As ‘Lagaan’ turns 25, several stories of the making of the iconic film are emerging. In a special event celebrating 25 years Aamir Khan Productions, veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar shared a startling confession: he was convinced the film would flop when he first heard the script.It is one of the most important films of today Indian cinema‘Lagaan’ garnered rave reviews, became one of the biggest hits of 2001 and earned him an Oscar nomination. But according to Javed Akhtar, the project looked risky from all angles when it came up.Recalling the initial reaction to the script, the lyricist said that the film challenged several prevailing industry assumptions at the time. Conventional wisdom suggested that audiences no longer related to dhoti-clad heroes, that period dramas were out of fashion, and that cricket was considered too slow-paced for cinematic appeal.Sharing what he told Aamir Khan then, Javed Akhtar recalled, “I said, ‘What are you doing? The film you’re making won’t work at all. The script is terrible’. I mean, what shouldn’t be in a film is there. People say films where the hero wears a dhoti don’t work anymore; times have changed. We didn’t even let it. Gabbar Singh wear a dhoti People say old movies don’t work. You are making a period film. People say that cricket is not cinematic at all, it’s such a slow game.’He also recalled being struck by the situations in the film’s songs, as the narrative revolved almost entirely around the uncertainty of rain in jokes.“What is the situation of the songs in your film? The first situation is that it is going to rain. The second situation is that it might rain. The third situation is—when will it rain? The fourth situation—what happens if it doesn’t rain? These are your situations. Why do I have to write songs in all this?” he said.Despite the skepticism surrounding him, Aamir Khan never wavered in his belief that the film would work.“But Aamir wasn’t totally impressed. He said, ‘No, you’ll see, this film is going to be great.’ After he left, I said to my friend, ‘Look, this film isn’t going to work.’History, however, proved otherwise. the director Ashutosh Gowariker‘Lagaan’ emerged as a cultural phenomenon and remains one of the most celebrated films in Indian cinema. Its music, composed by AR Rahman with lyrics by Javed Akhtar, continues to resonate with audiences. Songs like ‘O Palanhare’, ‘Ghanan Ghanan’, ‘Mitwa’ and ‘Radha Kaise Na Jale’ remain favorites more than two decades after the film’s release.
