More than two decades after its release, ‘Logan’ is being considered as one Indian cinemaIts most influential film. The period sports drama not only captivated audiences worldwide but also reshaped the practice of filmmaking in the industry. Among those deeply affected by the film were filmmakers Anurag Kashyapwho recently reflected on its significance during a conversation Aamir Khan Production on Instagram.Recalling the buzz around the film even before its release, Kashyap began on a humorous note. “What stood out for me even before watching the film, Ashu (Ashutosh GowarikarWent off to shoot with a full head of hair, came back bald.”He then talked about how ‘Logan’ introduced filmmaking techniques that were unusual at the time. “The first thing was the way they were shooting the film. We heard they were doing sync sound, and sync sound was something that was missing at the time. I think it resumed with Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai.” The disciplined production model of the film left a lasting impression on him. “And I was very determined when I was punching, I said I want sync sound too. The way they handled the film changed a lot in the industry. A very organized way of shooting, controlling your budget, the process of making that film taught the whole industry a lot.”Kashyap revealed that anticipation for ‘Logan’ was unusually high in film circles while it was shooting. “I think it was six to eight months of shooting, and we were waiting for Lagaan to finish and I think more than a year to come out. At that time Prithvi sat Aamir was the producer of the play I was working with. Makrand Deshpande And the whole team that went to ‘Logan’.”Sharing his memories of first watching the film, Kashyap admits that many were initially apprehensive about its long runtime. “When the film came out, I went to the Gaiety Galaxy the first day to see it and we were so scared. It’s like a three hour and forty minute movie, how is this going to happen, what is going to happen? We heard so many stories. But when we went to the film, we suddenly, like at the midpoint, we didn’t just see ourselves as the audience, we were in the audience and the audience of the film.“The filmmaker said he was sure the film was destined for international recognition. “And when the glass came bowling and all that, we were literally off our seats. And I was literally excited and I said this picture is going to go to the Oscars.”Kashyap also reflected on the challenges ‘Logan’ faced at the box office, as it released alongside blockbuster ‘Gadar’. Despite the competition, he and many others in the industry passionately supported Ashutosh Gowariker’s film. “And it was like a joke. And then we heard that it was being screened in Piazza Grande Locarno and the noise it made from that screening was something else. And we were very happy because you know the film Gadar released. And most of the mainstream popular audience was going for Gadar. And for us, we were rooting for Lagaan. We were happy that Gadar was doing so well, but we were rooting so much for Lagaan. And we wanted to expand it, but it wasn’t more than three shows because of the duration of the film.”Looking back on the film’s lasting impact, Kashyap credits Lagaan with changing ideas about long-format storytelling in mainstream cinema. “But it was always like you’re watching in the stadium, you’re in the film. And this is the first film in a very, very long time to have that kind of impact. If Lagaan hadn’t worked, we filmmakers wouldn’t have made a film like Wasseypur. Such duration, length, if you hold the story of the film and you don’t think that it is three hours and forty minutes. The industry we operate in today is like Lagan’s child in a way.”For Kashyap, ‘Logan’ was more than just a successful film – it was a turning point that expanded the possibilities of storytelling and influenced an entire generation of filmmakers.
