Aamir Khan’s ‘Lagaan’ completes 25 years and it remains one of the most iconic films made in India. As the team is celebrating this silver jubilee landmark, the cast and crew reunited for a special screening of the film and are also recalling fond memories. In a recent interview, actor Paul Blackthorne who played Captain Andrew Russell also spoke about it as he returned to India to celebrate the film.Recalling how the project came his way, he said in an interview with Screen, “My agent called me in London and said, ‘There’s a Bollywood film they’re going to audition you for.’ I was like, ‘Bollywood film? That’s unusual.’”His doubts faded once he learned more about Aamir Khan and the scale of the project. “I familiarised myself with Aamir and suddenly realised, ‘Wow, he’s quite something.’ Then I thought, ‘Are you kidding? I have the opportunity to spend five months in India, work with this incredible man and have this experience.’ It didn’t matter what happened afterwards. I just wanted to do my best and enjoy it.”Looking back now, Blackthorne describes the entire experience as life-changing. “It turned into this incredible phenomenon. It’s been an extraordinary gift.”One memory that remains vivid is hearing AR Rahman’s music for the first time during the shoot. “They put speakers on the cricket field and Aamir said, ‘You’re going to hear the music now.’ I thought, ‘Lovely, let’s have a listen.’ Everybody sat down and listened. That was the first moment I thought, ‘Wow. Oh my gosh. That music is going to be on top of this.’ That’s when I started getting a sense that this could be something special.”Away from the cameras, one particular incident has stayed with him for decades. During a break after filming wrapped early at a palace location, he decided to spend some time by the sea.“I went down to the beach. There was nobody around. I took off all my clothes and ran into the ocean.” The surreal sequence of events that followed felt almost too perfect to be real. “As I ran into the sea, these pink-and-black flamingos suddenly flew past me. They swooped right across the water in front of me. Then all these flying fish started jumping out of the waves around me.”Remembering the moment, Blackthorne laughed and said, “At that point, I thought, ‘Okay, let’s cover up the crown jewels and keep everything intact.’”
How do you feel about the impact of Lagaan on Indian cinema?
He described standing in the water, surrounded by nature’s spectacle, and realising he was witnessing something extraordinary. “I just stood there thinking, ‘You know what? This is an experience.’ Then I got dressed and headed back. But those beach trips became my Sunday ritual.”Even after 25 years, Blackthorne remains amazed by the affection people continue to show for ‘Lagaan’. “People get incredibly excited when they realise you’re part of the film. Taxi drivers in England suddenly start Facetiming their family members.”The reactions can occasionally be distracting, he joked. “I’ll be sitting there thinking, ‘Can you just concentrate on driving the car, please, sir? We can take a selfie afterwards.’”Nevertheless, he treasures the love that audiences have shown over the years. “It’s a beautiful thing. If somebody has enjoyed something you’ve been part of, that feels wonderful. It’s nice to bring something positive into the world. I feel very grateful to have had that opportunity.”
