Archive · 10 Aug 2026
Earthquake Devastated Lagaan Filming Village Five Months Before Release
Many years ago, a popular Hindi movie called Lagaan was filmed in India.
It tells a story about villagers who challenge British officers to a cricket match.
The movie was shot in a real village named Kunaria in Gujarat.
The village played the part of a make-believe village called Champaner.
About five months before the movie came out, a very strong earthquake hit Gujarat.
The earthquake destroyed much of Kunaria village.
A report said only a banyan tree and a cracked village well were left standing in parts of the area.
The movie's team, including Aamir Khan and Ashutosh Gowariker, went back to visit the village.
One of the actors, Paul Blackthorne, took photos of the damage and held an exhibition in London to raise money for relief.
Even so, Lagaan was released as planned on June 15, 2001.
Lagaan was filmed in Kunaria village near Bhuj in Gujarat's Kutch district, which stood in for the fictional village of Champaner.
A devastating earthquake struck Gujarat on January 26, 2001, just five months before Lagaan was released.
A 2001 India Today report said only a banyan tree and a cracked village well remained in parts of the area the film team had known.
Aamir Khan, Ashutosh Gowariker and other members of the Lagaan team returned to Kunaria after the earthquake.
Paul Blackthorne, who played Captain Russell, photographed the quake-hit region and organised the London exhibition Bollywood Backpack to raise money for Gujarat earthquake relief.
- Who
- Aamir Khan, Ashutosh Gowariker, Paul Blackthorne and other members of the Lagaan film team
- What
- The Gujarat village where Lagaan was filmed was devastated by an earthquake months before the film's release
- When
- January 26, 2001 (earthquake); Lagaan released on June 15, 2001
- Where
- Kunaria village near Bhuj in Gujarat's Kutch district, India
- Why
- The earthquake devastated the area about five months before the film's release, prompting the team to return and raise relief money through Blackthorne's Bollywood Backpack exhibition
- Film
- Lagaan
- Director
- Ashutosh Gowariker
- Filming village
- Kunaria, near Bhuj, Kutch district, Gujarat
- Fictional village depicted
- Champaner
- Gujarat earthquake date
- January 26, 2001
- Lagaan release date
- June 15, 2001
- Earthquake-to-release gap
- Less than five months
- London relief exhibition
- Bollywood Backpack