Twenty-five years after its release, Ashutosh Gowarikar’s epic sports drama rent A historic moment remains in Indian cinema. The film, starring Aamir Khan in the lead role, is remembered for its thrilling story as well as its unforgettable cricket match. And while viewers know every frame of what’s going on on screen, the making of the film came with its own set of untold stories.

had an exclusive conversation with India TodayActor Paul Blackthorne recalls his time shooting the film and shares a series of behind-the-scenes memories. They included an amusing anecdote about Aamir Khan, the British cast’s desire to eat something other than Indian curry, and the food eventually remembered as “curry pasta”.

Blackthorne, who played ruthless British officer Captain Andrew Russell, described the shooting experience as intense, exhausting and unlike anything he had experienced before. He said, “It was like being in a pressure cooker for four months. There was a lot in the pot. There were a lot of ingredients, the people you were there with, the Indian people, the British people, the local people, the filming, the context, the environment, the script. It was very intense, very intense.”

As readers will know, most rent It was shot in the Bhuj region of Gujarat, where the cast and crew spent months battling extreme weather. According to Blackthorne, every day brings a new challenge, as he said, “Honestly, every day gives you something new. Except for the cricket match, which took several weeks to shoot. We had one day off a week when I would run to the beach, sit there, and try to recharge for the next six days. In the end, I think we went to a seven-day week. But every day was incredible.”

Since he started shooting in January, the heat arrived in Gujarat after a few months and he himself admitted that it took some time to get used to the weather. He joked, “You’re slowly getting used to it. Or maybe it’s like boiling a frog in water. You’re just slowly getting boiled and you don’t even realize it.”

The weather was not the only struggle the English actors faced, as dust storms and even swarms of insects sometimes hindered filming. Blackthorne recalled, “There were dust storms. I think there was a swarm of locusts one time. They were like, ‘Stop filming, there are locusts!’ Or bees or something… swarms of things flying around. There were a lot of challenges, especially for the camera department.”

But amidst all the memories rent Set, it’s a food-related story involving Aamir Khan that still makes Blackthorne laugh. The actor revealed that after eating curry almost every day for several weeks, Khan asked him whether the British artist was happy with the food arrangement.

“After about a week or two, Amir came to me and said, ‘Paul, are all the English people happy with the food?’ Because we were eating papaya and porridge for breakfast, then curry for lunch and dinner every day. I suggested the crew might enjoy a change once in a while, and he agreed,” he shared.

The next day, the excitement quickly spread when the actors entered the dining area and saw the silver tray with a lid. As soon as someone picked one up, they were happy to see penne pasta.

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However, the celebration didn’t last long, as Blackthorne shared amid laughs, “Everyone started yelling, ‘There’s the pasta.’ We rushed in, filled our bowls, popped them in our mouths and immediately realized, ‘It’s the curry pasta.’ It was pasta in that curry!”

Paul Blackthorne, who took off to celebrate 25 years rent Shared with the cast and crew how India still feels like home to him. And when he was asked whether he was getting offers after this post rentThe actor smiled and said, “Yes, several times over the years. But I’m afraid my bar has been set quite high.” rent. Besides, I was very busy in America for a long time, so nothing much happened. but who knows? We’ll see what the future brings. I am very much looking forward to doing something in Indian films,” he concluded.

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, rent is back in theatres, the makers have also released a special trailer to commemorate this milestone.

Originally released in 2001, the film became a milestone in Indian cinema and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 74th Oscars.