Yashpal Sharma says he was ready to do Lagaan for Rs 20,000, reveals he liked Lakha more than Aamir Khan’s Bhuvan

He also revealed details about his compensation for the film and provided insights into the negotiation process with producer Reena Dutta. He said, “Next day, I went to meet Aamir’s then-wife Reena Khan, she was one of the producers of the film. I was thinking about how much should I quote for the film the whole way. I came from a poor background, but I said to myself ‘don’t agree for less than one lakh.’ But at the same time, I was scared that they might take somebody else, so I thought maybe I should ask for Rs 50,000. I was in such a condition that I would have taken up the job even if they would have given me Rs 20,000. However, when I reached the office of Reena ji, she told me that they don’t have much budget and that they are giving Rs 1.5 lakh to everybody and I said, ‘No madam, at least you should give Rs 2 lakh.” I didn’t know what happened in that moment. She agreed and I signed the contract. Later, I was thinking if I would have asked for Rs 5-10 lakh, she would have agreed.”

Set against the backdrop of the British Raj in the 1800s, Lagaan portrays the story of Indian villagers rebelling against high taxes. The film, written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, received widespread acclaim, numerous awards, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.