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Filmmaker Apoorva Lakhia had gained experience assisting on various Hollywood films before coming to India and working as an assistant director to Ashutosh Gowariker for Lagaan. However, his working methods were unfamiliar to the Hindi film industry. He introduced call sheets for actors, insisted on punctuality, and even required the cast to ditch their personal cars and travel together by bus to the sets. Though many on the Lagaan set jokingly referred to him as ‘Hitler,’ Lakhia explained how he maintained discipline—going so far as to leave Aamir Khan behind when he arrived late.
Sharing behind-the-scenes anecdotes from Lagaan, Lakhia told Friday Talkies, “On Lagaan, I made the first-ever call sheet for 80 people. It was the first time the commercial Hindi film industry saw such a thing. I told Aamir Khan that no actor would have their own car—everyone would travel together by bus to avoid delays since I couldn’t control their personal vehicles. Aamir argued that some senior actors were part of the cast, but I refused to make exceptions.”
To ensure strict adherence to schedules, Apoorva Lakhia even installed large clocks on every floor of the building where the cast stayed during the film’s Gujarat shoot. “I sent a memo stating that no other watch mattered—everyone had to follow those clocks,” he said.
However, despite his strict measures, Lakhia faced a dilemma when Aamir Khan himself was late one day. But rather than making an exception, he decided to set an example by asking the bus driver to leave without him.
“There were clear instructions that the bus would leave at a fixed time, with only a three-minute grace period for anyone running late. On the third day, Aamir was late. Ronit Roy was handling security, and everyone was already seated on the bus, waiting for him. Everyone was looking at me, wondering what I would do. I was nervous, but I knew I had to set an example,” Lakhia recalled.
What he did next was unprecedented. “I told the driver to leave Aamir behind, but he refused. Ronit was standing at the door of the bus, waiting for Aamir. At one point, I just kicked Ronit. He fell out, and I grabbed the driver by the neck and told him, ‘I will break your neck if you don’t start driving.’ The bus left, and Aamir was left behind. He arrived at the set two hours later because there was no other vehicle available.”
Many warned Apoorva Lakhia that his actions would get him fired. However, Aamir Khan never mentioned the incident, and from that day onward, no one was late. “Everyone told me back up karle but Aamir never said anything, and no one was late after that,” he said.
Highlighting the scale of the production, Lakhia also shared an interesting anecdote about the logistical challenges faced during the Lagaan shoot. “When we were filming, tea would arrive on camel carts for 10,000 people. There were two assistants whose job was to hide the cups so they wouldn’t be visible on camera. It was a tedious process,” he said.
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