Aamir Khan warned against doing 'Lagaan'

Bollywood A-lister Aamir Khan revealed he was warned by veterans like Amitabh Bachchan and Javed Akhtar, against doing his Oscar-nominated film ‘Lagaan’.

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During his recent appearance at an event, Aamir Khan, who also co-produced ‘Lagaan’ with Sanjay Dayma, admitted that it was a very ‘scary’ film to make, and many industry veterans warned him against it when director Ashutosh Gowariker approached him.

“It was a very scary film to make. Everyone was scared. Javed [Akhtar] sir said the film won’t work even for a day,” Khan recalled and added that the seasoned lyricist and screenwriter claimed the actor’s films on a sports theme generally don’t perform well at the Box Office.

The ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ actor also shared, “Mr [Amitabh] 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’.”

“I always believed in the story,” he maintained. “But I remember before saying yes to the film, I was very scared.”

“You all think I take the risk and I am a very brave person. I take the risk but I am equally scared and I make that fear my guide. I become sleepless and I start bothering people around me. I don’t let anyone sleep. I need company at that time. Before the release, I am very stressed,” Khan concluded. “In fact, the more excited I am about the film, the more stressed I become.”

Also Read: Aamir Khan makes shocking admission about Junaid Khan’s ‘Loveyapa’

Notably, award-winning filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker’s period drama, set during British colonial rule in India, ‘Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India’ co-starred Aamir Khan with Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne.

Besides garnering widespread acclaim, particularly for Khan’s performance, Gowariker’s direction, dialogues, soundtrack and the film’s anti-imperialist stance, the title also emerged as a massive Box Office success, becoming the third highest-grossing film of the year 2001.

It went on to bag some of the most prestigious awards of the season and was also the last Indian film to be nominated for Hollywood’s Oscars.