Lagaan II?

Soon Die Hard III, The Ice Storm and Kama Sutra: A Love Story followed. But the biggie was Michael Douglas’ The Perfect Murder. Lakhia claims he was never star-struck, but reveals, in the same breath, that De Niro is akin to God. ‘‘Hollywood is very mechanical and devoid of emotions. I like it better here,’’ he says.

The experience that made a man of him was Lagaan. ‘‘Earning the crew’s respect was tough and the ‘America’ tag didn’t help. People assumed I had attitude,’’ he says. Shooting down comparisons between Lagaan and MSAMD, he argues that the rural setting and the IIFA (International Indian Film Awards) premiere, are the only commonalities. The film, says Lakhia, was born when he was a gawky teen drawn to the tales of Kaanji, his domestic help. ‘‘Kaanji was my best friend and used to tell me about his village that had never heard of electricity,’’ he enthuses, adding, ‘‘I’ve copied his character onto that of Abhishek.’’

Interestingly, his mother designed Lara Dutta’s costumes, aunt designed the sets, brother drafted the storyboard and step-father created the stills. So it’s been one family affair.