Chale Chalo: The Lunacy of Film Making (2003)

March 20, 2019 8:07 PM

An account of the making of the critically acclaimed, Oscar nominated Indian blockbuster Lagaan, from the point of view of Satyajit Bhatkal, who served as a production assistant on the film. (Note: on Netflix, this is listed under the title Madness in the Desert.)
posted by DirtyOldTown (1 comment total)

This is nice for fans of Lagaan. More in the subset of docs in which an interesting story is plainly and compellingly related than in the subset that manages to be great filmmaking on its own.

Basically, first time producers made an expensive, elaborate, period-set sports films in the middle of nowhere with as many as 10000 extras. It went about as well as you would suppose. They finished though! And huzzah! Because Lagaan is a classic.

Personal note: the scene where Aamir Khan's interview begins right as he is putting down a copy of Harry Crews's All We Need of Hell only intensified my admiration for him.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:10 AM on March 23, 2019