When Robert Downey Jr showered praise on Aamir Khan’s Lagaan, called him ‘Tom Hanks of India’

Robert Downey Jr said, "I happened to see Lagaan and believe Aamir Khan was extraordinary. India is a land waiting to happen for me and I would love to visit it as soon as I get a chance."

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | Updated: July 19, 2021 09:06 AM IST

2 min read

Robert Downey Jr said, "I happened to see Lagaan and believe Aamir Khan was extraordinary." (Photo: Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Networks India)

Robert Downey Jr, best known for playing the role of Tony Stark or Iron Man in MCU movies, once showered praise on Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, specifically his 2001 Oscar-nominated epic sports drama Lagaan.

In an interview given to Bombay Times in 2010, Downey Jr said, “I happened to see Lagaan and believe Aamir Khan was extraordinary. India is a land waiting to happen for me and I would love to visit it as soon as I get a chance. All that comes to mind when I hear of this country is diversity, vibrancy, and Bollywood.”

Also Read | 7 lesser known facts about Aamir Khan’s Lagaan: When the British team defeated the Indian side

He also reportedly called him the “Tom Hanks of India.” Interestingly, Aamir is going to star in the Hindi remake of Hanks’ Oscar-winning Forrest Gump called Laal Singh Chaddha.

Directed and co-written by Ashutosh Gowariker, Lagaan was a huge hit across the world and was accepted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as one of the best foreign films of the year but lost of Bosnian war film No Man’s Land.

Also Read | Aamir Khan on 20 years of Lagaan: It was a film that made sure we paid our Lagaan in full

Downey Jr is not the only fan of Lagaan in Hollywood or even MCU. James Gunn, who has helmed the Guardians of the Galaxy films for Marvel Studios, also said it is probably one of his favourite Indian films in response to a Twitter user’s question.

Meanwhile, Downey Jr has signed up for his next starring role. In a series for HBO and A24, he will play the role of multiple antagonists in a TV adaptation of Vietnamese-American author Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer-winning debut novel The Sympathizer.

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