Amin Hajee has revealed that, in his case, it was a blockbuster that left him struggling to find work While actors often speak about how box-office flops can affect their careers. The Lagaan actor recently recalled how starring in the acclaimed 2001 film made it difficult for him to accept other roles, as he felt the scripts that came his way failed to match the experience of working on Ashutosh Gowariker ’s classic.
Amin Hajee says Lagaan destroyed his career
Amin Hajee revealed that his wife, Charlotte Whitby-Coles, was upset with him for stopping signing films after Lagaan. It also won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. You have to work. You have to take up some work. Helmed by Ashutosh Gowariker, Lagaan is a sports drama starring Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne, and Suhasini Joshi in key roles. In the film, Amin Hajee played Bagha, the mute drummer. Set in colonial India, the film follows Bhuvan (Aamir Khan), a young farmer from the village of Champaner, who challenges the British to a game of cricket after they impose an oppressive tax, or lagaan, on the villagers. It received widespread acclaim and became only the third Indian film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Amin Hajee is an Indian actor and writer best known for his work in Hindi cinema. Apart from gaining widespread recognition for Lagaan, he has also been part of films such as Mangal Pandey, My Friend Pinto, Aankahee and Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena. Alongside acting, he has worked as a screenwriter and assistant director. He collaborated with Gowariker on films including Swades and Jodhaa Akbar. His association with Lagaan, however, remains one of the most recognisable highlights of his career.
Lagaan emerged as a major critical and commercial success following its release in 2001. Hajee later stepped into filmmaking as a director with Koi Jaane Na (2021), a psychological thriller starring Kunal Kapoor and Amyra Dastur.
The roles that were offered to him were either “mute characters” or other insignificant parts, according to him. The actor and writer said the scripts simply failed to entice him. His wife told him, “After Lagaan, whenever a role came, he would say, ‘This role is rubbish,’ or ‘That’s no good,’ and so on. So I told him, ‘What are we going to do?
