India is celebrating its 75th Independence Day today and ‘Lagaan’ is Bollywood’s one of the best patriotic films that will definitely make you say- Mera Bharat Mahaan!
It’s been 20 years since the film was released, which changed the face of mainstream Hindi cinema.
Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, the timeless classic film had a stellar cast. While the movie became a blockbuster with a box-office collection of approximately Rs 65.97 crores, let’s have a look at the fees that these 6 actors had charged for their roles in ‘Lagaan’.
1. Aamir Khan
Aamir Khan– Mr. Perfectionist- played the role of Bhuvan, who forms his own cricket team to defeat the Britishers for cancelling their taxes. For the role, Aamir was reportedly paid a hefty paycheck of Rs 35 LAKHS!
2. Gracy Singh
Gauri, played by the newcomer Gracy Singh, is the female lead and Bhuvan’s love interest. According to reports, Gracy’s fee was approximately Rs 8 lakhs for her debut movie.
3. Rachel Shelley
Rachel Shelley played the role of a British woman named Elizabeth, who starts liking Bhuvan and secretly helps his cricket team to improvise their game but eventually moves back to England. The actress had supposedly charged Rs 5 lakhs for this film.
4. Paul Blackthorne
Captain Russell– played by Paul Blackthorne– is the antagonist of the film. Russell is a British official who also happens to be Elizabeth’s brother. Reportedly, Paul was paid a whopping amount of Rs 7 lakhs for his role.
5. Yashpal Sharma
Remember the woodcutter Lakha– played by Yahspal Sharma– who likes Gauri? He wishes to disrupt Bhuvan’s game against the Britishers since Gauri is in love with Bhuvan. Yashpal had reportedly charged Rs 2 lakhs as his remuneration.
6. Raj Zutshi
The character of Ismail, who continues to play the game in the final match despite getting injured badly, was essayed by Raj Zutshi. He was supposedly paid Rs 2 lakhs as his fee for ‘Lagaan’.