'I looked too educated': Ameesha Patel recalls being rejected from Aamir Khan’s Lagaan last minute

Ameesha Patel, a still from Lagaan Pic/X

Bollywood actor Ameesha Patel, who made a return to the movies with Gadar 2 in 2023 recently spoke about being chosen for the original film Gadar: Ek Prem Katha which was released in 2001, and its box office clash with Aamir Khan's Lagaan. Interestingly, Ameesha also shed light on being rejected last minute to play the female lead in Ashutosh Gowariker's directorial for looking "too educated".

Ameesha Patel on being rejected for Lagaan

In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Ameesha recalled, "During Lagaan, I was finalized for the film. The dates were fixed, and everything was set. The reason I was chosen for Gadar was because of my education, inherent sophistication, a certain posture, and body language. And my background of coming from a political family. Sakina's character, which in real life also was a background for Ameesha, was an educated, English-educated girl, someone who went to an English school. So, all these things, I was the correct choice for Gadar."

‘I was foreign-educated'

The actor continued, "I got selected for Lagaan, and I was shooting for Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai in New Zealand when my secretary called me and said that the Lagaan dates were shifted for Gadar. I said, ‘Why?' He said, ‘They don't feel you're right for the casting for no apparent reason, but she has to play a village belle, and you don't look convincing enough for that.' I looked too educated for that, too well-exposed to the world, which I was. I was well-read and well-travelled from a very young age, and I was foreign-educated.

"So maybe my director felt that would interfere with getting the characterization on screen. Of course, if given a chance, I'm sure I would have worked around it and done a good job. But no hard feelings because Gracy Singh did a fabulous job," added Ameesha.

Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and Lagaan were released on the same day, June 15, 2001. Lagaan follows the story of Indian village men who protested against the high taxes by British officials during the pre-independence era. In Gadar, Sunny Deol played the role of Tara Singh, a truck driver, while Ameesha Patel played Sakina in the film that was set during the partition of India in 1947.