Anurag Kashyap Reveals Ashutosh Gowariker Went To Shoot For Lagaan With A Head Full Of Hair And Came Back Bald

As Lagaan completed 25 years, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap looked back on the making of Aamir Khan and Ashutosh Gowariker’s iconic film. 

Speaking to the Instagram account of Aamir Khan Productions, Kashyap recalled how the film’s production had become the talk of the industry even before its release.

Anurag Kashyap Jokes About Ashutosh Gowariker’s Transformation 

Remembering the scale and intensity of the film’s production, Kashyap shared a humorous anecdote about director Ashutosh Gowariker.

“What stood out for me before even watching the film, Ashu (Ashutosh Gowariker) went to Kutch to shoot with a head full of hair, came back bald,” he said jokingly.

Kashyap further revealed that the industry’s curiosity about Lagaan stemmed from the way the film was being made. “First thing was the way they were shooting the film. We heard that they were doing sync sound, and sync sound was something that was absent at that time. I think it restarted with Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai.”

‘Lagaan Changed Filmmaking In Bollywood’

The Gangs of Wasseypur filmmaker said Lagaan significantly influenced him and many others in the industry. 

“And I was very determined when I was doing Paanch, I said I also want to do sync sound. The way they went about the film changed a lot of things in this industry. A very organised way of shooting, controlling your budgets, the process of making that film has taught the whole industry a lot.”

Recalling his first viewing of the film at Mumbai’s Gaiety Galaxy theatre, Kashyap admitted that many were initially apprehensive about its runtime.

“When the film came out, I went first day at Gaiety Galaxy to watch it and we were very scared. Like it’s three hours and forty minutes long film, how will this happen, what will happen? We had heard a lot of stories. But when we went into the film, we suddenly, like by the midpoint, found ourselves not just being an audience to the film, but we were spectators in the film, and we were cheering for the team.”

Reflecting on the film’s legacy, Kashyap credited Lagaan for paving the way for filmmakers like him to tell long-form stories.

Lagaan was one of the biggest hits of Bollywood in 2001 and is still considered one of the most iconic films in the history of Indian cinema. 

At the 49th National Film Awards, Lagaan won in the following categories: Best Music Direction (AR Rahman), Playback Singer (Udit Narayan for Mitwa O Mitwa), Lyrics (Javed Akhtar), Choreography (Raju Khan), Art Direction (Chandrakant Desai), Audiography (H Sridhar and Nakul Kamte), Costume Designer (Bhanu Athaiya), and Most Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.

ALSO READ: Lagaan Actor Suhasini Mulay Found Love At 60 On Facebook: ‘Hadn’t Found The Right Match Until Then’