Mumbai, November 9 (IANS) British actress Rachel Shelley, who played Elizabeth Russell in Ashutosh Gowariker’s much acclaimed period drama ‘Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India’, has taken a trip down memory lane as the film celebrates 25 years.
The actress shared a series of previously unseen behind-the-scenes pictures from the shoot. Shelley took to her social media account to share six pictures from her personal archives, giving fans a glimpse into the making of the 2001 film and her time on the sets with the cast and crew.
“A few more pictures for you from the albums in the attic. Amazing memories. #25YearsOfLagaan #Lagaan,” she captioned the post.
The first picture features Shelley alongside many members of the international and Indian cast, all dressed in their period costumes.
The photograph appears to capture the team during the filming of one of the film’s sequences. Another group picture shows Shelley posing with the cast and crew, with actors dressed as characters from the British side of the story.
A candid behind-the-scenes picture features Aamir Khan seated shirtless as Shelley poses beside him. The carousel also includes pictures from the film’s outdoor shoot, with Aamir seen in his character’s traditional attire, holding a flowing orange scarf while performing alongside Shelley. The final photograph features Shelley standing alone on the vast beach, dressed Elizabeth.
For the uninitiated, Shelley essayed the role of Elizabeth Russell, the compassionate sister of the ruthless British officer Captain Andrew Russell, played by Paul Blackthorne.
Unlike her brother, Elizabeth is seen sympathising with the villagers of Champaner and secretly teaches them cricket to help them challenge the British in a historic match.
As the story progresses, Elizabeth develops feelings for Bhuvan, played by Aamir Khan. She is left heartbroken when she realises that Bhuvan is in love with Gauri, portrayed by Gracy Singh.
Written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and produced by Aamir Khan under Aamir Khan Productions, ‘Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India’ was released on June 15, 2001.
The film featured an ensemble cast comprising Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Suhasini Mulay, Raghubir Yadav, Rajesh Vivek, Yashpal Sharma, Raj Zutshi, Akhilendra Mishra and Daya Shankar Pandey, among others.
The film’s music was composed by A.R. Rahman, with lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar. It also earned a nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 74th Academy Awards.
Earlier in June 2026, the cast and crew reunited to celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary with a special script-reading session, revisiting memories of the landmark production.
–IANS
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