Lagaan actor Akhilendra Mishra reunites with co-stars at Mumbai's CST
Synopsis
Twenty-five years after Lagaan's release, the film's cast is still showing up for each other — at reunions, at script readings, at last rites, and now at a casual outing by CST. Akhilendra Mishra's latest picture is a small but telling sign of a bond that has outlasted most Bollywood ensembles by decades.
Key Takeaways
Akhilendra Mishra shared a group photo with Lagaan co-stars at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CST) , Mumbai, on 27 August 2026 .
Lagaan , released on 15 June 2001 , completed 25 years in June 2026, marked by a major cast reunion, script-reading session, and theatrical re-release.
The film starred Aamir Khan , Gracy Singh , and Rachel Shelley , and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film .
Actor Pradeep Rawat , who played Deva Singh Sodhi in the film, passed away on 4 August 2026 at age 74 after a battle with cancer.
Members of the cast, including Aamir Khan and Ashutosh Gowariker , attended Rawat's last rites in Mumbai .
Actor Akhilendra Mishra, who played Arjan in the cult classic Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, stepped out in Mumbai on 27 August with fellow members of the film's ensemble cast, posing for a group photograph against the iconic backdrop of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CST), formerly known as Victoria Terminus. The outing offered a warm glimpse of the Lagaan fraternity staying connected more than two decades after the film's release.
The CST Outing
Mishra shared the picture on social media, showing himself alongside three other members of the Lagaan team at the heritage railway station. The imposing Gothic facade of CST — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — formed the backdrop for the reunion snapshot. The casual meet-up follows a series of gatherings the cast has held through 2026 as part of the film's 25th anniversary celebrations.
Lagaan at 25: A Year of Celebrations
Released on 15 June 2001, Lagaan starred Aamir Khan as Bhuvan, Gracy Singh as Gauri, and Rachel Shelley as Elizabeth Russell, alongside a large ensemble that included Raghubir Yadav, Rajesh Vivek, Raj Zutshi, Pradeep Rawat, Daya Shankar Pandey, Yashpal Sharma, Amin Hajee, and Aditya Lakhia. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and remains one of the most celebrated works in Indian cinema.
The silver jubilee year saw director Ashutosh Gowariker and Aamir Khan reunite with nearly the entire original cast for a special celebration, which included a script-reading session where Khan and Gracy Singh recreated the Bhuvan-Gauri scenes, and Khan and Paul Blackthorne revisited the film's iconic exchanges. Lagaan also returned to theatres for a celebratory re-release during the anniversary period.
Remembering Pradeep Rawat
The reunion gatherings this year have also carried a note of grief. Actor Pradeep Rawat, who portrayed Deva Singh Sodhi — the Sikh ex-sepoy and a pivotal member of Bhuvan's cricket team — passed away on 4 August 2026 at the age of 74 following a battle with cancer. Members of the Lagaan fraternity, including Aamir Khan, Ashutosh Gowariker, Akhilendra Mishra, Daya Shankar Pandey, Amin Hajee, and Yashpal Sharma, attended his last rites in Mumbai to pay their final respects.
A Bond That Has Endured
The CST outing underscores the enduring camaraderie among the Lagaan cast — a bond forged during an unusually long and physically demanding shoot in Bhuj, Gujarat in 1999-2000. For many in the ensemble, the film remains a defining chapter, and the 25th year appears to have rekindled those ties in a visible, public way. The fraternity's collective mourning for Rawat, followed by informal outings like this one, reflect a closeness that has outlasted the film's run by a quarter century.
Point of View
A co-star's funeral, and now an informal city outing — is unusual in an industry where post-release bonds rarely survive the next project. What makes this noteworthy is context: the cast is gathering in the shadow of Pradeep Rawat's death, which gives these meet-ups an emotional weight beyond nostalgia. The CST photograph is a small moment, but it arrives at a time when the Lagaan fraternity is processing both celebration and loss simultaneously — and choosing to do it together.
NationPress
27 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Akhilendra Mishra and what role did he play in Lagaan?
Akhilendra Mishra is a veteran Bollywood actor who played Arjan, a member of Bhuvan's cricket team, in the 2001 film Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India. He has appeared in numerous Hindi films and television productions over a career spanning several decades.
When did Lagaan release and what is its significance?
Lagaan was released on 15 June 2001 and is widely regarded as one of the most celebrated films in Indian cinema. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and starred Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, and Rachel Shelley in lead roles.
What happened during Lagaan's 25th anniversary celebrations in 2026?
The silver jubilee was marked by a major cast and crew reunion, a special script-reading session featuring Aamir Khan and Gracy Singh recreating scenes, and a theatrical re-release of the film. Director Ashutosh Gowariker reunited with nearly the entire original ensemble for the occasion.
Who was Pradeep Rawat and when did he pass away?
Pradeep Rawat was an actor who played Deva Singh Sodhi, the Sikh ex-sepoy in Lagaan's cricket team. He passed away on 4 August 2026 at the age of 74 following a battle with cancer. Cast members including Aamir Khan and Akhilendra Mishra attended his last rites in Mumbai.
Where was the Lagaan team outing photographed?
The photograph was taken at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CST) in Mumbai, the UNESCO World Heritage Site formerly known as Victoria Terminus (V.T. station). Akhilendra Mishra shared the picture showing himself with three other Lagaan team members against the station's iconic backdrop.
