WHAT! Director Ashutosh Gowariker REVEALS That Lagaan Was Originally Set In ‘THIS’ Year! (Details Inside)

Ashutosh Gowariker is a renowned Bollywood director. His art speaks for itself. His work has been widely acclaimed by audiences in a long range of films. Among his many films, his directorial, ‘Lagaan’, released in 2001, not only thrilled the audience but has since become a cult classic. The primary actors in the historical play were Aamir Khan and Gracy Singh. The picture was set in the year 1893. However, Ashutosh subsequently revealed that he had originally planned to make the picture in the year 1885, but opted out at the suggestion of the film's costume designer.

On Tuesday, September 26, during a Jio MAMI event in Mumbai, acclaimed filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker said about his iconic directorial, “Originally, the year was 1885. I chose 1885 as that was the year when the Indian National Congress (INC) was formed. I felt it would be nice to have the birth of the INC and the rise of Bhuvan as a hero." The principal character, Bhuvan, was played by Aamir Khan.

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He further added, “I said I am okay to change the year but asked the reason for it. The costume designer of the film, Bhanu Athaiya explained to him that, 'Queen Victoria was in mourning. She came out of it around 1890. That's when the entire wardrobe changed from black and grey and became colourful'. I was absolutely blown. That showed how much knowledge she had," the director revealed.

About Bhanu Athaiya:

Bhanu Athaiya is a painter and costume designer from India. She was also the first Indian to receive an Academy Award nomination. She is known for her work with great filmmakers such as Guru Dutt, Yash Chopra, B.R. Chopra, Raj Kapoor, Vijay Anand, Raj Khosla, and Ashutosh Gowariker, among others.

Bhanu won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for Gandhi, which was released in 1982, and was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design.

Ashutosh Gowariker on Bhanu Athaiya:

During the ceremony, Ashutosh Gowariker, who has collaborated with the experienced designer on films such as ‘Lagaan’ (2001) and ‘Swades’ (2004), also revealed his admiration for her. He remembered how 'great' it was to work with her. He added that the plot for ‘Lagaan’ had been finalized, but he knew that the costumes would be done by Bhanu Athaiya even before bringing anyone on board as a producer or actor. "The most important thing for me was that here is someone who has dressed almost every heroine since the 1970s, as well as every iconic silhouette of an actress." If you construct a 60-second video about Indian heroines today, 70% of the clothes will be hers."

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He further continued, “My only worry was whether she'll say yes to a director who (has given two unsuccessful films). So, I tried to play the card of 'Mee Kolhapur cha aahe. Tumhi pan Kolhapur che aahe' (Just like you, even I belong to Kolhapur)! That was my introduction to her.”