“Aamir Khan's foot was bleeding, but he kept running”: Apoorva Lakhia recalls 'Lagaan' shoot

Though it's been more than two decades since the release of Lagaan, stories from its shoot continue to amaze fans — and the latest one, shared by filmmaker Apoorva Lakhia, is a testament to Aamir Khan’s sheer grit and professionalism.Lakhia, who worked as an assistant director on the film, recently appeared on Cyrus Broacha’s YouTube show and revealed what went into filming one of Lagaan’s most memorable moments. Spoiler: it involved Aamir getting hit in the face over two dozen times.“I Hit Him With a Ball 25 Times — And He Never Complained”“There was a scene where Aamir’s character gets hit on the head with a cricket ball,” Apoorva recalled. “I was the one in charge of throwing the ball, and the shot had to be timed perfectly.

But our timing was off. He wouldn’t turn in time, and I kept hitting him on the face or near his eye,” he added.According to him, it took 25 takes to get it right.“I was told to hit hard so it looked real. It wasn’t easy — neither for him nor for me. But Aamir never once told me to go easy. That’s the kind of dedication he brings,” shared Apoorva.A Foot Injury That Could Stop Anyone — But Not AamirAnother moment that left a lasting impression on Lakhia was during the film’s climax.

Aamir had to run across the pitch, but midway through the take, something went horribly wrong.“Anil Mehta, our DOP, suddenly went, ‘Oh ****’. No one knew what happened. But Aamir kept running till the shot was done. Then he collapsed — and we saw that the entire skin on his foot had come off,” Lakhia said, before adding, “He just tied it up, got back, and continued shooting like nothing happened.”A Film That Took 80 Days… or 300?Lakhia also revealed how the original plan was to wrap the shoot in 80 days — but it eventually stretched to nearly 300, thanks to weather, budget delays, and the sheer scale of the film. Aamir, who also produced the film, stepped in and helped arrange finances to keep things moving.“I’ve worked with top names in Hollywood, but Lagaan was an experience like no other. We froze in the cold, burned in the heat, and still made magic,” said Lakhia.