Abhishek Bachchan says that he repeatedly kept turning away Ashutosh Gowariker's offer to play Bhuvan in blockbuster hit Lagaan, which was released 22 years ago. On the occasion of Lagaan’s 22nd anniversary, Gowariker told ETimes how he would frequent Abhishek’s house to convince him to play Bhuvan. But the actor was adamant about his decision to not do the role.
Lagaan, the epic sports drama–about a bunch of villagers competing against British officers in a game of cricket– released in 2001 and emerged as a blockbuster, even landing an Oscar nomination.
Abhishek Bachchan felt he was a misfit for Lagaan. He told Etimes, “I was way too raw and young to shoulder a film as epic as Lagaan. Of course, I knew it was going to be huge. But I was just not ready to be part of it.” However, now Abhishek is ‘glad’ that Aamir played the part and aced it.
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He has no regrets about missing such an iconic film which will always be counted among the gems of Hindi cinema. In fact, it is ’embarrassing’ for him to talk about the projects he missed out on instead of focusing on the ones he did.
“Every film and role has its own destiny. Do you know how many actors were offered The Godfather before Marlon Brando?” Junior Bachchan opined.
On the occasion of Lagaan’s anniversary, Aamir Khan’s production house shared a series of photos from the film’s set and wrote, “A nostalgic throwback to ‘Lagaan’ as we celebrate its 22-year milestone, reliving the moments that made it an iconic part of the Indian cinema. ❤️.”
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Last year, as Lagaan completed 21 years, Aamir Khan hosted the cast, including Yashpal Sharma, Akhilendra Mishra, Raj Zutshi, Shankar Pandey, Raja Awasthi, Suhasini Mulay, Pradeep Ram Singh Rawat, and Amin Gazi, at his home. When Lagaan celebrated twenty years, Aamir thanked Ashutosh Gowarikar for giving him the opportunity to be a part of the film.
