As: Ashutosh GowarikerLagaan’s iconic film celebrated 25 years recently, actor: Amen Hajee took a nostalgic trip down memory lane and recalled how the film changed not only his career but also his personal life.The actor, who played Bagga, the temple drummer in the 2001 stage play, attended the film’s anniversary celebrations hosted by Aamir Khan Productions in Mumbai with his wife, Charlotte Whitby-Coles, and their daughters. Reflecting on the milestone, Amin revealed that he first met Charlotte on the sets of Lagaan, where an unexpected connection blossomed into a lifelong partnership.
How Amin Hajee met his wife on the sets of Lagaan
Speaking recently, Amin shared that his wife’s brother, Jamie Whitby-Coles, played a key role in bringing Charlotte to the film set.“My brother-in-law now, Jamie, was playing county cricket at the time. They tried him out and they liked him. He was 6’5″ tall. So they told him, ‘There you are,'” Amin recalled.The makers of Lagaan are also looking for British extras to portray the audience during the climactic cricket match. Jamie was asked to bring the girls of his family to appear in crowd scenes.“They said, ‘We will pay for their tickets, we will even give them a stipend. We want them to sit for two weeks in the pavilion with parasols and those period costumes, like the wives and family members of the English cast,'” Amin told PTI.Charlotte, who was 23 years old at the time and had just finished her studies in anthropology, was intrigued by the experience of visiting Bhuj, Gujarat, where the film was shot.Recalling their first meeting with his trademark humor, Amin said, “He saw me and thought, ‘You’re amazing. Ye specimen ko mujhe research karna hai thoda.’ Aur ispe jo research ho raha hai, 26 saal ho gaye aur aaj wo abhi tak bechari 3 guna Lagaan bhar rahi hai.” (“It’s amazing. I had to do some research on this specimen. And that research has been going on for 26 years now, and the poor thing is still paying three times in Lagaan.)
Charlotte played a key role in a difficult phase of her career
After dating and eventually getting married, Charlotte moved to India. The couple now lives in the hills with their daughters, Summer and Sky, who they homeschool.Amin also credits his wife for helping him navigate a challenging time in his career after the huge success of Lagaan. Surprisingly, the actor revealed that the success of the film made it difficult for him to accept subsequent acting offers.“I didn’t even want to act. I was getting offers, but neither the script nor my character came even a mile near Lagaan. At one point, Ashutosh and my wife Charlotte asked me, ‘So what are you going to do from now on?’ So I said, ‘You tell me,’ because I don’t want to do it,” he confessed.The actor explained that he is reluctant to accept projects that do not match the quality of the acclaimed film.“I basically didn’t want to spoil the respect I had earned. Plus, I’m not a great actor. I managed to give a good performance thanks to Lagaan’s script, director, and the team. They all helped me,” he added.
How Ashutosh Gowariker helped Amin Hajee reinvent himself
Amin was seen struggling to find direction after Lagaan, filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker stepped in and encouraged him to explore writing.Worried about her future and family responsibilities, Gowariker offered her an opportunity to write his 2004 film Swades.“If you want to start a family, you have to get something,” Gowariker reportedly told her.The opportunity proved to be a turning point in Amin’s career. He went on to write Vikram Bhatt’s horror films Haunted 3D (2011) and Dangerous Ishq (2012) before making his directorial debut with the psychological thriller Koi Jaane Na in 2021, starring Kunal Kapoor and Amyra Dastur.
