SINGAPORE, 28 September, 2026 (Ghufran): Bollywood star Aamir Khan will be honoured with the Screen Icon Award at the 37th Singapore International Film Festival, marking the 25th anniversary of his acclaimed film Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India. Khan will attend a special 25th-anniversary screening of the film at the festival and will also participate in an “In Conversation With” session. The Singapore International Film Festival will run from October 21 to November 1, with this year’s edition being held about a month earlier than usual. The Screen Icon Award recognises Asian actors for outstanding creative contributions to cinema. Released on June 15, 2001, Lagaan was set in 1893 during British colonial rule and followed villagers in central India struggling with drought and heavy taxes. The story takes an unusual turn when a British officer challenges the villagers to a cricket match, offering to waive their taxes if they defeat his team. Despite its lengthy runtime, historical setting and focus on cricket, the film achieved both commercial and critical success. Gracy Singh starred opposite Aamir Khan, while Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne, Suhasini Mulay, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Raghubir Yadav and A.K. Hangal were also part of the cast. A.R. Rahman’s music further contributed to the film’s enduring popularity. Lagaan was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 74th Academy Awards in 2002, although Bosnia and Herzegovina’s No Man’s Land won the award. The film remains among the Indian productions that have reached that stage at the Oscars. Celebrations marking its 25th anniversary have also taken place at film festivals in London and Melbourne. Khan attended a special screening at the Indian Film Festival of London in July, where he reunited with Rachel Shelley, while Lagaan opened the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne in August. Speaking at the London screening, Khan reflected on the film’s 25-year journey, saying it was difficult to put into words the significance of the milestone and recalling how the team had worked with belief, passion and sincerity without knowing the film would continue to receive affection for decades.