Cinematographer Anil Mehta, known for his work in Ashutosh Gowariker’s iconic film ‘Lagaan’, recently opened up about the challenges faced during the shooting of the film’s climactic cricket match scene. The cricket match finale in ‘Lagaan’ is celebrated as a cinematic marvel and holds a significant place in Indian film history.
In a recent interview with Film Companion, Mehta recalled the grueling 30-day shoot for the climax scene. He revealed that on the first day of the shoot, he approached lead actor Aamir Khan to express his concerns about the suggested filming techniques. Khan’s initial idea was to shoot the batsmen individually and determine the outcomes based on the shots. However, Mehta felt this approach wouldn’t capture the essence of the drama they were trying to portray.
Mehta emphasized the importance of shooting the scene as a dramatic sequence rather than a sports event. He wanted the camera to focus closely on each character to capture their unique emotions and challenges. For instance, when filming Aaditya Lakhia’s character, Kachra, who was differently-abled, Mehta used a zoom lens to highlight the difficulties faced by the character.
The cinematographer described the shoot as “exhausting,” stating, “Doing the same scene over and over again gets monotonous and tedious.” He also mentioned that despite assurances from Gowariker about providing a booklet detailing the filming of the crucial cricket matches, the booklet was only provided a day or two before the sequences were shot.
Before the commencement of the climax scene, the cast and crew spent two days in a hotel room discussing and planning the scene meticulously. Despite suggestions to film the climax match with eight cameras, Mehta stood his ground, advocating for a more cinematic approach. Eventually, the scene was filmed with just two cameras, emphasizing the filmic nature of the sequence.
Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, ‘Lagaan’ was released on June 15, 2001. The film was a commercial and critical success, marking a significant milestone in Hindi cinema. Although it received a nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Oscars, it narrowly missed out on the award.
