Lagaan And Gadar: Did These Superhit Films Ruin Gracy Singh And Ameesha Patel’s Careers?

Today, the film Lagaan completes 20 years.  As people on Twitter are saying, this was a movie that won against all odds. First, it was a movie that was too long- with a 4 hour run time – trade people were not sure it would work. It was a movie about a sport. It was a period film and while they abound now, at that time, it was relatively new and nobody was sure that the audience wanted to watch a cricket match with a motley crew on screen. But Lagaan worked. The cinemas were packed, there were cheering crowds and the box office cash registers was ringing non-stop. It got nominated at the Oscars, though it didn’t win.  At the helm of Lagaan was director Ashutosh Gowariker and it starred Gracy Singh and Aamir Khan. Aamir Khan was already a star, but it was Gracy Singh’s debut. And Lagaan catapulted her into the big league. Or it seemed like that.

On the same day, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha released. This was also about love in the times of conflict and for the audiences, this was a weekend of fun and entertainment. Gadar also completed 20 years today. This movie starred Sunny Deol in a central role, Ameesha Patel and a very gullible hand pump. Ameesha Patel was coming into the movie fresh off the success of her debut movie, Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai which was a super hit in 2000.

Both the movies were smashing successes and everyone was happy. For people from the industry, there was so much chatter around these movies, that it would seem like everyone was poised for success from then on.

But things didn’t go exactly to plan. Actually, if the plan was to sign several films and capitalise on how Lagaan and Gadar did, then it looks like things went downhill, especially for the lead actresses of these movies. The roaring success, the adulation and all the trappings of fame were there but it looks like both Gracy Singh and Ameesha Patel couldn’t do much with it. Were Lagaan and Gadar the death knell for these actresses’ careers?

Gracy Singh

Gracy Singh fit beautifully into the role of the village belle in Lagaan. Wearing cotton ghagra cholis and chunky jewellery, she looked the part and was convincing as Gauri, who plays Bhuvan’s love interest. About her role, Gracy Singh said, The prep for this role was extensive. We prepared for nearly four months before visiting the sets in January 2000. By the time we started shooting, we had almost remembered all of the script. I had practiced a lot. Once we reached there, we interacted with the locals so that we got to know what life there is like.”

But despite the big deal that was Lagaan, Gracy Singh’s next movie that was of note came out only in 2003, a good two years later. Here she was the lead opposite Sanjay Dutt in Munnabhai MBBS. After this though, Gracy Singh practically disappeared. There were two bit parts in movies but nothing to write home about. The roles were neither significant and almost none of them left a mark. She now headlines the show Santoshi Maa on TV.

 

Ameesha Patel

Ameesha Patel or Amisha Patel (the spelling keeps changing) starred in Gadar after already garnering eyeballs in Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, her debut film. In both the films, she was the lead, her character’s arc was central to the storyline. But Ameesha hit a wall after Gadar. She had several movies come out in the next few months but most of them sunk without a trace. In 2002, Humraaz got Ameesha accolades but the adulation wasn’t close to the fantastic success that was Gadar. She continued to churn out movies but like Gracy Singh, Ameesha’s career wasn’t going places. She appeared in Bhool Bhulaiya but it was not a lead role. At one point, she was in the news but it was more for who she was dating (Vikram Bhatt) and the turmoil in her family with regards to her finances.

So, Did These Movies Mark The End Of Careers For The Actresses?

Mostly, yes. There could be several reasons for this. One of them could be the industry and it’s comfort in wallowing in stereotypes. Both Gracy Singh and Ameesha Patel got super popular in period films that require a certain look. Gracy Singh rocked her part as the village girl, but in an industry besotted with formulas, it would mean that there would be a few makers willing to cast her in a glamorous avatar. A hurdle we are pretty sure Ameesha Patel faced as well. It would mean that every script that followed wanted them to be a girl in a period drama. That can get pretty boring, pretty fast. Plus, replicating that kind of success is close to impossible. There was also a possible hike in fees that would have affected these girls’ careers. They were popular and famous and could demand their worth, but would they draw in the crowds was a question on every maker’s mind. Both Aamir Khan and Sunny Deol emerged from these successes unscathed. For the actresses, unfortunately, this was it.