Rachel Shelley recalls Ashutosh Gowariker’s calm demeanour during ‘Lagaan’ shoot
Mumbai, Oct 27 (IANS) Actress Rachel Shelley shared a behind-the-scenes picture with filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker from the sets of the Oscar-nominated film ‘Lagaan’.
She praised the director for his grace, humour and composure while navigating a long and challenging shoot.
Rachel took to her social media account to share the throwback picture, reflecting on her experience working with Ashutosh on the 2001 period sports drama, which starred Aamir Khan in the lead role.
Describing Ashutosh as a “director extraordinaire”, Rachel recalled how the filmmaker worked through an injury while managing the demanding filming schedule.
“With the wonderful @ashutoshgowariker – director extraordinaire who worked through injury and a long, challenging shoot with grace, humour and care. A reassuring, calm voice and a wonderful man,” she wrote.
The actress also revealed that Ashutosh had handed her a signed cricket bat on her final night of shooting.
“And look, there’s my signed cricket bat, handed to me on my very last night of shooting,” she added. “Ash probably has someone in his ear saying ‘we have to move on…’” she wrote.
Released in 2001, ‘Lagaan’ revolved around villagers in colonial India who challenged British officers to a cricket match to escape an oppressive tax.
Aamir Khan played Bhuvan, while Rachel portrayed Elizabeth Russell, the sister of the antagonist Captain Andrew Russell, played by Paul Blackthorne.
Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and produced by Aamir Khan, the film received international acclaim and earned a nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 74th Academy Awards.
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India was released on June 15, 2001. The film featured an ensemble cast comprising Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Suhasini Mulay, Raghubir Yadav, Rajesh Vivek, Yashpal Sharma, Raj Zutshi, Akhilendra Mishra and Daya Shankar Pandey, among others.
The film’s music was composed by A.R. Rahman, with lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar.
–IANS
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