Actor and writer Amin Hajee, best known for playing Bagha, the mute drummer in Aamir Khan-starrer Lagaan, has opened up about the unexpected impact the acclaimed film had on his career. Despite the film becoming a landmark success, Hajee revealed that he struggled to find meaningful acting opportunities afterwards and described the period as one that “destroyed” his career.

Released in 2001, Lagaan, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, went on to receive widespread critical acclaim and became only the third Indian film to be nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the time. For Hajee, however, the film’s extraordinary success created a difficult situation when it came to choosing his next projects.