Amin Hajee has opened up about the professional and financial difficulties he faced after acting in the iconic movie ‘Lagaan’. The actor and writer played Bagha in the Aamir Khan-led film. He said the experience raised his expectations about the kind of work he wanted to take up later.In a recent conversation with Siddharth Kanan, Amin Hajee recalled the years that followed ‘Lagaan’. He revealed that he rejected several acting offers because he did not find the roles worthwhile. His decision also became a source of concern for his wife, Charlotte Whitby-Coles.
Amin Hajee recalls wife’s frustration after ‘Lagaan’
Amin Hajee said Charlotte Whitby-Coles was unhappy with his decision to turn down work. She wanted him to continue working instead of waiting indefinitely for another project that matched ‘Lagaan’.“She was angry with me because I wasn’t signing any more work after Lagaan,” he said. Charlotte Whitby-Coles also remembered how Amin Hajee would react whenever he received an acting offer. According to her, he frequently dismissed the roles after hearing the narration.She said, “After Lagaan, whenever a role came, he would say, ‘This role is rubbish,’ or ‘That’s no good,’ and so on. So I told him, ‘What are we going to do? You have to work. You have to take up some work.’”
Why Amin Hajee says ‘Lagaan’ destroyed him
Amin Hajee explained why he has previously used the word “destroyed” while discussing the impact of ‘Lagaan’ on his career. He considered the film an exceptional opportunity that was difficult to follow.“To be honest, Lagaan was a unique script. It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I was fortunate enough to get Lagaan, but whatever offers or narrations I received after that were zero compared to it. So I was destroyed after Lagaan, because I simply couldn’t work after that. Actually, you can say that they gave me a Taj Mahal like Lagaan; they gave me an opportunity like Swades to write. They gave me a friend like Aamir Khan. What could I have done after that?”The actor also faced financial uncertainty during this period. He spoke about how expensive it can be to maintain a household and lifestyle in a big city. “Everything here costs money,” he said.
Actor opens up about financial struggles
Amin Hajee recalled a time when he struggled to afford even basic clothing. He said urban living brought several financial expectations. Those pressures continued even when his income was uncertain.“I didn’t have money to buy a good shirt and pants. Upkeep in big cities is too much. You won’t have enough money for household expenses, but you still want a big car. That’s the kind of lifestyle you see in cities.”Charlotte Whitby-Coles said their simple approach to life helped them deal with financial challenges. She explained that neither of them was particularly interested in expensive possessions. “We are also quite simple in the way we think. I’m not someone who loves diamonds or jewellery, and he is not someone who likes Gucci or anything like that.”
Amin Hajee discusses pressure of being a provider
Amin Hajee later worked with filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and earned well during their association. Their collaborations included movies such as ‘Haunted 3D’ and ‘1920: The Evil Returns’. However, Amin Hajee eventually left that work to concentrate on a story he wanted to make himself.The decision brought another period of financial uncertainty. Amin Hajee said he felt a strong responsibility to provide for his family.“When I was writing with Vikram Bhatt, I was earning well. I did quite a lot of work with him. I am a husband, and my culture tells me that I have to earn. There is a lot of pressure on men, actually. I am a failure as a man because I never really had money. I was never able to earn consistently. I have seen some very difficult days.”Amin Hajee spent eight years developing ‘Koi Jaane Na’. The psychological thriller eventually became his directorial debut. The movie starred Kunal Kapoor and Amyra Dastur and was released in 2021.
Charlotte Whitby-Coles stood by Amin Hajee
The long journey towards ‘Koi Jaane Na’ also tested the couple financially. Amin Hajee recalled admitting to Charlotte Whitby-Coles that he feared leaving Vikram Bhatt’s projects had been a mistake.“I had written my own story, Koi Jaane Na. I spent eight years making it. One day, I told her, ‘I made a mistake by leaving Vikram’s work. We don’t even have money right now.’” Charlotte Whitby-Coles encouraged him to continue pursuing his ambition. She told him not to focus on their financial situation and instead complete the dream he had been working towards.“Don’t worry about how much we have or don’t have. We are managing with whatever we have. You work. You have to fulfil your dream, so focus on that.” She also challenged Amin Hajee’s belief that he alone had to financially support the family.“She used to say, ‘Why do you think you are the only provider for me? Why are you putting that pressure on yourself to be the provider? I am with you too. If you don’t bring money home today, I will do something. I will earn it’. Charlotte stood by me like a rock, through the bad times and the good times.”Amin Hajee and Charlotte Whitby-Coles live in Panchgani, Maharashtra, with their two daughters. Amin Hajee’s last movie as a writer and director remains the 2021 psychological thriller ‘Koi Jaane Na’.
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