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On 26 March 2000, a cricket match took place on the film set near Bhuj in Gujarat that participants still talk about to this day. The “Indian” and “British” teams from Lagaan faced each other in a real contest, and the result was the complete opposite of the on-screen finale. The British actors won convincingly. A quarter of a century later, the story is resurfacing as a theatrical re-release is organised from 12 to 14 June to mark the film’s 25th anniversary.
“In the script we lose — in real life we want revenge”
Much of the behind-the-scenes detail comes from the book The Spirit of Lagaan, written by line producer Satyajit Bhatkal. According to him, the British actors — many of whom played cricket at club and even county level — were deeply troubled by the fact that the script required their team to lose to village farmers.
“The script makes the British lose, and they know there is nothing they can do about it. It hurt their pride. Now they want revenge off screen,” Bhatkal wrote.
How the grudge match was born amid the heat of Gujarat
The British actors had been requesting a match for almost the entire shooting period. However, the production team repeatedly postponed the game out of concern for the participants’ wellbeing. Weeks of work under the blazing Gujarat sun were already exhausting the crew, and the additional risk of heatstroke or injury seemed unjustifiable.
Once the cricket scenes were nearly complete, the grudge match finally took place. Aamir Khan assembled his team from actors, technicians, lighting crew and members of the art department. On the opposing side stood the British actors who had portrayed the colonial side on screen.
Reinforcements for the British and “traitor” Kachra
A dramatic twist occurred even before the game began. The British side was short of players due to injuries and illness, and the Indian team “lent” their opponents Aditya Lakhia, who played the role of Kachra in the film. The decision immediately prompted playful cries of “Traitor! Traitor!” from the Indian camp.
“When captains Aamir and Chris England walk out for the toss, the atmosphere is electric. It could easily have been England versus India,” Bhatkal recalled. Chris England, who played the fearsome bowler Yardley in the film, led the British side.
“Like an international match” — with a scoreboard, commentary and a comfortable victory for the visitors
The organisers took the occasion seriously. A live commentator, a scoreboard and an enthusiastic audience of crew members all appeared on the ground, together creating the atmosphere of a full international match.
“The British are regular club players, some having played at county level, whereas the Indians are at best novices,” Bhatkal noted. The gap in class was evident, and the British team won without great difficulty. The Indian side responded with a standing ovation, demonstrating genuine sportsmanship toward the winners.
How the shoot changed after the match
The day on the cricket ground served as a release valve for accumulated tension. According to Bhatkal, the match strengthened the bonds of friendship between the Indian and foreign members of the project — something particularly important against the backdrop of a gruelling seven-month shooting schedule near Bhuj.
Cricket’s popularity reached even the Bollywood set
It is hardly surprising that cricket captivated the members of the film crew. The sport remains the most popular in India, and its audience continues to grow, partly driven by mobile betting. According to industry statistics, 1xbet cricket app download numbers are attracting an ever-growing number of users. Similar trends are seen in the apps of other major bookmakers such as Melbet, Parimatch and Megapari.
Cricket has long moved beyond stadiums and film sets, becoming an everyday digital pastime for millions of fans. On the set near Bhuj, however, the main entertainment remained the live contests between colleagues.
Not only cricket: mixed-pairs table tennis and a late-night card club
Cricket was far from the only diversion. British actor Barry Hart organised a table tennis tournament that ran for two weeks. The format was chosen specifically to bring the team together:
- 16 pairs, each consisting of one Indian and one British player
- Matches were held every evening after the day’s shoot
- The final brought the pair of Aditya Lakhia and Chris England up against Aamir Khan and British actress Charlotte
- Victory went to Lakhia’s pair, whose experience as a Gujarat state-level player proved decisive
Another popular pastime was late-night card games, initiated by Rajendra Gupta, who played the village headman. Participants would gather after filming and play into the small hours, jokingly naming their group the Lagaan Playing Cards Club, or LPCC for short.
An expensive production and “international-standard” conditions on set
At the time of its release, Lagaan was considered one of the most expensive films in the history of Hindi cinema, with a budget of around 25 crore rupees. For Aamir Khan it was his debut as a producer, and the stakes could not have been higher.
Actor Akhilendra Mishra, who played the role of Arjan, later shared his impressions of the scale of the production: “The production management was exceptional. On set you could have any cuisine you wanted, any juice you desired. Even the foreign artists switched to Indian food, though a huge continental spread was laid out for them.”
“Other production companies keep track of every Bisleri bottle — who drank how much. On Lagaan it was the opposite. Everyone was told to drink only Bisleri. They took care of people’s health incredibly seriously, because any illness could have halted the entire process. People even washed their hair with Bisleri water,” Mishra recalled.
The schedule slipped, but no one objected
Originally the shoot was planned to wrap in May, but the schedule had to be extended by another month. Aamir Khan called a general meeting and announced that work would continue into June. According to Mishra, not a single person raised an objection, and the contracts of all participants were extended accordingly.
Lagaan today: anniversary and theatrical re-release
The film was directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, with Aamir Khan combining the roles of producer and lead actor. The story centres on the village of Champaner’s wager with the British authorities over an unbearable tax, to be settled by a cricket match. Key supporting roles were played by Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne, Suhasini Mulay, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Rajendra Gupta. The film received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and A. R. Rahman’s score — featuring Ghanan Ghanan, Mitwa and Radha Kaise Na Jale — has long since become a classic. Anniversary screenings from 12 to 14 June will bring the film back to the big screen.
