Lagaan’s Long Cut: Here’s How Aamir Khan’s Iconic Film Could Return With A Fresh Twist For Today’s OTT Audience

When Ashutosh Gowariker first pitched Lagaan to Aamir Khan, neither of them could have predicted the cult status the film would eventually achieve. Or that it would become the third Indian movie to be nominated for an Oscar (after Mother India and Salaam Bombay!). Lagaan is far more than just a sports drama; it’s a landmark film that put Indian cinema on the global stage. Now, imagine if this iconic story could be reimagined to captivate the current generation of OTT viewers, but with a fresh twist. What is that twist, and how could it engage old and new viewers in an entirely new way? Read on to find out.

Lagaan’s Original Cut

According to a report in The Times of India, Aamir Khan revealed in an interview with Mashable India that the first cut of Lagaan was a staggering seven and a half hours long. There were nearly four hours of footage covering everything that happened before the cricket match even began. Eventually, the makers had to cut around half of the film, after which the final cut came down to 3 hours and 42 minutes. What a humongous task it must have been!

How Lagaan Can Be Reimagined For OTT Audience

So, here’s the idea: release the full, original, uncut seven-and-a-half-hour version of Lagaan on an OTT platform, but not as a single film (obviously). Instead, relaunch it as an eight-part web series. Just imagine the massive potential this Lagaan web series could have. Diehard fans would finally get to see deleted scenes and extended footage, while a new generation of streaming audiences, not only in India but around the world, could experience the magic of onscreen cricket in a whole new way, episode by episode.