Actor Aditya Lakhia, who played the role of Kachra in Lagaan, revisits the film on its 20 years, and how he had to live in a hut on the sets of the Ashutosh Gowariker-Aamir Khan film.

Aamir Khan-starrer Lagaan became a cult classic. The intricate story line included many characters from the village. Much like Aamir’s character, Bhuvan, the rest of the villagers too lived under the British Raj. But one character that stood out from the entire film was that of Kachra, played by Aditya Lakhia.

In the film, Kachra was an “untouchable” who joins Bhuvan’s cricket team as the eleventh player. While early on, Bhuvan has to convince his team members to let Kachra be a part of them, they’re soon taken aback by his bowling acting. Now, as the film clocked 20 years, Aditya reveals a shocking detail about filming Lagaan. He said that much like their characters, each actor had to live in a hut that was shown in the film. Since Kachra was an “untouchable”, his hut was outside the village and that is where he stayed.

Speaking to Indian Express, Aditya revealed: “Although we didn’t shoot there, but I had to go and stay there throughout the day. I wasn’t allowed to come to the village. I got my tea-coffee there. And since Kachra joins the team last, I was also the last person to start shooting. Nobody was talking to me because I hadn’t made an entry. And I was so scared because the cast had been shooting for a month and a half. So that fear came across very well in that scene when Bhuvan fights to bring me into the team. Even today, when I walk on the street, people call me Kachra. Sometimes, even unknowingly, when I hear this word, I look around.”

Nevertheless, Aditya still enjoyed his character. He added: “Every character was equally brilliant, but my character stood out because of the issue of untouchability, a man with a polio-affected hand. Then I take the hattrick. I also give Aamir the last batting stance in winning. Though I had three major scenes, there were a lot of highs in my character.”