Aamir Khan and Lagaan co-star Rachel Shelley reunite 25 years later, fans call it ‘iconic’

4 min readNew DelhiJul 14, 2026 11:31 AM IST

The team of Lagaan recently celebrated 25 years of the iconic 2001 film. However, a few cast members were missing from the Mumbai celebration, like English actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne. After getting married to Gauri Spratt, actor Aamir Khan travelled to the London Indian Film Festival. While celebrating Lagaan’s Silver Jubilee at the festival, he met his co-star Rachel, who played the role of Elizabeth Russell in the film. She shared a couple of pictures with him from the event, leaving fans nostalgic.

On Monday, the actress took to her Instagram handle and posted a carousel of photos from the film festival. In the images, Rachel and Aamir can be seen exchanging a side hug while posing for the media on the red carpet. Aamir was wearing a casual outfit – a blue T-shirt and jeans, while Rachel opted for a simple a white dress. Along with the post, she wrote in the caption, “#Lagaan25Years. Thank you @aamirkhanproductions for a glorious Sunday morning celebration @bfifilmacademy @imaxuk #IndianFilmFestivalLondon.”

Check out the post:

As soon as their pictures surfaced on social media, fans went down the memory lane and were happy to see the reunion. “Lovely to see you both celebrating Lagaan’s 25 years. You are always a wonderful part of the Hindi film industry and a wonderful part of our childhood memories. Would love to see you again in an Indian movie,” a user commented. Another fan wrote, “The iconic cast reunited! It would be cool to see you guys recreate some iconic scenes from Lagaan.” “There is no change in Gauri Ma’am. She still looks the same as she did in Lagaan,” a third comment read. “Elizabeth finally found her way back to Bhuvan. Radha is definitely going to be furious in 2026. Absolutely iconic!” a nostalgic fan joked.

ALSO READ | After 2 flops, I would’ve given up direction if Lagaan didn’t work: Ashutosh Gowariker

Around two months ago when Lagaan was re-released in India to celebrate its 25th anniversary, Rachel Shelley had shared a heartwarming clip on Instagram. “Sometimes I feel like it was just yesterday. And other times, it feels like another lifetime ago. I have to say that I feel that, as the cast and crew, we make the film. But the audience, by watching it and giving it so much love and support over the years, you’re the ones who complete the film. It’s with me every day. It’s informed every piece of work I have ever done since,” she said in the video.

About Lagaan

Lagaan is a sports drama helmed by Ashutosh Gowariker and produced by Aamir Khan. The movie is set during the British rule and narrates the story of a group of villagers who challenge British officers to a cricket match to avoid paying hefty taxes (lagaan). Featuring Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh and an ensemble cast, the film was critically acclaimed for its beautiful storytelling, A.R. Rahman’s music and stellar performances. The film also bagged an Oscar nomination in the Best International Feature Film category.

For the unversed, Rachel Shelley essayed the role of Elizabeth Russell, the British woman who discreetly teaches the villagers cricket rules and supports their fight.