25 Years of Lagaan THROWBACK: A Vyjayanthimala song changed Gracy Singh’s life, helped her bag Aamir Khan-starrer
One of the finest films of Indian cinema, Lagaan (2001), completed 25 glorious years on June 15. The film is fondly remembered not just for its unique plot, music, direction and nail-biting climax but also for its ensemble cast. The actors who played cricketers, of course, took the cake, but even the others got a chance to shine. Prominent among them was Gracy Singh. During the film’s 20th anniversary, in June 2021, the beautiful and talented actress gave a rare, exclusive interview to Bollywood Hungama and opened up about how she bagged the role of Gauri. This story also has a connection with a song of Jewel Thief (1967), featuring Vyjayanthimala.
At that time, Gracy Singh told this writer, “When I was doing ‘Amanat’, a very senior manager, Joshi ji, used to insist that I should work in Hindi films. Through him, I learnt about the auditions for Lagaan. In fact, he was the one who took me there. I had to audition twice before I was selected. I was told to dance on my favourite song, ‘Honthon Pe Aisi Baat’.”
She continued, “I had a good time giving the screen test; I was glad everything fell into place and I bagged the part. I didn’t know about the role and story beforehand. When I found out, I was very overjoyed as I love the period backdrop and always wanted to do a film in this space.”
Gracy Singh praised actor-producer Aamir Khan, “I was a very big fan of Aamir Khan and, he was very inspiring. One of my screen tests happened with Aamir Khan. I was obviously nervous. However, he completely transformed himself into Bhuvan. During rehearsals and when we were on location, he switched into his character, and we all followed suit. So, you see, he was quite dedicated and hard-working. Unko dekh ke sab mein josh aata tha. In fact, the whole team was great. It was a blessing to work with such a great bunch of people together.”
Did she ever tell director Ashutosh Gowariker why Gauri doesn’t get a chance to play cricket in Bhuvan’s team? Gracy Singh laughed and replied, “No, I never told him that! Bas Gauri ko (match) dekh ke achha lag raha tha. But yeah, I wish even I could have also played cricket in the film. Mera mann kar raha tha, as a character and otherwise.”
The post 25 Years of Lagaan THROWBACK: A Vyjayanthimala song changed Gracy Singh’s life, helped her bag Aamir Khan-starrer appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
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