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Rediff.com  » Movies » PIX: Aamir celebrates 10 years of Lagaan
This article was first published 13 years ago

PIX: Aamir celebrates 10 years of Lagaan

Last updated on: June 16, 2011 16:30 IST

Image: Aamir Khan and Reena Datta
Photographs: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com Sonil Dedhia in Mumbai

Ten years ago, Lagaan swept the nation by storm when it released on June 15. It made its lead actor Aamir Khan reach a new level of stardom, director Ashutosh Gowariker earned a new kind of respect, and the rest of the cast got a new lease of life in their careers.

Last night, Aamir threw a special bash celebrating the film, and his production house Aamir Khan Productions, which completed 10 years on June 15.

Held at Taj Land's End in Bandra, a western Mumbai suburb, it was attended by all the people who contributed to AKP's success.

Aamir invited his former wife Reena Datta as well, who helped produce Lagaan. In an earlier interview, Aamir had mentioned that if it hadn't been for Reena, Lagaan wouldn't have been made.

PIX: Aamir celebrates 10 years of Lagaan

Image: Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao
Photographs: Pradeep Bandekar
Aamir and Kiran Rao had met on the sets of Lagaan, on which she was the fourth assistant director. In the success party, Rao, who turned director with Dhobi Ghat, looked quite pretty.

PIX: Aamir celebrates 10 years of Lagaan

Image: Aamir Khan and Ashutosh Gowariker
Photographs: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com

The evening kickstarted with Aamir Khan and Ashutosh Gowariker playing hosts, and welcoming the guests and congratulating everyone associated with Lagaan and AKP.

The documentary Madness in the Desert, which documents the making of Lagaan, was screened for everyone to re-live the experience.

PIX: Aamir celebrates 10 years of Lagaan

Image: Gracy Singh
Photographs: Pradeep Bandekar
Lagaan's lead actress Gracy Singh made a blink-and-you-miss entry into the party.

PIX: Aamir celebrates 10 years of Lagaan

Image: The Lagaan team
Photographs: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com
The members of the Lagaan team -- Aditya Lakhia (Kachra), Akhilendra Mishra (Arjan) and Rajesh Vivek (Guran) -- look jubilant, as they pose for the camera.

PIX: Aamir celebrates 10 years of Lagaan

Image: Amitabh Bachchan
Photographs: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com

Amitabh Bachchan, who played the narrator in Lagaan, made a quick dash at the party. Aamir shared an anecdote with the media: "I remember Ashuotsh asked me to get Amitabh Bachchan as the film's narrator.

Back then, I was a little scared to speak to him. But I approached him and to my surprise, even without reading the script, he gave a nod. I was relieved. But two weeks later, I got a shock when Ashutosh said he didn't want Amitabh, as he found his voice very recognizable. I somehow gathered some courage and told Amitji that my director thought that your voice didn't suit the movie.

"Amitji was relieved as whenever he had lent his voice to any movie, the movie would bomb at the box office," Aamir laughed.

"But after a month, Ashutosh told me he needed Amitabh! I told him he had gone mad. I called Amitji and fixed a meeting again. For the second time, he agreed to do the film without any hesitation," Aamir said.

PIX: Aamir celebrates 10 years of Lagaan

Image: Imran Khan and Avantika Malik
Photographs: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com
Aamir's nephew Imran Khan arrived with his wife Avantika Malik. The young actor stood out in the crowd in his green suit.

PIX: Aamir celebrates 10 years of Lagaan

Image: Shankar and Loy
Photographs: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com
Lagaan's music director A R Rahman did not make it to the party. Instead, we saw Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy, who have composed music for Aamir's other success story, Taare Zameen Par.

Incidentally, S-E-L tasted success in the same year as Lagaan, when their film Dil Chahta Hai released a few months later.

PIX: Aamir celebrates 10 years of Lagaan

Image: Kunal Roy Kapoor, Imran Khan, Aamir Khan and Vir Das
Photographs: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com
Aamir seemed cheerful, as he posed for the shutterbugs with the lead actors of his forthcoming production, Delhi Belly -- Kunal Roy Kapoor, Imran Khan and Vir Das.

PIX: Aamir celebrates 10 years of Lagaan

Image: Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao with the cast of Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na
Photographs: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com
The cast of Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na seemed excited to meet up once again, and posed with Aamir and Kiran Rao.