Aamir Khan-starrer Lagaan, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, released 25 years ago and to date, it remains one of the most loved films ever made in India. At the recent Red Lorry Festival, Aamir and Ashutosh shared some anecdotes about the making of the film and Aamir shared that when they had just started shooting in Gujarat, he was a bit concerned as to how Ashutosh was placing characters in a frame as he decided not to put Aamir’s Bhuvan in the centre. While the film had a huge ensemble cast, Aamir, without a doubt, was the biggest, or rather the only star in the film. He had also launched his production company with this film. Aamir recalled raising this concerns with Ashutosh in the first week of the shoot, but the director’s answer put his mind at ease.Aamir recalled that one of the first things they shot was the song “Ghanan Ghanan” which appears early on in the film. The song had the villagers spotting dark clouds in the sky as they start celebrating in the hopes of rain. The shot required all the characters to congregate in the center and as they rehearsed without any instructions at first, Aamir naturally took the central spot in the frame.“Quite naturally, I would stand in the center and everyone else would gather around me,” he said and added that when Ashutosh saw it, he said, “‘Bhuvan yahan se hat’ toh main hat gaya. (Bhuvan, move from here so I moved.)” When Aamir moved to the side, Ashutosh asked him to go and stand at the bacik and the superstar wondered if this was the right decision for the film.ALSO READ | Dhurandhar 2 Movie Review, Box Office Collection LIVE Updates: Producers of Ranveer Singh film blamed as more shows cancelled in South India; film earns Rs 46 cr till 4 pm“I thought, firstly we are making an experimental film and on top of that, while we have other good actors, but none of them are stars. I wondered if Ashutosh was making a ‘mind blowing hatke (different)’ film. Toh mera dil baith gaya (So I got scared),” he said. Aamir wondered, “Yeh toh gadbad ho rahi hai yaar. (This is a mistake). Not that I want to be the center or something. That’s not what I was thinking. I was thinking, ‘Kuch gadbad toh nahi kar rahe hum log? (Are we making a mistake?)’” What Aamir hinted at was whether they were completely pivoting from a mainstream film and entering into what is largely considered avant garde, art cinema category.Aamir, until this point, had largely worked only in mainstream formulaic films and was a well established movie star in Hindi films. He recalled that they rehearsed as per Ashutosh’s instructions but he couldn’t help and raise his concerns. “I took him aside and I told him that we are taking a big risk as it is. You have one star and that is me,” he said and laughed while he added, “Usko bhi tu side kar lega toh hum log ki watt lagne vali hai (If you push the star to the side, then we will be in trouble).”Ashutosh heard Aamir’s concerns and told him that until this point in the story, the only one character who is above the rest is the village chief, played by Rajendra Gupta, and if anyone should be in the center, then that is him. He told Aamir that Bhuvan is not special until this point and will only become special when he assumes leadership, after accepting Captain Russell’s challenge. “Ashutosh said, ‘Your character is not special at this point in the film. Your character is going to become special. I don’t want to put you in the centre because you are Aamir Khan. You will take the central position when Bhuvan takes leadership after he says ‘sarat manzoor hai (I accept your challenge)’. You will become the centre of the frame when the story requires you to do so. Not because of the casting,” he shared.Story continues below this ad Actor-producer Aamir Khan with fellow cast members of Lagaan.Aamir said that this happened early on in the shoot and listening to Ashutosh’s thoughts, he was “blown away.” “I had not even thought of that. And because this happened so early in the shoot, it gave me so much confidence in Ashutosh, I felt this guy really knows this film inside out. He is not doing anything without thought. He has a strong reason behind every decision,” he said.Aamir said that after this point, he was completely relaxed and said, “I was certain he is completely in command of the material. Then, I was totally relaxed. I was like ‘Bana bhaiya, abhi main aankh band kar raha hu (You make it, I won’t interfere’).”In an exclusive interview with SCREEN, Aamir had said that making Lagaan was a onerous responsibility, “When I decided to make Lagaan, I knew I had taken up a huge challenge. It’s an unusual film and just a few weeks before I left for shooting, I met with Adi Chopra and Karan Johar. Karan and Adi are very good friends of mine and they were genuinely concerned. They were saying ‘Aamir tu itni badi film bana raha hai as your first production and we have heard that it’s a single schedule, sync sound.’Lagaan was India’s entry to the Oscars and was shortlisted in the top five at the 74th Academy Awards.