All posts tagged: Gowariker

Anurag Kashyap recalls Ashutosh Gowariker returning bald after Lagaan shoot: ‘He went with a full head of hair’

Anurag Kashyap recalls Ashutosh Gowariker returning bald after Lagaan shoot: ‘He went with a full head of hair’

Filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker‘s Lagaan has completed 25 years this year. More than two decades after Lagaan redefined Indian cinema and earned an Academy Award nomination, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has reflected on what made the film feel special long before it reached theatres. Recalling the buzz surrounding the ambitious period drama, Anurag said the scale of the production, director Ashutosh Gowariker’s dedication, and the use of sync sound, a rarity in Hindi cinema at the time, convinced many within the industry that something extraordinary was being made. Anurag Kashyap says Ashutosh Gowariker had hair before Lagaan. Anurag Kashyap recalls anecdotes about Lagaan In a chat with Aamir Khan Productions, Anurag shared a hilarious anecdote about why Lagaan stood out for him even before the release and said, “What stood out for me before even watching the film, Ashu (Ashutosh Gowariker) went to Kutch to shoot with a head full of hair, came back bald. The first thing was the way they were shooting the film. We heard that they were doing sync sound, and sync sound …

Have you heard? Ashutosh Gowariker says classics should be appreciated, not remade

Have you heard? Ashutosh Gowariker says classics should be appreciated, not remade

‘Classics should be left untouched’ No matter how many remakes are made, the original always comes out on top. So why bother remaking a classic in the first place? Filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, who is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Lagaan (2001), certainly agrees. He has made it clear that he has no intention of remaking his iconic film to suit modern sensibilities. At the celebration, he said, “I don’t think you should try and remake a film. I think you should appreciate a film that is a classic, I mean, not Lagaan, I am saying any film that you see and you find it to be a classic, you appreciate it.” And appreciation, according to him, can take many forms. “You don’t have to emulate it. Try and create your own new idea for a film, because you are trying to create your own voice, your own story,” he added. Did you know?Aamir Khan had refused to take up the 2001 blockbuster ‘Lagaan’ twice before finally giving his nod. Disclaimer: We do not own any …

After 2 flops, I would’ve given up direction if Lagaan didn’t work: Ashutosh Gowariker  | Bollywood News

After 2 flops, I would’ve given up direction if Lagaan didn’t work: Ashutosh Gowariker  | Bollywood News

The year 2001 ushered in not only a new millennium, but also a whole new wave of Hindi cinema. That year offered a diverse range of cinematic offerings, and all of them turned out to be blockbusters at the box office. The first batch of these seminal films arrived on this day, June 15, 25 years ago with the epic clash between Ashutosh Gowariker’s period sports drama Lagaan, starring Aamir Khan, and Anil Sharma’s cross-border action romance Gadar, starring Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel. However, the clash wasn’t the focus for Ashutosh Gowariker, who invested all his energies and bet all his chances on Lagaan. Starting his career as an actor in shows like Circus (1989) and films like Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994), Gowariker finally made his directorial debut with the 1993 thriller Pehla Nasha, starring Deepak Tijori, Pooja Bhatt, and Raveena Tandon. However, despite cameos by his Holi (1984) co-star Aamir Khan and his Circus co-star Shah Rukh Khan, among others, Pehla Nasha failed at the box office. Gowariker followed it up with …

Aamir Khan, Ashutosh Gowariker reunite with cast

Aamir Khan, Ashutosh Gowariker reunite with cast

As one of the most iconic movies from Bollywood, “Lagaan” is all set to complete 25 years of release on June 15 this year, Mr Perfectionist Aamir Khan and the director of the highly acclaimed drama, Ashutosh Gowariker, recently reunited with the cast of the movie.  In the video uploaded by Aamir’s production house, Aamir Khan Productions, on their official handle on Friday, Aamir and Ashutosh were seen warmly meeting all the cast members. This was followed by what seemed to be a fun chat session among the old ‘Lagaan’ teammates. Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: Source link

Lagaan at 25: Aamir Khan, Ashutosh Gowariker reunite with the cast; Paul Blackthorne returns to India for celebrations

Lagaan at 25: Aamir Khan, Ashutosh Gowariker reunite with the cast; Paul Blackthorne returns to India for celebrations

As Lagaan prepares to complete 25 years on June 15, Aamir Khan brought together the film’s cast and crew for a special reunion in Mumbai. The gathering turned into a nostalgic celebration, with old co-stars and collaborators coming together to revisit memories from one of Indian cinema’s most loved films. Joined by director Ashutosh Gowariker, Aamir welcomed several members of the original team. Aamir Khan reunites with Paul Blackthorne ahead of Lagaan’s 25th anniversary, A nostalgic reunion for the Lagaan family The reunion saw several familiar faces from Champaner come together once again, including Paul Blackthorne, Rajendranath Zutshi, Aditya Lakhia, Yashpal Sharma, Akhilendra Mishra and Dayashankar Pandey. Suhasini Mulay, who played Bhuvan’s mother Yashodamai, was also part of the gathering, along with Reena Dutta and Aamir Khan’s daughter Ira Khan. Photos and videos from the event soon began circulating online, delighting fans as the film celebrates its silver jubilee year. Aamir Khan Productions also shared a glimpse from the reunion on social media, showing the cast revisiting the film’s script and reliving old memories together. …

Ashutosh Gowariker is glad he doesn’t have to worry about his hairstyle now: ‘Liberating’ | Bollywood News

Ashutosh Gowariker is glad he doesn’t have to worry about his hairstyle now: ‘Liberating’ | Bollywood News

4 min readMumbaiMay 28, 2026 08:33 AM IST Ashutosh Gowariker, best known for directing epics like Lagaan (2001), Swades (2004), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), began his career as an actor. In fact, he and his Lagaan actor and producer Aamir Khan made their debut together in Ketan Mehta’s 1984 coming-of-age film Holi. He also starred alongside his Swades actor Shah Rukh Khan in Aziz Mirza’s 1989 television show Circus and Kundan Shah’s 1994 romantic drama Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa. “When I was younger, there was always pressure that you had to be the quintessential hero and try and be that positive character, and look and be a particular way on screen. Today, it’s liberating. You don’t have to worry about your hairstyle. I love it now,” Gowariker tells SCREEN in an exclusive interview. He recalls being asked to constantly check his hair before every shot. “I’m sure the girls still have to do that. I don’t have to,” he adds, smiling. The actor-director feels times are more “liberating” today, which he’s enjoying. After helming the three …

System trailer: Sonakshi Sinha, Jyotika go up against Ashutosh Gowariker in gritty legal drama | Bollywood News

System trailer: Sonakshi Sinha, Jyotika go up against Ashutosh Gowariker in gritty legal drama | Bollywood News

2 min readMay 12, 2026 01:50 PM IST Sonakshi Sinha is set to face off against Ashutosh Gowariker in Prime Video’s upcoming web series System, where she will also be teaming up with Jyotika. The trailer was unveiled on Tuesday morning, promising a dynamic and tense legal battle that explores themes of class privilege, power, and, of course, justice. The over two-minute-long promo of System introduces Sonakshi Sinha’s character, Neha, an ambitious and privileged public prosecutor, and the daughter of renowned lawyer Ravi Rajvansh, played by Ashutosh Gowariker. In the opening itself, we see her making a deal with her father where she must win 10 consecutive cases to earn a partnership in her father’s firm. As the trailer progresses, viewers are introduced to Sarika, a courtroom stenographer portrayed by Jyotika, who comes from a less privileged background. Things take a turn when Neha decides to team up with Sarika, asking for her help to win a case and serve true justice. In the promo, we also see both the female leads discussing their personal …

Have you heard? Aamir Khan, Ashutosh Gowariker to reunite for cricket drama

Have you heard? Aamir Khan, Ashutosh Gowariker to reunite for cricket drama

A much awaited collab More than two decades after ‘Lagaan’ became a landmark sports drama, reports suggest Aamir Khan and filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker may reunite for another cricket-based emotional drama inspired by legendary cricketer Lala Amarnath. The film is reportedly in advanced scripting stages and could begin production in September 2026. Unlike ‘Lagaan’, the new project is said to be rooted in history and set around Partition-era India, exploring Amarnath’s life through the lens of cricket. Reports also claim Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi have offered creative inputs during development. Aamir Khan–Ashutosh Gowariker earlier films (L-R) Ashutosh Gowariker, Aamir Khan, and Javed Akhtar on the sets of ‘Lagaan’ Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: Source link

Ashutosh Gowariker to helm docu-drama series ‘Temple Raiders’

Ashutosh Gowariker to helm docu-drama series ‘Temple Raiders’

Mumbai, Filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker will direct “Temple Raiders”, a four-part docu-drama series on the theft and global trafficking of India’s sacred temple artefacts, producers announced Wednesday. Ashutosh Gowariker to helm docu-drama series ‘Temple Raiders’ The series is produced by Tudip Entertainment and Riverland Entertainment, in association with Ashutosh Gowariker Productions. Raghav Khanna, known for his association with titles such as “The Elephant Whisperers”, “The Mumbai Mafia” and “The Hunt for Veerappan”, has written, created and will showrun the series. The project marks Gowariker’s first outing in the docu-drama format. He is known for making critically-acclaimed and commercially-successful films such as “Lagaan”, “Swades” and “Jodha Akbar”. “I have been watching documentaries across different genres for several years now, and the documentary form has always intrigued me deeply. I have often thought about making one, but never quite found a subject that truly engaged me-something I felt a strong connection to and could do justice to,” When Raghav Khanna approached Gowariker with the concept of “Temple Raiders”, the filmmaker said he immediately agreed to it. “It is …

IFFI 2026: Ashutosh Gowariker appointed as festival director

IFFI 2026: Ashutosh Gowariker appointed as festival director

Filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker has been appointed the Festival Director for the 57th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), to be held in Goa. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting made the announcement regarding his appointment as the Festival Director on Friday. Ashutosh Gowariker is known for directing critically acclaimed and commercially successful films like Lagaan, Swades and Jodhaa Akbar. His work is often noted for its strong storytelling, historical depth, and exploration of social themes. Lagaan was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. However, it lost to the Bosnian film No Man’s Land. Talking about the festival, the director said, “It gives me immense pride and joy to serve as the Festival Director for the prestigious 57th International Film Festival of India, Goa. I feel privileged to have witnessed the evolution of this festival. From attending it in 1984 to continuing my association over the years, right up to 2024, when I served as the Jury President for International Cinema”. He further mentioned, “To carry forward the legacy …