's not counting
22:15It's not counting
22:16It's not counting
22:18It's not counting
22:19It's not counting
22:19It's not 12,000
22:19That's too much
22:20Too much
22:22And
22:22And the British cast, which you were casting, did they have to play cricket or did you audition them for,
22:30whether they knew how to bowl or bat or...
22:32So I, in my initial thought and plan, the Indian cast should not know cricket.
22:41Yeah.
22:42But Amir is a great cricket player, so is Zuchi.
22:45But the rest of the team members don't play cricket at all.
22:49So that was a benefit because then their stance and everything will be very unrehearsed.
22:54But about the British cast, the choice was, do I want actors who can play cricket or cricketeers who can
23:01act?
23:02So we decided for the second one, cricketeers who can act.
23:05Except for Captain Russell, of course.
23:07Russell was an actor.
23:10But now while shooting, that became a problem.
23:12Because when I wanted the Indian team to play very well, Akhleder Mishra already smiling there.
23:19I wanted them to play very well.
23:21Akhleder Ji comes one down in the Lagana team.
23:24Supposed to be our best batsman.
23:27He can't hit a ball to save his life.
23:30I mean, what I'm saying, I don't believe you.
23:35But if you put a ball, he would miss it.
23:39It's a ball.
23:41So Aashu has a lot of strike.
23:42Running is not going to happen.
23:43Aamir is going to happen.
23:44And then I said, Aashu.
23:45We will have a ball in the day.
23:48He won't connect the ball.
23:49So then I said, you can do it.
23:51Close the place.
23:52So all of his shots, if you've ever watched the film again, are in close.
23:56He goes in close.
23:57He goes in close.
23:57And he goes in close.
24:00But he goes in close.
24:02He goes in close.
24:03But the performance at that time makes you believe it.
24:11And the only other person who needed to know really good cricket and who didn't know was Captain Russell.
24:16Yeah.
24:17He was another Akhleder Mishra.
24:21When he was an English team captain and he was supposed to be good.
24:24But we had cast up for his acting abilities.
24:28We had no idea that he just doesn't play cricket at all.
24:32So that was the other one we had to really be careful with.
24:35But also I want to talk about Raghubir.
24:38So Raghubir was one of my first choices that I had in the selector.
24:43Raghubir was one of my first choices that I had in the selector.
24:44Raghubir was one of my first choices that I had in the selector.
24:44Raghubir was one of my first choices that I had in the selector.
24:46All of that.
24:48But will he play that?
24:50Because it's an ensemble team and he was doing all the lead parts.
24:53Raghubir has a certain, you know,
24:58He's in that zone.
25:00So it was wonderful to have him play Bhura.
25:03And the kind of energy and physical agility that he brought to the part.
25:08Outstanding.
25:09was just outstanding.
25:10Outstanding.
25:12Outstanding.
25:14And he was also our entertainer for the entire six months.
25:19Because we all have to be tired.
25:21We all have to be tired.
25:22We all have to do this in the dark.
25:23We all have to do this in the dark.
25:24So Raghubir has made a song.
25:26He sings very well.
25:27So this song created you.
25:28Do you remember that?
25:30Yes.
25:31It's not.
25:32It's not.
25:33It's not.
25:34It's not.
25:35It's not.
25:37It's not.
25:38It's not.
25:39It's not.
25:40It's not.
25:41It's not.
25:42It's not.
25:44It's not.
25:45It's not.
25:48Long poetry it made.
25:49So he's to entertain us right through the shoot.
25:52I just add.
25:53If you see the poster of Lagaan.
25:55You know how he's standing in the film is entirely different.
25:58And you can see that attitude comes.
25:59Yeah, yeah.
25:59That attitude is there.
26:01You can't stand.
26:04You can't stand.
26:04It gives to the Oscar campaign because that was a special moment for India and for you guys.
26:11But you know, everybody sees the glory and wow, you made it to the Oscars.
26:15But there is a true hustle that goes on behind the scenes.
26:18It's not easy.
26:19I believe at some point, again, this is just of, you know, stories that I've heard that you were hustling
26:25to show it to hotel staff and people and anybody who could watch the film and see the film.
26:30Is it true or these are just glorified tales?
26:32You know, actually, first I want to clarify, I don't know how Oscars runs now.
26:37I have no idea what their rules are.
26:39But at that time, for foreign language and for documentary, they have separate committees,
26:47you know, large number of committees who are supposed to watch the film.
26:50Yeah.
26:50And at that time, the rule was that the producer, director or anybody from the film cannot go to a
26:56screening.
26:58You're not allowed to go for the screening.
26:59So you hire a publicist and the only thing that you can do is have extra screenings because members may
27:08miss the official Academy screening.
27:10So it's easy for them to catch the film somewhere else.
27:13So you keep three, four extra screens.
27:16And you have to give an ad.
27:18You can't invite people.
27:19You can't call up people and say to come.
27:21You have to give an ad in their, you know, Hollywood Reporter variety.
27:24Variety.
27:25And say, so and so date, so and so place, venue.
27:28This is the screening.
27:29Members are invited.
27:30So in terms of hustle, actually all screenings.
27:34You cannot, you cannot call anyone.
27:36Right.
27:36You can't be present at the screening also.
27:39So our hustle was that when we started the screenings, we felt that there was a couple of screenings we
27:47had held where it was not Academy screening.
27:49It was just to show friends and all that.
27:51So we had called the valleys of the hotel, you know, the parking staff and all of that.
28:04We were staying there for almost a month, I think.
28:06We called everyone.
28:07We called everyone.
28:07We called everyone.
28:08We called everyone.
28:09We called everyone.
28:09We called everyone.
28:11Our simple logic was, if you're watching a film, you'll get to get people into the screening.
28:19Aamir, which song was you singing?
28:22Do becare, vina sahare.
28:26That was our favourite song.
28:28That was our go-to song.
28:29No one ever met us.
28:30We kept everyone on the side.
28:39The Daily Telegraph described Lagaan as a film that portrays British as ruthless sadists.
28:46Did that framing sort of hurt your chances at the Oscars?
28:50Is that not at all?
28:52No, no, no.
28:52Not at all.
28:53This is not true.
28:54In the film, you have one eccentric Englishman who is, you know, trying to be nasty to the people.
29:01But at the same time, you have fair empires.
29:03You have his senior officers who are, you know, trying to correct the wrong that this young officer is doing.
29:12And his sister.
29:13And his sister.
29:14His sister was the biggest one who was supporting the villages.
29:17So in our minds, it was never like that.
29:21Amit, you rejected the first two actors that were cast as Elizabeth and Captain Russell.
29:30After meeting them in person.
29:32What?
29:35You know, this is a topic I shouldn't speak publicly.
29:37It's not nice.
29:38Oh, it's not.
29:39It's not nice.
29:39We'll forget.
29:41But I do want to add that they were both very good actors.
29:46And it was for, after a lot of discussion, Ashu and me decided that maybe for the, only the single
29:54agenda of, for what is right for the film and what is right for the characters, that is when we
30:01decided to recast.
30:02But it's not nice to talk about actors who are recast.
30:05So, you know.
30:06Ashu, you were inspired by the film Nayadur.
30:09What specifically did you borrow?
30:12Actually, that's a myth.
30:15I was not inspired by that.
30:16Actually, I had not even seen it at that time.
30:18Because I was going by my own, you know, the kind of, my own childhood memories of going to my
30:27hometown, Kolapur.
30:29Going to the farmlands, going to the fields, looking at how farmers live.
30:33Those are my personal experiences that were.
30:35At that time, though, there was a screening that we held for B.R. Chopra, sir.
30:40Who was in a wheelchair at that time.
30:42And he was, one of the last films that he saw probably was Gadaan.
30:46And it was held at his screening room.
30:49At the B.R. Chopra preview, theater.
30:53And Ravi ji was there.
30:55Ravi ji also is no more.
30:57And Chopra, sir, just loved the film.
31:00You were out shooting at that time.
31:02That's right.
31:03Yeah, yeah.
31:04He just loved the film.
31:05And there was a kind of, he felt that this kind of a village life, this kind of a story,
31:14has not been captured.
31:16Before I was screaming.
31:17Though, much later when I saw that, Nahadour, I realized that the obvious comparison was that there was this chase,
31:24a race between a truck and a bullock car.
31:28It was about modernization.
31:30What is, what will be.
31:32Man against machine.
31:33Man against machine.
31:34What will survive.
31:36So that was a very different kind of film.
31:39Great film.
31:39But I thought that they are, I realized why the comparison.
31:43Huh?
31:44It's very, I realized later why they feel that.
31:47Actually, Lagann is more like an Asterix comic if you ask me.
31:51You know, one little village standing.
31:53It is like, it is Asterix.
31:54Asterix was our main go-to.
31:56You know, you have one small village.
31:59All this village fighting the Roman Empire.
32:01Here we have a small Indian village fighting the British Empire.
32:04And all, and all, you know, different, different characters.
32:07Half the time they are fighting among themselves.
32:09Bura and Goli keep fighting, you know.
32:11So, it's, for me it was a little more like Asterix than anything else.
32:15And the film did very well in France.
32:18For that very reason.
32:20Yeah.
32:22I don't want to ask too many questions.
32:23Maybe just the last one.
32:24Do we have time for?
32:25Let's call a couple.
32:27Yeah.
32:28I just have a question.
32:29Yeah, yeah.
32:29This is an urban legend.
32:31So, please clarify.
32:32O Palan Hare I heard has two versions of the song.
32:36One which is in the film is not on the cassettes.
32:39Is that true?
32:41No, no.
32:41The song is the same version.
32:45And both versions are there on the CD as well.
32:48That time CDs used to come out.
32:50So, one version was sung by Lata Ji.
32:53And the other version was sung by Lata Ji and Sadhana Sargam.
32:56Because in the film, if you noticed,
32:58Mai begins the song.
33:00So, Lata Ji has sung for Mai.
33:03And then when Gauri sings the antra,
33:07So, that Sadhana has sung.
33:09Because obviously, we needed a different voice for Gauri.
33:13So, we had two voices.
33:15The song was the same.
33:16Now, let's just speak to you.
33:17Come on.
33:28You know how difficult it was for me to keep quiet in the whole film?
33:34I'll talk about it.
33:35I'll talk about that.
33:37I'm not a person.
33:39I'm not a person.
33:41Come on, get a person.
33:43They went up and get a person.
33:44Do you want to listen?
33:44You are the son.
33:45We are the son of the friend.
33:46In the film.
33:48Don't.
33:48So, you are the son of the son.
33:49No, you are the son.
33:49I don't really.
33:50You are the son of the son.
33:57I am constantly, you know, perfectionist, also want to keep, oh s**t, the question is, if it was to be
34:02made today, it still is a very relevant piece of cinema for all of us, right? Growing up, I mean,
34:07I am 51, I watched it, I just realized I was 25 years old when I watched it. Would you
34:13do anything differently? Anyone?
34:17Not me. Nothing at all. Just I would do the, we'd ask for the Kohinoor diamond in exchange of winning.
34:24No, I would like to do it again with an unshaven look. Get it right this time.
34:33Long discussions on avdi, you know, because I said, yaar, Ganga Jamna mein jo zabaan Yusu sahab na use kie
34:42hai.
34:43I said, because we have used a very diluted version, you know, it's a very diluted version.
34:49So, for example, if it is in the future tense, hum jayenge. But in avdi you don't say jayenge, you
34:55say hum jayab.
34:56Hum jayab.
34:57So, I wanted pure abdi. And Ashu said, nahi bhai, pure abdi nahi hoga.
35:06So, if we can do it again, pure abdi. And Munchi Dari. And Munchi Dari.
35:14So, I want to tell you all, that all the British, before you start, there is a reason why he
35:19was given the role of the mute.
35:22And you all are soon going to realize that reason.
35:35So, all the British actors were our friends. And they kept asking me, this movie is supposed to be in
35:41Hindi. And what's this new language now?
35:44So, I said, now it's Audi. You know, that car that they drive, Aamir wants to buy it. And so,
35:50he's changed his loyalties.
35:57Now you understand why he kept him on mute in the film.
36:02So, this was one correction on Aditya Lakhiya. This was not his debut film. His debut film actually is Kabhiha
36:07Kabhiha.
36:08Oh.
36:10Jojita, Jojita, sorry. Jojita and then Kabhiha Kabhiha.
36:14In Jojita, we were together.
36:15Devit Bhojani, Aditya, me. And Deepakha. But our gang is Aisha Julkasha Julkasha.
36:27I would like to say that we have been in the last six months.
36:32And the kind of the atmosphere that Aamir has made, that's why we have been in the last six months.
36:45And after the side of the house, we got╪п╪з, before the back, but there was not a
36:56foreign
36:57foreign
36:58foreign
37:28I'm going to be a part of the film.
37:58It's not made by the villages of the village.
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