{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Javed Akhtar Once Called 'Lagaan' a Sure Flop and Warned Aamir Khan: 'This Film Won't Work'",
  "summary": "At an event marking 25 years of Aamir Khan Productions, lyricist Javed Akhtar revealed he found the 'Lagaan' script terrible and warned Aamir the film would flop — but Aamir's confidence never wavered.",
  "content": "One of Indian cinema's most celebrated films, 'Lagaan', almost had one of its own collaborators convinced it was headed for disaster. Speaking at a special event held to mark 25 years of Aamir Khan Productions, veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar opened up about how doubtful he once was — so much so that he was certain the film would crash at the box office.\n\nThe Script That Raised Red Flags\nAccording to Javed Akhtar, the moment he first heard the story of 'Lagaan', it simply did not sit right with him. He found the script extremely weak and was left with a long list of doubts about the whole project. He even cautioned Aamir Khan directly, yet Aamir's faith in his own film refused to budge. The same film would go on to shatter every record of acclaim upon release and rank among the biggest hits of 2001.\n\nBreaking the Industry's Old Rulebook\nJaved Akhtar explained that the industry of that era ran on a set of fixed beliefs, and 'Lagaan' broke all of them at once. It was widely assumed that audiences would never accept a hero in a dhoti, that the period-drama format had gone out of fashion, and that a game as slow as cricket was completely unsuited to cinema.\n\nRecalling his conversation with Aamir, Javed Akhtar said: \"I told him, 'What are you doing? The film you are making simply will not work. Its script is very bad.' I mean, everything that should not be in a film is in this one. People say films with a dhoti-wearing hero don't work anymore, times have changed. We didn't even let Gabbar Singh wear a dhoti. People say period films don't work, and here you are making a period film. People say cricket isn't cinematic at all, it's far too slow a game.\"\n\nThe Challenge of Writing Songs About Rain\nFrom a lyricist's point of view, the film posed a peculiar problem of its own. With a story built around the wait for rain and the suspense of a cricket match, weaving songs into it was no small task. In a lighter vein, Javed Akhtar said: \"What are the song situations in your film? First situation — it's about to rain. Second — maybe it will rain. Third — when will it rain? Fourth — what if it doesn't rain? These are your situations. Now what songs am I supposed to write for this?\"\n\nAamir's Unshakeable Belief and Javed's Prediction\nDespite all the doubts and warnings, Aamir Khan remained completely assured about his dream project. Looking back at that moment, Javed Akhtar recalled: \"But none of this had any effect on Aamir. He told me, 'No, just watch, this film will turn out really well.' After he left, I told a friend of mine, just watch, this film won't work. But it didn't matter to me — I had been signed to write the songs, and I would do my job well. Let the others do whatever they are doing.\"\n\nWhen Aamir's Conviction Became History\nIn the end, it was Aamir Khan's unwavering belief that paid off. 'Lagaan' not only earned a place among the most iconic films in Indian cinema but also won major recognition on the international stage, going on to earn an Oscar nomination. Its songs — 'O Paalanhaare', 'Ghanan Ghanan', 'Mitwa' and 'Radha Kaise Na Jale' — remain all-time favourites for audiences even today.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/bollywood/jaba-javeda-akhtara-ne-lagana-ko-bataya-tha-phlopa-amira-khana-ko-chetaya-tha-ye-723",
  "category": "Bollywood",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-14",
  "tags": [
    "Lagaan",
    "Javed Akhtar",
    "Aamir Khan",
    "Bollywood",
    "Aamir Khan Productions",
    "Oscar nomination",
    "Hindi cinema"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}