When cinematographer Anil Mehta joined the production of Ashutosh Gowariker's "Lagaan," he had a clear vision for the climactic cricket match, which ultimately became one of Indian cinema's iconic scenes. However, the shoot proved exhausting, lasting 30 days with repetitive takes. Mehta revealed that detailed planning for the scene was delayed until shortly before filming.
Despite promises of a booklet outlining the sequence, it was only written days before shooting commenced. The crew took a two-day break to brainstorm and script the scene, with director Ashutosh, actor Aamir Khan, and other team members contributing. Mehta emphasized the need for meticulous planning for filming a cricket match scene, highlighting the importance of scripting every ball's action. Initially following Khan's suggestion to use the booklet as a guide, Mehta found the results unsatisfactory and insisted on a different approach.
Anil Mehta, the cinematographer for "Lagaan," emphasised the importance of capturing the emotions of each character during the cricket match scenes. He tailored his shooting style to suit each character, using close-ups for Bhuvan's intense moments and a zoom lens for Kachra's scenes to capture his unique posture. Aamir Khan's suggestion to keep the final reveal simple proved impactful, with Mehta opting for simplicity over expensive setups. High-speed cameras were sparingly used, and one pivotal scene was shot wide as per director Ashutosh Gowariker's intuition, resulting in a memorable moment.
