Ashutosh Gowariker clarifies 'Lagaan' was not inspired by 'Naya Daur'
What's the story
Ashutosh Gowariker, the director of the iconic film Lagaan (2001), recently debunked claims that his film was inspired by BR Chopra's social drama Naya Daur (1957). Speaking at the Red Lorry Film Festival 2026, he said he drew inspiration from his childhood memories of Kolhapur and farmers' lives. Aamir Khan also offered a surprising take on Lagaan, comparing it to an Asterix comic!
Director's insight
When Gowariker screened 'Lagaan' for Chopra
Gowariker clarified, "I had not even seen Naya Daur [then]. I took inspiration from my childhood memories of going to my hometown, Kolhapur, visiting the farmlands." He added that he had organized a special screening of Lagaan for Chopra, who loved the movie. "Much later, I saw Naya Daur and realized that the obvious comparison was the race between a truck and a bullock cart. It was a plot of man against machine. It was a different kind of film."
Comic comparison
How 'Lagaan' resembles an 'Asterix' comic
During the same session, Khan surprised everyone by saying that Lagaan was more akin to an Asterix comic. To this, Gowariker agreed, saying, "It is not 'like Asterix,' Lagaan is Asterix." "In Asterix, you had one small village fighting the Roman Empire. Here we have one small Indian village fighting the British Empire." Apart from Khan, Lagaan also starred Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley, Raghubir Yadav, and Akhilendra Mishra, among others.