Aamir Khan, at an event, humorously mentioned that although he turned 60, he still feels like he’s 18. However, the illusion quickly fades when he sees himself in the mirror. He also spoke about his experiences with some of his iconic films, including the time he was nervous while working on Lagaan.
Aamir recalled how, during the making of Lagaan, he faced doubt from industry veterans. He shared a story about a conversation he had with Javed Akhtar, who was skeptical about the film’s concept. Aamir remembered, “At the time of Lagaan, we were all nervous. Javed sahab invited me over and said, ‘What audacity you have! Why are you doing this? This will never work. Cricket films haven’t been successful. The duration you’re talking about, who will understand it? People are filming in Switzerland, and you’re showing a village. And you’ve even got Amitabh Bachchan’s narration. Films with his voice-over used to flop. So, this film will definitely be a failure.'”
Despite the initial doubts, Lagaan became one of Aamir Khan’s most iconic films. Set in 1893 during British rule, the story follows a village in Central India that challenges the British to a cricket match to avoid paying heavy taxes. Aamir not only acted in the film but also produced it, marking his entry into film production. Though there were many challenges during production, Lagaan went on to achieve international fame, including an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. The film was directed by Ashutosh Gowariker.