25 years of Gadar and Lagaan: Two films, one release date and the rest is history
25 years ago today, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and Lagaan hit theatres and went on to become two of Indian cinema’s biggest success stories. We speak to members of the film fraternity as they look back on the excitement surrounding this box-office clash and reflect on what makes both films enduring classics even today Lagaan, Gadar THE EXPECTATIONS BEFORE RELEASE DAY Filmmaker and trade expert, Girish Johar recalls that Gadar was already carrying tremendous buzz before its release. Its music had become popular and audience anticipation was high. In comparison, Lagaan appeared to be lagging initially. “People couldn’t quite understand what Lagaan was about from its early promotional material. The creative images showed 11 men in rural costumes. And at the time, (Gadar director) Anil Sharma was a far more commercially successful director than (Lagaan director) Ashutosh Gowariker, so the odds were largely in Gadar’s favour,” he says. Johar adds that Lagaan’s lengthy runtime also posed challenges. “Being a three-hour film, only a limited number of shows could be accommodated. There was also confusion over …
