Rachel Shelley shares behind-the-scenes pictures from ‘Lagaan’ as film marks 25 years

British actress Rachel Shelley has shared behind-the-scenes photographs from Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, revisiting memories of the 2001 film. Shelley played Elizabeth Russell in the Aamir Khan-starrer, which earned an Academy Award nomination.

Mumbai: British actress Rachel Shelley took a trip down memory lane by sharing a few behind-the-scenes pictures from the sets of her 2001 film Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India.

She gave fans a glimpse into the making of the period drama.

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Taking to her social media account, Rachel shared a series of throwback pictures from the film’s sets. In one picture, the actress is seen riding a horse, dressed in her character look outfit comprising a long skirt.

Another picture captures her sitting among villagers during what appears to be a filming sequence, with actress Gracy Singh seated beside her in a yellow saree.

The third picture shows Rachel posing alongside a member of the film’s crew, hand-in-hand.

Sharing the photographs, Rachel wrote, “A few more #BTS for any #LagaanLovers out there… #Lagaan #25yearsoflagaan #elizabeth”

For the uninitiated, Rachel essayed the role of Elizabeth Russell in Lagaan, the compassionate sister of the ruthless British officer Captain Andrew Russell, played by Paul Blackthorne.

Unlike her brother, Elizabeth sympathises with the villagers of Champaner and secretly teaches them cricket to help them challenge the British in a historic match.

As the story progresses, Elizabeth develops feelings for Bhuvan, played by Aamir Khan. She is then left heartbroken when she realises that Bhuvan is in love with Gauri, portrayed by Gracy Singh.

Written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and produced by Aamir Khan under Aamir Khan Productions, Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India was released on June 15, 2001.

The film featured an ensemble cast comprising Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Suhasini Mulay, Raghubir Yadav, Rajesh Vivek, Yashpal Sharma, Raj Zutshi, Akhilendra Mishra and Daya Shankar Pandey, among others.

The film’s music was composed by A.R. Rahman, with lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar. The movie also earned a nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 74th Academy Awards.

Earlier in June 2026, the cast and crew reunited to celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary with a special script-reading session, revisiting memories of the landmark production.