More than two decades after its release, ‘Lagaan’ continues to be regarded as one of Indian cinema’s most influential films. The period sports drama not only captivated audiences worldwide but also reshaped filmmaking practices in the industry. Among those deeply impacted by the film was filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who recently reflected on its significance during a conversation with Aamir Khan Productions on Instagram.Recalling the buzz around the film even before its release, Kashyap began on a humorous note. “What stood out for me before even watching the film, Ashu (Ashutosh Gowariker) went to Kutch to shoot with a head full of hair, came back bald.” He then spoke about how ‘Lagaan’ introduced filmmaking techniques that were uncommon at the time. “First thing was the way they were shooting the film. We heard that they were doing sync sound, and sync sound was something that was absent at that time. I think it restarted with Lagaan, and Dil Chahta Hai.”The film’s disciplined production model left a lasting impression on him. “And I was very determined when I was doing Paanch, I said I also want to do sync sound. The way they went about the film changed a lot of things in this industry. A very organized way of shooting, controlling your budgets, the process of making that film has taught the whole industry a lot.”Kashyap revealed that anticipation for ‘Lagaan’ was unusually high within film circles while it was still being shot. “I think six to eight months of shooting, and we were waiting for Lagaan to finish and come out for I think more than a year. Sitting at Prithvi at that time, Aamir was producer of the play that I was doing with Makarand Deshpande and the whole team that had gone into ‘Lagaan’.” Sharing memories of his first viewing of the film, Kashyap admitted that many were initially apprehensive about its lengthy runtime. “When the film came out, I went first day at Gaiety Galaxy to watch it and we were very scared. Like it’s three hours and forty minutes long film, how will this happen, what will happen? We had heard a lot of stories. But when we went into the film, we suddenly, like by the midpoint, found ourselves not just being an audience to the film, but we were spectators in the film, and we were cheering for the team.”The filmmaker said he was convinced the film was destined for international recognition. “And when Kachra comes to bowl and all that, we were like literally off our seats. And I was literally excited and I said this film is going to go to the Oscars.”Kashyap also reflected on the challenge ‘Lagaan’ faced at the box office, given that it released alongside the blockbuster ‘Gadar’. Despite the competition, he and many others in the industry passionately supported Ashutosh Gowariker’s film. “And that was like a joke. And then after that we heard that it was screening at Locarno at Piazza Grande, and from that screening the noise that it created was something else. And we were very happy because you know the film had released with Gadar. And most of the mainstream popular audience was going for Gadar. And for us, we were like rooting for Lagaan. We were happy that Gadar is doing very well, but we were rooting so much for Lagaan. And we wanted it to expand, but because of the duration of the film, it did not have more than three shows.”Looking back at the movie’s enduring impact, Kashyap credited ‘Lagaan’ with changing perceptions about long-format storytelling in mainstream cinema. “But it was always like you’re in the stadium watching, you’re in the film. And this was the first film that had that kind of an impact in a very, very long time. If Lagaan had not worked, then we as filmmakers would not have been able to make films like Wasseypur and all. That kind of duration, length, like if you hold on to the story of the film and you don’t feel like it’s three hours and forty minutes. Today the industry that we are working in are like children of Lagaan in a way.”For Kashyap, ‘Lagaan’ was more than just a successful film—it was a turning point that expanded the possibilities of storytelling and influenced an entire generation of filmmakers. Go to Source
