As Aamir Khan approaches his 60th birthday, he recently looked back on some defining moments from his career, shedding light on the challenges he faced while making Lagaan. During an interview, the superstar revealed that both lyricist Javed Akhtar and legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan had cautioned him against pursuing the project, predicting its failure.
Aamir described Lagaan as a daunting venture from the very beginning, but his apprehensions grew stronger after Javed Akhtar’s blunt assessment. “He called me and asked, ‘Why are you making this film? This will not work,’” Aamir recalled. Javed’s concerns were detailed—sports films had a poor track record, cricket-based movies had never succeeded, and using Awadhi as the film’s language would limit its audience. He also pointed out that Bollywood was shifting towards glamorous foreign locations and stylish outfits, whereas Lagaan was rooted in a rustic village setting with characters dressed in simple dhotis.
To make matters worse, Javed Akhtar warned Aamir Khan about Amitabh Bachchan’s role as the film’s narrator, calling it a bad omen. “He said, ‘Every film Mr. Bachchan has narrated so far has flopped. And now that you’ve brought him in, it’s confirmed—your film won’t work,’” Aamir shared. Even Amitabh Bachchan himself echoed this concern when Aamir approached him for the voiceover. “I’ll do it, I don’t mind. But just so you know, every film I have narrated has flopped. So, you better be aware of that,” the veteran actor had told him.
Despite these ominous predictions, Lagaan, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, went on to become one of the most celebrated films in Indian cinema. The period drama not only performed exceptionally well at the box office but also achieved the rare feat of earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 74th Oscars. Released in the same year as Dil Chahta Hai, another milestone in Aamir’s career, Lagaan remains a testament to his belief in unconventional storytelling.
