–:// THE SPIRIT OF LAGAAN //:–

The Spirit Of Lagaan is the extraordinary story of a thousand days in the lives of Aamir Khan, Ashutosh Gowarikar and their mammoth team, which made the classic film – Lagaan. It journeys through the dreams and nightmares, the loneliness and comradeship, the despair and exhilaration of a unit numbering thousands, drawn from far corners of the globe, as it battled out in the heat of the Kutch desert.

It is a story of building a dream team amidst contradictions and of creating a modern and progressive work ethic in an industry blighted by feudal methods of work. It is a tale of how the Lagaan unit became a melting pot for diverse cultures to blend with a chemistry that created magic on screen and deep bonds off it.

The story behind the making of ‘Lagaan’ offers lessons to the managers in the corporate world and team leaders in every aspect of life on how ambition along with purpose, grit and above all team spirit can work magic to make the impossible a reality

The story goes back to 30th July 1996 when in the early morning hours Ashutosh Gowarikar narrates the story for Lagaan to Aamir Khan. The story is outrightly rejected by the latter. “It is difficult to describe all that Ashutosh feels that morning. Disappointment, dejection, hurt, pain, shock, and horror- nothing can quite capture it. …. This is his baby, born in his heart, conceived through suffering and pain. Ashutosh decides not to panic and not to take any decision in a hurry. He must endure the moment by thinking and reflecting on the journey that has brought him so far.”

Aamir was convinced that the genius of his friend would die unless he was roused to take a stand and believe in himself.” You will never make a good director Ash unless you display guts. If you don’t have conviction in what you do, if you make films in which you don’t believe in, you’ll never succeed.” His own experiences were telling him that he needed to beat another path.

If the films `Pehla Nasha' and `Baazi' had not been made, or if either of them had succeeded, Ashutosh would have probably never made Lagaan. It was important that these two films should have been made and they should have bombed because it was their debacle that forced him into creative hibernation and to ask the all-important ‘why’ a person asks himself when he is at the crossroads.

Ashutosh had tried the known route to success. He now knew that nothing about the box office was certain. Rather than trying to guess what the audience wanted it was far better to make something that he, Ashutosh Gowarikar believed in. Ashutosh decided to go into seclusion to write the full-fledged script of Lagaan.

Ashutosh meets Aamir again on 9th March 1997 and gives a full narration of the script. When Ashutosh finishes Aamir is shell-shocked. He is deeply moved by the script of Lagaan. He agrees to act in the film provided Ashutosh is able to get a producer for his film who backs his script, on the strength of the script, without knowing that Aamir has agreed to act in it.

Between 10th March 1997 to December 1997, Ashutosh meets producer after producer, but no producer is willing to buy his dream. The Mumbai Film industry revolves around stars. In most cases the stars are primary, the script is secondary. Ashutosh is trying to make a film on the strength of his script alone.

Aamir has not been able to get Lagaan out of his mind. On 30th January 1998, he asks Ashutosh once again to narrate the script to him. The power of Lagaan forces him to reconsider his decision. He asks Ashutosh to give another narration before his parents, his wife, Reena and financier Jhamu Sugandh. Once more Ashutosh pours himself into the narration. Nearly two years after he had urged Ashutosh to junk the weird story, Aamir finally decides to act in as well produce the film.

Jhamu Sugandh calls Aamir that he is ready to finance the movie. Aamir’s method is transparent. If you want to be involved with Lagaan you must believe in it. You must believe in the script and you must believe in the director. Jhamu would probably have financed Lagaan just on Aamir’s word, without even hearing the script. Aamir has instead placed Jhamu in the situation of making a decision on the basis of the script precisely because he knows that making this film will be like climbing a mountain that can only be conquered with loads of conviction and guts. Forcing Jhamu to see the scale of the task and its inherent risks will steel him for the climb ahead.

Aamir is deeply aware of the importance of bringing together the right team and also the challenges he faces in this regard. People should not join the film because of Aamir’s name but every team member should unquestioningly accept the creative leadership of Ashutosh. At this stage he should ensure that only those who believe in Ashutosh and Lagaan should join the film

Most Hindi films are shot over several schedules of a few weeks each stretching over a couple of years. Aamir believes that it will be disastrous for the unit to divide its attention across more than one film. The entire film must be shot from start to finish in a single schedule in which every member will live in the world of Lagaan. A new work culture is required to be created. “Can this be done? Can a new work culture be created among those used to working the old way”? Aamir knows this will not be easy. The only way to create a different work culture will be to put all his cards on the table, to inform every prospective unit member that this is how Lagaan is going to be made. Whether it is the cameraman, the music director or any of the actors they can be a part of Lagaan only if they accept its work culture.

From October 1998 to October 1999 Aamir gets into the act of putting his team together. Finally the heads of the departments fall into place. Aamir has zeroed in on AR Rahman for music, Nitin Desai for Production Design, Anil Mehta as Cinematographer, Bhanu designer as the costume designer, BS Rao as the production controller, Apoorva Lakhia as the First AD, KP Saxena for the dialogues, Nakul Kamte as the sound recordist for sync sound and Javed Akhtar for the lyrics. “Each is a star, arguably at the top in his or her field…. Perhaps as important as their stature and talent is that each has joined with a shared excitement about the Lagaan script. None of them have joined the team without accepting the work culture of Lagaan…they have a team that shares the Lagaan dream”.

Aamir asks his wife to take over as the executive producer of the film, who in turn asks his sister Nikhat to help her out. Nikhat and Reena are well matched in their lack of experience, a deficit they make up with their enthusiasm and commitment. Reena’s biggest advantage in handling the work is her lack of experience. This has relieved her of the burden of industry practices or settled ways of doing things, which essentially are a compendium of how not to do things. Reena has only a robust common sense to guide her and a desire to do things right. Something that counts more than a degree in business management.

Next starts the hunt for the perfect location for Champaner. Aamir encourages Ashutosh not to compromise on quality. He asks Him to go to different parts of the country and then decide on the location. His words are “Think big. Think cinemascope…Don’t compromise…. Whatever you want you are going to get.” Finally Kutch is chosen for the location.

Meanwhile the auditions for the film start. Ashutosh is convinced that only an actor who looks the part, who simply is the character, must get the role. This is highly unusual in the Hindi Film industry where screen tests are conducted only for the novices.

Production unit gets busy with making arrangements for the team at the location. Production obtains possession of the four floors at the top of Sahajnand Towers. This is to be converted into Hotel Sahajnand Towers .The author is stationed at Bhuj to prepare ‘Hotel Sahajnand Towers’. Finally it is ready. The author is awestruck at this incredulous feat- ‘I cannot believe that we have set up a sixty room fully air-conditioned facility in little over a month. I know that nothing I have done in my life has equipped me for this task………..Perhaps for the first time in Indian film history a hotel has been set up to make a film.’
Ashutosh and his team get busy with working out the design of the village Champaner. Ashutosh ,Aamir and Nitin decide to build a real village. For building the village they decide to use the local labour. ‘The people of Kutch must feel this is their film. They must have a stake in it. Using local labour to build Champaner was an important step in this direction. They look around for a local contractor who can build Champaner.They zero in on Danabhai, a millionaire of sorts, yet a Kutchi villager at heart. Aamir calls Danabhai to Mumbai for discussions. Danabhai would later confess to Rao –‘I came to meet a star and I met a human being instead.’ Aamir invites him to lunch. Although Aamir and Danabhai belong to two different worlds, the lunch initiates the process of melting their differences and flags off a shared journey, which will dominate their lives over the next 12 months. With Danabhai as the contractor production has procured something much more than a contractor. With Danabhai comes a massive network of contacts throughout Kutch.The power of the network is soon evident.

To ensure there is no ambiguity or misunderstanding, written agreements are prepared. The elaborate effort sets the relationship between Aamir khan Productions and the villagers on a sound foundation of mutual respect. It is a relationship that will play a role far more important than anyone could have ever imagined

In Kutch the construction of Champaner is proceeding in full steam and it seems Champaner will be ready ahead of schedule. Suddenly disaster strikes! Danabhai runs out of Gobar. Gobar or fresh cowdung is one of the key materials required for building Champaner and is to be collected while it is still sticky before it is hardened. The problem is that Danabhai requires an astronomical ten lakh Kilograms or one thousand tonnes of Gobar for Champaner. Danabhai sends men and tractors in the wee hours of the night into the far corners of the Banni grasslands where cattle graze. For days on end a line of tractors empty their invaluable contents on location. In the history of the film industry never has bullshit played such an important constructive role.

In Mumbai, at Aamir’s house Ashutosh narrates the script of Lagaan to the entire crew and cast finalized so far. Aamir invites Satya for the narration of the script of Lagaan and is quite insistent that he attends. “Do something different”-is the message from Aamir to Satya. At the sitting for the narration of the script, dozens of people, who would be working as the cast and crew of the film poured in. Their expressions were a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. Curiosity, because they knew little about the film or their role in the film and disbelief because this was the first time they had ever been called for a narration for the full cast and crew of a commercial Hindi film. Before the narration started names of all present were called out along with their role /department in the movie and they were all asked to record their presence by raising their hands. No names were left out as being too minor nor was any deference shown to big names like Jhamu Sugand or Aamir Khan. Everyone seemed to be a member of the team with a function to perform. The sitting together of the actors and crew members, for four hours, hearing the script, cheering the villagers created an intangible bond. They had drifted into the narration as individuals, in many cases strangers to each other-now suddenly they seemed almost like a team.

Ashutosh invited comments, reactions and suggestions from all present, despite the visible positive reaction of all. Any of the actors, who did not like the script, or the role in the film, were free to opt out. All the crew members and actors are asked to go through the draft agreement and suggest changes if any, unlike the normal trend of pressurizing the crew and actors to sign on the dotted lines.

Ashutosh and Reena go to England to cast the British actors. While negotiating with the actors Reena also warns them about what they can expect in India. Nothing can fully prepare the actors for the intensity of the trial they shall undergo, but the honest warnings create the foundation of a relationship based on truth, which the actors will reciprocate, and respect.

Aamir, Ashutosh and all the department heads land in Bhuj to make a dry run of Lagaan. Since Lagaan is a single schedule film there is really no scope for major changes during the shoot. It is critical that department heads check out all the locations and acquaint themselves with all the problems well in advance.

Aamir estimates the number of villagers required to make Champpaner look realistic. Ashutosh and Aamir squat in the center of a circle on the cricket field surrounded by the kutchis and tell them just how important a role they are going to play in the film.

The villagers do not fully understand what Ashutosh and Aamir have to say about the film. What they definitely understand are subtle intangibles. The very fact that they are all sitting together on the ground is an important statement. Today they are not hired labour. They have become partners. Aamir Khan is requiring their help and support to make the film successful. They listen in silence. On both sides they become ‘we’. It is a special moment. Intuitively everyone senses a mission is beginning.

Aamir realizes that the eyes of the industry are on the Lagaan shoot. The success of the new work culture that he wants to create –single schedule ,First AD ,sync sound -will to an extent depend upon the fate of Lagaan. If the movie is not completed in one go with the entire crew, cast, camping on location, if sync sound does not work out ,if so many creative first’s which are there in Lagaan do not work out ,no one will dare to bring about change in the work culture in the film industry.

The production team is proud of planning. They brag to their friends ’If you ask me what will be shot on a particular afternoon on a particular day on March , I can tell you everything. -which scene will be shot, what time the actors will be in make up…just about everything’.

On 2nd January 2000 the team lands up at the Bhuj Airport. The same afternoon they see their village. This is no set. This is the village of Champaner.The village inspires belongingness. Ashutosh forgets the names of all his actors. Henceforth there is no Aamir- there is only Bhuvan. There is no Amin Hajee, there is only Bagha and Ismail and Bhura. The actors have left their modern footwear behind and walk barefoot through the village. All actors begin the task of internalizing the characters they are playing.

The biggest challenge that Aamir faces is the task of team building – of creating a working atmosphere in which this mammoth unit fully accepts the leadership of Ashutosh and works as one body and mind to realize the director’s creative vision. Given Ashutosh’s track record, the bulk of the unit has joined Lagaan because it is Aamir Khan’s maiden production.

Aamir has laid the basis for strengthening Ashutosh’s hands. He is always but always formally respectful to Ashutosh to the point of deference. Any and every difference of opinion is expressed as “Correct me if I am wrong Ash, but….”and is never pressed beyond its first expression. No matter how great the difference in perception, they never, but never squabble in public.

All the unit members are transported to Champaner by a bus. It is decided that the bus will leave each morning at 5 AM sharp. On the first day there is one absentee –the heroine of the film-the bus leaves without her. Aamir himself has come early and is finishing his incomplete sleep on the last seat in the bus.

As days go by the mumbles in Sahajnand Towers are becoming grumbles. People are complaining about leaking taps, geysers that don’t heat water and so many other things. Reena sends out a letter –“Sahajnand Towers is not a hotel. It is your home. Please maintain it like your home.” The letter is well received. The unit is more careful and the number of complaints reduces. The word home replaces the word hotel. More important than the change in word is the change in attitude.

Shooting with ten thousand villagers was a mammoth task. Aamir does it all genuinely and with complete involvement. His transparent honesty and passion about his work communicates and carries through to them .He befriends the villagers. They feel he belongs to him.

Shooting the cricket game is taking more time than expected. As the days go by, people are getting restless. Ashutosh can feel the resentment building up. At times he hears snide remarks aimed at him. Yet he must not let the unit’s morale affect his own. Through all the travails of the shoot, he must protect his creative vision.

Notwithstanding the wide differences in culture and background within the multinational unit, adversity has brought understanding, it has brought everyone closer. At least four separate cultures are rubbing shoulders: forty British actors, a half westernized three hundred strong unit from Mumbai, sixty odd actors from the tiny town of Bhuj; a few thousand Kutchi villagers. Most Lagaanites believe, this is a
huge film that requires effort, dedication and sacrifice. In a hundred large and small ways they are creating and building the spirit of Lagaan.

For the entire unit Lagaan has ceased to be a film, or rather, that we are shooting a film has become incidental or secondary to our life experiences. Somewhere a sense of wonder has been awakened, a sense of pride in doing the impossible has been aroused.

Why does a man climb a mountain? Not just to get to the top, but to experience the challenges of the climb. As the shoot enters its fourth month, what is happening off screen has become larger than life, more so than what is happening on it. Solidarity and struggle has made everyone a few inches taller. We are not just making a film together, we are climbing a tall, steep mountain called Lagaan.

The shoot is coming to an end. Reena writes the following letter addressed to all-

“The shooting of our film Lagaan is coming to an end. It has been a long and difficult shoot. But you all have managed to go through it and can now return to your normal lives and family. We will each go back with many memories of our various experiences during the making of this film…through the last six months that we have lived together, there have been times when I have been hard on some of you. I did not get the chance to show or voice my appreciation for all the hard work and dedication of each one of you to the making of this dream. Now that you’ll are leaving, I would like you to know, that all of you have done an absolutely commendable job…I would like to thank each and every one of you for your contribution in this film….”

The shoot ends tomorrow –17TH June ,2000. The actors cannot bear to leave the village. For six months, Champaner has been their home. Now suddenly they must abandon it and leave for Mumbai. We had dreamt of the day when the shoot would be over and we could go back to the heart and home in Mumbai. Now, when the moment is at hand, we are unable to enjoy it. Part of the reason for this strange feeling is that we will miss each other. Man is a creature of habit and staying together for half a year, being in certain physical spaces and circumstances invariably creates a bond. The shoot had created an enchanted world cut off from the beaureaucracy of life. With the end of the shoot the enchanted period in our lives was coming to an end, never to return.

On 26th January 2001 devastation strikes Kutch in the shape of an earthquake. As the images of devastation appear on television screens worldwide ,anxious Lagaanites watch with sinking hearts their Kutch ,the Kutch of Champaner and Lagaan ,in shambles. On 31st January 2001 , Satya and Rao land in Bhuj. They go from village to village to find out the fate of Lagaanites. They also visit Danabhai’s house and are overjoyed to see him and his family safe. A few days later they return from Bhuj with the news that almost their entire team has survived. Steps are taken to organize relief by sending Ashok Shende from the production team with a truck loaded with material to make tents for the Kotai villagers. From Mumbai ,Chennai, wherever the Lagaanites are ,money pours in for the relief efforts. While the money will enable the tenacious villagers of Kotai to rebuild their shattered village, it more importantly reaffirms at a concrete level the unique bond within the Lagaan team.

Twenty Two months later,10th June 2001-The shooting of Lagaan has been completed a year back and the film was now ready for release. Through the shoot Aamir had promised the hundreds of Kutchi actors and the villagers who had worked in Lagaan that the first public screening of the film anywhere in the world would be in Bhuj.A promise had been made and a promise had to be kept. Without the show in Bhuj, the Lagaan experience would be incomplete.

The screening was to start at six in the evening. By quarter to three they started streaming in. Aamir, Ashutosh and the actors stood in the foyer of the theatre for over three hours, receiving every single one. Just before the screening was to start the Lagaanites moved into the hall. Aamir said, “The film that we shall now see is not my film or Ashutosh’s film, it is our film. For me the most important thing about this show is that we watch this film together. I know there are a lot of VIPs in the balcony. We welcome them to the show. But I and the rest of the Lagaan team are going to be watching the film down here with the people who made Lagaan.”

The spirit of Lagaan found its way on the screen. The tremendous commitment and teamwork of the unit members showed in each frame. ‘The Lagaan spirit was not created overnight. It was not created without the efforts and sacrifices of hundreds of people. It was not created without making mistakes…. This is a story of how things can be done differently even in India, resistant as it is to change. It is the story of a unique social experimentation in the annals of filmmaking and a great life experience that deeply touched all those involved with Lagaan. The journey began with the maxim-Do something different.

The movie has been released worldwide and has received tremendous response and many awards. Perhaps the big thing about Lagaan was that what had happened off screen was much larger than what happens on screen. The sense of achievement was in the journey itself ,in climbing the mountain, not reaching the top. The journey has now run its course and the Lagaanites know this.


The following are some of the lessons we learn from the Spirit Of Lagaan-

1. Ambition along with purpose, grit and above all team spirit can work magic to make the impossible a reality.

2. The urge to do something different embarks people on the path of excellence, adventure, creativity and innovations.

3. One should not shy from criticism –rather one should encourage criticism-one should encourage people to differ so as to get as many perspectives on a matter as possible-ultimate objective being that of success in the venture undertaken.

4. Involve all concerned in the project right from the beginning.

In a team all should be treated equally. The role of each team member is as important as that of another. Big or small all are equally important.

Sharing a common activity bonds people together and develops the feelings of oneness. Doing things together helps develop team spirit

7. Humility and eagerness to improve further, wins people over. It pays to encourage feedback-feedback contributes positively.

8. A team should consist of willing members. Only willing members having faith and conviction in the project can be contributing members.


9. It pays to be flexible. Being amenable to change increases confidence and trust in others. It also obviates the possibility of subsequent frustrations and complaints.

10. One should keep promises.

There is great strength in ‘we’. It develops a strong sense of belongingness and sense of involvement, which in turns leads to commitment and will to excel.

Developing team spirit should be the focus of leaders. Team spirit in its turn automatically generates commitment and loyalty, the results of which are always visible in the end product. Team spirit and commitment obviate the necessity of monitoring and supervising whether each member is doing the job properly or not. With commitment comes a sense of responsibility, which is crucial for the success of any project.

Friends and leaders sometimes need to reinforce the belief of others in themselves. Conviction in what you are doing is important It generates a feeling of belongingness, identification and ownership which push a person to translate his dream into a reality. Leaders should motivate and show the correct path. They should constantly reinforce the other’s sense of belief in oneself. They should put forth challenges-they should encourage others to go ahead. Courage and determination are the moolahs of success.


Failures serve an important purpose in our life. They should not frustrate. Failures are the stepping-stones of success. One should not be discouraged from failures –rather one should learn from the mistakes and use this learning in future projects. Failures should not be viewed as failures-rather they should be viewed as a learning process –a process of maturity, which gives a better insight into things. Failures make us stronger-they make us better. Failures encourage us to study, to learn and to analyse.

It takes a lot of courage to follow the inner voice of conviction, particularly when it is very different from the normal way of life. Only those who have the guts to be different, those who dare to do things differently succeed.

16. Transparency, honesty and openness morally bind the team together.

17. Concentration on only one project at a time is crucial for the success of the project.

Enthusiasm and Commitment have the power to make up for lack of experience. The other positive side to lack of experience is freshness, a newer perspective on things, common sense and an urge to do well.

Delegation involves reduction of powers to some extent. But it also frees a person to devote more quality time to his actual job.

Along with competence, capability and talent, having a common dream and sharing a common vision is important to keep the group together in a coordinated fashion. Only then do the synergies work.

21. Our real identity is that we are all human beings and remembering this helps in winning people over.

22. Respect is mutual –If we demonstrate respect for others, others will automatically respect us. Mutual respect forms a strong foundation for any relationship.

23. Meticulous planning down to the last details embarks us on the path of success.

24. Many times we do not have a second chance. We have to will our selves to make the first chance a success.

25. Nothing works like example

26. Managing time properly is crucial to the success of any project.

27. Always aim high.

28. Handle crisis with equanimity and patience.

29. Recognition and appreciation bring out the best in the team.

30. He who has truth and courage in his heart is the one who wins ultimately.