Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan is one of the many films that can be watched again and again. Starring many prominent actors, Lagaan was Aamir Khan’s debut as a producer, too. Released on June 15, 20 years ago, the movie still remains a cult and is widely loved by fans.
Recalling his role in the film, actor Yashpal Sharma, who played the character of Lakha, said that he was paid a lot more than what he expected. He also said that haven’t been given the chance, he wouldn’t have played any other role other than Lakha.
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“The two main roles of hero and villain %u2013 Bhuvan and Captain Andrew Russell, were already given to Aamir Khan and Paul Blackthorne. After that, the only character that was worth doing was Lakha,” the Indian Express quoted Yashpal as saying.
Talking about his payment, Yashpal said, “I thought I%u2019ll demand 1 lakh since it%u2019s a big production. Then I thought what if they refuse and sign someone else. It came down to 80,000 rupees in my head. Ultimately I thought I%u2019ll lock it at Rs 50,000. Also because I had no work, I knew I would%u2019ve still done it at Rs 20,000.”
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“Finally, when I met Reena Dutta…I just blabbered that I wanted Rs 2 lakh at least, and she agreed,” Yashpal added.
Lagaan received several awards, including a nomination at the Oscars in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 74th Academy awards. It is the last Indian film to have been nominated at the Oscars, in that particular category.
