Screenwriter Kumar Dave has revealed that the iconic Bollywood film 'Lagaan' struggled to find support due to its unconventional theme and could only be made after Aamir Khan boarded the project as both an actor and producer. Set in 1893, the story centers on an Indian village affected by severe drought and high colonial taxes, where locals accept a high-stakes cricket wager from an arrogant British Army officer. Aamir Khan plays the role of a young farmer, Bhuvan.
Aamir Khan's Producer Role Was Crucial
"If Aamir wouldn't have turned producer, this movie ('Lagaan') wouldn't have been made even today. He believed in this as an actor and hence he believed in it as a producer," Dave told PTI in an interview. "We never found a producer who believed in our subject. People used to say, 'Make it contemporary, why are you making the hero wear a dhoti? He should be in a suit,' etc." Dave, who also served as an associate director on the film, co-wrote the screenplay with Sanjay Damya from the story penned by Ashutosh Gowariker, who also directed the movie. The dialogues were by K P Saxena.
25th Anniversary Reflections
The film is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its release this month. Dave admitted he too had reservations about the subject from a practical standpoint. "I never doubted the subject from day one. Even though I tried to run away from it from a practical point of view, that we wouldn't get a producer," Dave said. "I knew the content was strong, it has a message about the hero swimming against the tide. You need courage to do so, and the character has to be courageous. You need courage to say, 'Sharat manjoor hai', it's a golden line. Once we committed, we went into it completely, we didn't back down from our responsibilities."
Initial Skepticism Overcome
At one point, Dave said he tried to dissuade Gowariker from pursuing the film, given its scale and uncertainty of getting a producer. "I remember Ashutosh said, 'We will write 'Lagaan.' I tried my best (to stop him from making it) saying, 'Don't make this. We've already tried something new with 'Pehla Nasha' and 'Baazi' but things didn't work, so don't make the third film ('Lagaan'), instead do something very contemporary. This is a very international film; it will be very difficult to get a producer for this subject,'" he said. "Even though I would tell him, 'Let's not do it,' he would insist saying, 'Let's do it.' I would tell him that the strong belief you have in your subject is good, but you need a producer who will believe in it equally. He was adamant about it (making 'Lagaan')."
Intensive Writing Process in Karjat
The trio comprising Gowariker, Dave and Damya eventually went to Karjat, near Mumbai, where they spent weeks developing the screenplay in isolation. Dave said the writing process was intense and immersive, with discussions beginning as early as 8:00 am and continuing through meals. It was only at the very end of the night that they managed a brief, 10-to-15-minute break to unwind over a quick game of carrom before heading to sleep. They wrote a total of 12 drafts during their month-long stay in Karjat. "Ashu had the story and we went along with him to work on the screenplay. We knew that there are three different minds working on the film but we will go with the majority, like if Ashu and Sanjay feel this is correct, I'll go with what they say. Otherwise, we will keep arguing and the story will not move forward. We brought a huge pothi and then till 2000 we kept making some change or the other over the years," Dave said.
Ensemble Cast and Production
'Lagaan' featured an ensemble cast including Gracy Singh, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Raghubir Yadav, Rajendra Gupta, Raj Zutshi, Akhilendra Mishra, Yashpal Sharma, AK Hangal, Shrivallabh Vyas, Pradeep Rawat, Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne among others. After Aamir came on board, the team began filming in Bhuj for six to seven months. The production officially kicked off on January 5, 2000 at 11:00 AM with a muhurat shot featuring Suhasini Mulay, who played Bhuvan's mother, Yashodamai. "The scene is where she is looking at the sky, responding to off screen question from Aamir's character about what she was watching in the sky, she simply says, 'I'm looking at the clouds'," Dave shared.
Challenges Overcome
To a query about difficulties, Dave said the team never felt overwhelmed by the scale because they had mentally braced themselves from the beginning. "We knew from day one that it was a difficult task, so when you know that every scene or shot is difficult, you put in that kind of preparation. Like, we shot with sync sound technique, and we had to wait in between some scenes when a flight would pass by as that would create disturbance," Dave said. "Besides, we shot in extreme heat and winter conditions. We knew it is going to be challenging and the idea was to just overcome it." Dave credited Aamir's production team for ensuring a smooth shoot despite the challenges. "Aamir Khan's production team was mind-blowing; everything was taken care of. Sometimes there can be ego clashes between artists and technicians but on this movie, nothing of that sort happened. The entire unit worked as a real unit."
