Believed in the Lagaan Script, But Feared Saying Yes: Aamir Khan

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, known for his bold and unconventional choices, revealed that committing to ‘Lagaan’ (2001) was daunting, as industry veterans, including lyricist Javed Akhtar, warned him it could be a box-office disaster.

Speaking at the India Today Conclave on Friday, Khan recalled how director Ashutosh Gowariker approached him with the period drama, where a village cricket match against British officers determines tax payments. While he believed in the story, the skepticism around him made him hesitant.

"It was a very scary film to make. Everyone was scared. Javed sir said the film would not work even for a day," Khan said.

Akhtar cautioned that sports films rarely succeeded and that Lagaan’s extended cricket sequence might deter audiences. He also pointed out that previous films featuring Amitabh Bachchan’s voice-over narration had not performed well. “Mr. Bachchan told me that. He said, 'Okay Aamir, I will become the narrator, but in whichever films I have given the narration, those films never worked’,” Khan recalled.

Despite the doubts, ‘Lagaan’ defied expectations, winning the ‘Best Film Audience’ award at the Locarno Film Festival and earning an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. Khan and Gowariker even joked about their fears with a line from the film: “Humne kono galti to nahi ki?” (Did I make a mistake?).

“The whole journey of ‘Lagaan’ was exciting because I always believed in the story… But before saying yes, I was very scared. I take risks, but I make my fear my guide,” Khan said.

Currently, Khan is working on ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’, a follow-up to his acclaimed 2007 film ‘Taare Zameen Par’.