Veteran actor Suhasini Mulay says filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker was so struck by her National Film Award-winning turn in the social drama "Hu Tu Tu" that he set out to find and cast her in "Lagaan", his 2001 sports drama.
Mulay delivered one of Hindi cinema's most enduring portrayals of motherhood as Yashodamai, the supportive mother of Aamir Khan's Bhuvan in the film, which completes 25 years on June 15.
The 75-year-old actor recalled that Gowariker chanced upon a promo of "Hu Tu Tu" on television and was instantly struck by her screen presence.
"Lagaan" demanded an unusual level of commitment, according to Mulay, with the cast required to dedicate seven months exclusively to it.
Mulay credited Gowariker's clarity of vision, saying the filmmaker was very particular about each and every detail from the posture to the costumes of every single character.
She added that while the filmmaker welcomed creative input from the cast and crew, any ideas he disliked were instantly shot down.
Mulay believes the film's success and legacy were largely tied to its cricket narrative, which overshadowed her work.
Interestingly, her role as the mother to Akshaye Khanna in "Dil Chahta Hai", which released the same year, opened more work opportunities.
