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Aamir Khan's 30-minute Lagaan climax scene was shot in 30 days; cinematographer recalls 'exhausting’ experience
Anil Mehta, cinematographer for the Oscar-nominated Aamir Khan's Lagaan movie, revealed the challenges of filming its 30-minute climax scene. Read to know more!
The cricket match finale in Ashutosh Gowariker and Aamir Khan's Lagaan stands as a cinematic marvel, etched in the annals of Indian film history. Behind the camera, cinematographer Anil Mehta, who meticulously crafted the visually stunning sequence, sheds light on the challenges, innovations, and creative process in a recent interview.
Lagaan climax was shot in 30 days
In a recent interview with Film Companion, Anil Mehta, the cinematographer, revealed that shooting the climax was ‘exhausting.’ He said, “We shot for 30 days and doing the same scene over and over again gets monotonous and tedious journey". Anil revealed that he began with a clear vision for Lagaan's climactic cricket match. Tasked with capturing the essence of a pivotal moment where Indian villagers triumph over English colonizers.
In the same interview, Anil recalled that amidst discussions and disagreements with director Ashutosh Gowariker and Aamir Khan, Mehta remained steadfast in his approach. He said, "I was not doing sports coverage, but highlighting the drama of the scene. So each player had to be shot with emotions."
Lagaan climax scenes were written two days before shoot
Reminiscing about the challenges Anil faced during the shoot, he said that the scene wasn’t written in a detailed manner until a day or two before the climax was scheduled to be shot. “The shooting of cricket matching was a very long conversation which went on for a very long time. Before I began filming Lagaan, Ashutosh had promised me that he would write a booklet, explaining how the cricket match scenes would be done because it was a crucial sequence. But that booklet was never written till a day or two before we had to shoot the scenes." Anil elaborated. 
He further said, "The whole crew was sitting in the hotel. We took a break of two days to write the scene and discuss a ball-by-ball account of how it would be done. Ashu, Aamir, and teams of supporting directors and writers sat down to break down the scene."
About Aamir Khan's Lagaan
Lagaan, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, captivated audiences upon its release in 2001. Set against the backdrop of British colonial India, the film follows the tale of Bhuvan, a young farmer played by Aamir Khan, who leads his village in a high-stakes cricket match against their oppressive British rulers.
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