Aamir Khan and Ashutosh Gowariker had a fascinating conversation about their iconic film Lagaan (2001) on day 1 of the Red Lorry Film Festival 2026. They raised laughs as they explained how Ashutosh had to struggle to get the film on floors.
Aamir Khan revealed, “Ashu and I were very close and I told him, ‘Approach other actors. I don’t mind. Your script is beautiful’. He did that and every few months, he used to meet me and tell me who all he narrated the film to. Meanwhile, I realized that the story was not getting out of my blood. Hence, every 6 months, I used to tell him, ‘Mere ko story wapis suna’. So, he used to narrate and I used to be impressed every time.”
Ashutosh Gowariker said, “I narrated the script to him in Jaipur, Mysuru and Mahabaleshwar. Wherever he was shooting, he used to call me!”
When asked what changed his mind, Aamir Khan explained, “I have always looked up to filmmakers like V Shantaram, Guru Dutt, Mehboob Khan, Bimal Roy, etc. They were not scared of picking up unusual films. They made what they believed in. I told myself, ‘You are such a fan of these people. Fir tu kyun nahin kar raha hai jo woh karte the?’. They used to follow their instinct and not look at logic.”
Aamir continued, “I told Ashu, ‘Ek dafa aur suna’. It was the fourth or the fifth narration. I called my parents, whom I had never asked for advice on scripts. Reena (ex-wife Reena Dutta) was there and so was Jhamu Sughand. Jhamu ji was such an amazing person. He backed the film without batting an eyelid. He didn’t question me even once, ‘Aapka budget double ho gaya hai. Aapka schedule totally out ho gaya hai’. Anybody who invests money will ask at least once, ‘Theek thaak jaa raha hai na? Beda gark toh nahin kar raha hai na’ (laughs)?. He never questioned me and never made me feel what I was up to. He just told me, ‘Don’t worry. You make the film you want to make’. I appreciate that about Jhamu ji.”
The audience clapped for the late producer. Aamir Khan continued, “Our budget doubled from Rs. 12 crores to Rs. 24 crores.”
More Pages: Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India Box Office Collection , Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India Movie Review
BOLLYWOOD NEWS - LIVE UPDATES
Catch us for latest Bollywood News, New Bollywood Movies update, Box office collection, New Movies Release , Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today & Upcoming Movies 2026 and stay updated with latest hindi movies only on Bollywood Hungama.