MUMBAI: Aamir Khan-starrer period sports drama Lagaan was among the most acclaimed films of 2001. Apart from critical acclaim, the movie was also a commercial success despite facing strong competition from Sunny Deol's box office juggernaut, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. 

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Lagaan was written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, and Aamir Khan produced the film. Lagaan also stars alongside debutant Gracy Singh and British actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne.

Ashutosh Gowariker's directorial was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, the third Indian film to secure nomination after Mother India (1957) and Salaam Bombay! (1988). When Lagaan was in the pre-production stage, the director faced an issue with casting.

Shah Rukh Khan. Yes, the director approached SRK to play Bhuvan. In an interview with Rediff, Ashutosh revealed that he approached Shah Rukh Khan and even Abhishek Bachchan to play the leading role in Lagaan.

In the same interview, Ashutosh revealed that SRK recommended Aamir Khan for Lagaan. "Shah Rukh said that Aamir was the best thing about the film. He said that the belief that Aamir brought to the character of Bhuvan was much stronger than anyone else could have imparted."

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Abhishek Bachchan. In the interview, he said, "Abhishek loved the film, but when I had gone to him with my proposal they were planning to launch him with JP Dutta -- it was a career move they had to make. I think they were right in those circumstances. If he had done this, it would've become his launch film. I think he would've played it differently too."

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Credits - DNA