The iconic film Lagaan (2001) has completed 25 years. Over the years, several fascinating anecdotes from the making of the film have surfaced. If you think every interesting piece of trivia about its shoot has already been revealed, think again. Recently, Akhilendra Mishra, who played Arjan in the Aamir Khan-starrer, spoke to Planet Bollywood and shared some fascinating and not-so-known behind-the-scenes memories.
Akhilendra Mishra told Planet Bollywood, “We shot in the most extreme weather. We shot for six months. During this period, we dealt with both extreme heat and rigid cold. All of us were very passionate about the film. I guess that pulled us through. Lagaan is the only film in the world which was shot in a single schedule lasting for six months. Lawrence Of Arabia (1962) was shot for nine months but they had two breaks in between. We had no breaks in between.”
He added, “The team managing the production was fantastic. We did not get a single chance to complain about anything. Reena Dutta ji was the executive producer and she handled everything very well. Srinivasa Rao was another strong pillar in the production department.”
Akhilendra Mishra further revealed, “We worked with complete discipline. Every morning, all of us would get inside the bus and leave for the shoot at 6 AM. I have a habit of listening to and chanting the Gayatri Mantra every day. I had given a cassette of ‘Gayatri Mantra’ to the bus driver. He would play the cassette every day for six months. Every day, we would travel for twenty-six kilometres listening to the Gayatri Mantra. One day, Aamir Khan asked me the meaning behind the Gayatri Mantra. I explained it to him.”
He also added, “There was no shoot on Sundays. Sometimes, we would not shoot on Saturdays either. We would shoot no more than twelve hours a day.”
More Pages: Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India Box Office Collection , Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India Movie Review
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