Aamir Khan in a still from the video. (courtesy: AamirKhanProductions)
New Delhi:
For all Lagaan fans out there, we have some amazing news in store for you. Aamir Khan’s production house, Aamir Khan Productions, has shared a behind-the-scenes video from the sets of the Ashutosh Gowariker film. In the clip, Ashutosh Gowariker and team Lagaan are working on one of the iconic songs — Ghanan Ghanan. This song sets the scene for the drought in the film. The villagers are struggling to deal with the situation, but finally, they see hope in the form of dark clouds taking over the sky. To express their joy, the villagers sing and dance their hearts out. However, the clouds pass without bringing rain, leaving them disappointed. The song features the major cast of the film in one frame.
In the clip, we get glimpses of the village setup. A few seconds later, we can see the film’s cast, including Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, Yashpal Sharma, Shrivallabh Vyas, Raj Zutshi, and others, sitting in the dining hall and joyfully singing Ghanan Ghanan. All the actors are seen crooning their lines. When Aamir’s turn comes, he starts confidently but fumbles as he fails to recall the lyrics. However, after Gracy’s turn, he manages to catch up beautifully. Wonder why they did this exercise?
Director Ashutosh Gowariker, in the clip, shares the story behind the impromptu singing session. He says, “So, we were shooting. Take, after take, after take! It was endless. I decided that something had to be done. So that night, after dinner, I called all the actors down to the dining hall. And I asked them to sing the song loudly. Their confidence levels grew. The attention was now off the lyrics but into the dancing steps.”
Composed by the legendary AR Rahman, the track has been sung by Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, Sukhwinder Singh, Shankar Mahadevan, and Shaan.
“Celebrating Ashutosh Gowariker’s passion for cinema today and every day. Wishing a very Happy Birthday to the absolute legend,” read the caption of the post.
Take a look at the video below:
It is not the first time that Aamir Khan’s production house has shared a BTS memory of Lagaan. Last year, to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the movie, they shared a collection of pictures. It began with a snapshot featuring Aamir Khan alongside director Ashutosh Gowariker, Aditya Lakhia, Yashpal, Rajendranath Zutshi, and Daya Shankar Pandey. The following images captured Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne, Suhasini Mulay, Pradeep Rawat, and Akhilendra Mishra relaxing between takes.
“A nostalgic throwback to Lagaan as we celebrate its 22-year milestone, reliving the moments that made it an iconic part of the Indian cinema. (red heart icon),” read the text attached to the post.
Lagaan narrated the tale of a village grappling with both drought and oppressive taxes imposed by the British rulers. Presented with a chance to break free from this cycle of taxation, the villagers opt to engage in a high-stakes game of cricket against the British army officers.
Lagaan won eight National Awards and also earned an Oscar nomination in 2002.
