Apoorva Lakhia recalls kicking Ronit Roy out of the bus because he was waiting for Aamir Khan. Read on for more information.
Released in 2001, Lagaan is one of Bollywood’s most iconic films, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and starring Aamir Khan. Set in British-ruled India, the film tells the story of a small village that challenges its colonial oppressors to a game of cricket to avoid paying taxes. The movie’s innovative premise, combined with its stellar performances, earned international acclaim, including a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars.
To this date, the behind-the-scenes stories continue to amaze fans. From the movie’s production being extended by 220 days to Aamir Khan himself stepping in to save from financial hurdles, Lagaan faced many challenges and thrived through every time. In a recent interview, the movie’s assistant director Apoorva Lakhia shared yet another interesting anecdote from the shooting of the movie.
Ronit Roy was the security head of Aamir Khan during the shooting of Lagaan
Ronit Roy, now a celebrated actor, once worked as a security guard for Aamir Khan for about two years, including during Lagaan. Roy owns the Ace Security and Protection agency, and it was on its rising stage when the movie was being shot. Therefore, Roy himself used to head the security at the time and was present during the shooting of the movie.
Apoorva Lakhia, who served as an assistant director on Lagaan, is known for his no-nonsense approach to work, a style he developed from his Hollywood experience. Speaking about maintaining discipline on the Lagaan set in an interview with Friday Talkies, Lakhia revealed some unforgettable incidents that highlight his strict methods, one that came at the expense of Roy. During the shoot in Gujarat, Lakhia introduced call sheets, mandatory bus rides for all cast members, and synchronized clocks to ensure punctuality.
Sharing one of his most daring moments, he recalled the day Aamir Khan was late. “There were clear instructions that the bus would leave at a fixed time. On the third day, Aamir was late. Ronit Roy was handling security, and everyone was already seated on the bus. Everyone was looking at me, wondering what I would do. I was nervous, but I knew I had to set an example,” Lakhia shared.
Lakhia decided to take an extreme step. “I told the driver to leave Aamir behind, but he refused. Ronit was standing at the door of the bus, waiting for Aamir. At one point, I just kicked Ronit. He fell out, and I grabbed the driver by the neck and told him, ‘I will break your neck if you don’t start driving,” Lakhia revealed. Eventually, the bus left without Roy and Khan, who arrived at the set two hours later due to unavailablity of bus.