20 Years Of Lagaan: 5 Unknown Facts Of Aamir Khan’s Classic Film

Aamir Khan‘s Lagaan completed two decades on June 15, 2021. The Ashutosh Gowariker directorial is considered one of the iconic films of Bollywood. Not only did the movie garner accolades in the domestic circuit but went on to be one of the most loved films on the international circuit too. Lagaan was nominated for the prestigious Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Film category. Though it did not win the award it garnered much praise from critics and fans alike. Made on a budget of Rs 25 crore ‘Lagaan’ is all about a bunch of novice Indians who defeated the British in a game of cricket.

As the epic saga clocks in 20 glorious years, here is a look back at some lesser-known facts about the Aamir Khan starter.

Here are some lesser-known facts about Lagaan:

1 Aamir Khan in Dhoti:

Aamir Khan had never worn a dhoti before. He learned how to tie it in just one day.

2. The climax of Lagaan was shot with 10,000 people:

The climax of the film was a match between the villagers and the Britishers. The makers roped in 10,000 people from the neighbouring towns and villages to shoot the crowd scenes. The cheering of the crowd in the movie as the Indian team won the match was captured in a unique manner. Aamir Khan sang ‘Aati Kya Khandala’ and the reaction of the crowd to his singing was apparently captured by the director. This was included in the climax.

3. First Bollywood Film To Release In China:

Lagaan is the first Indian film to have a nationwide release in China. The movie also released in United States, France, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Africa, and the Middle East.

4. First Movie using Sync Sound:

Lagaan became the first Hindi film to be shot using sync sound. It means that dialogues and sounds were recorded live during the shoot itself.

5 Three-hour long final cut:

The original duration of Lagaan was seven hours and thirty minutes. The final cut was three hours and thirty minutes after editing.

Not many know that six months after the wrapping up of Lagaan, villages where it was shot were completely destroyed due to a devastating earthquake. To help the villagers, the cast decided to give 40% of the box office earnings to charity.

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