'Lagaan' shooting location: Know where the iconic Aamir Khan movie was shot

Aamir Khan starrer Lagaan, released internationally as Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, is one of the most iconic Bollywood movies of all time. The film which released in 2001 is an epic sports drama written and directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar.

The movie, which is produced by Aamir Khan, had an expensive of Rs. 250 million during its time. Lagaan is shot in a few locations in Vadodra and Bhuj in Gujarat.

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'Lagaan' cast

According to reports, Lagaan had one of the most numbers of British actors to be cast in a film in the history of Indian cinema. The movie stars Aamir Khan and Gracy Singh along with Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne in lead roles. Aamir Khan plays the role of Bhuvan Latha, while Gracy Singh plays the role of Gauri.

The role of Elizabeth Russell is played by Rachel Shelley while Paul Blackthorne plays the role of captain Andrew Russell. Lagaan also features actors like Suhasini Mulay Kulbhushan Kharbanda Rajendra Gupta Rajesh Vivek Raj Zutshi Akhilendra Mishra Dayashankar Pandey and Yashpal Sharma, amongst others.

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'Lagaan' shooting

Lagaan is shot mostly in the Kutch district of Gujarat. The shooting of the film took place in the Vijay Vilas Palace in Mandvi, Prague Mahal in Bhuj as well as the fields between Jam Kunariya and Kotay near Bhuj. The Champaner is a fictional town. The site of the town was made on an ancient village near Bhuj after searching through Rajasthan Nasik and UP for a perfect spot.

According to reports, despite the town of Champaner is a fictional town, there is actually a place called Champaneer near Vadodara, which is now a World Heritage site. The film was shot in both Vadodara and Bhuj in the state of Gujarat. The plot of the film required that the movie be shot in a dry location where it had not rained.

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In order to create a drought-prone region in the 1890s, the crew required a village that was deprived of electricity, communication, and automobiles. At the time, Kutch was considered to be the perfect location for the shooting of the film. Hence, the village of Kunariya was chosen as the shooting location.

The plot

Lagaan encapsulated the struggle of farmers who try to learn the game of cricket in order to cancel their agricultural tax. In 1980, due to delayed monsoon, the farmers in the village are unable to grow any crops. One short-tempered farmer mocks the game of cricket in front of a commanding officer, who in return challenges the farmers to beat them in the game. The farmers are challenged saying that if they win, the agricultural tax for the next three years will be canceled. However, if they lose then have to pay triple the amount of the agricultural tax.

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