Hrithik Roshan’s 'Lakshya' was shot 17,800 feet above sea level and more interesting facts

Lakshya is a 2004 movie directed by Farhan Akhtar. The movie stars Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta and Amitabh Bachchan. The story follows an aimless young man who joins the Indian Army and learns the struggles of a soldier. 

Also read: Hrithik Roshan And Tiger Shroff Starrer 'War': 5 Reasons To Watch The Action-thriller

It has been 16 years since Farhan Akhtar's blockbuster was released. Farhan, who had already received acclaim for his film Dil Chahta Hai, had to shift his attention to a serious genre. Making the film in Ladakh helped the filmmaker evolve as a person. As the film turned 16, we give you some facts about the film that you probably didn't know. 

• Hrithik Roshan wasn't the first choice of director Farhan Akhtar for the movie Lakshya. The role was initially offered to Arjun Rampal. But due to scheduling issues, Arjun had to turn down the role as he didn't have the time to shoot the film on the required dates. The role was then offered to Hrithik.
• Some of the most beautiful scenes in the movie Lakshya were shot in Ladakh at minus 8-9 degrees and at the approximate height of 17,800 feet above the sea level. Since the film was shot in the mountains, travelling with the shooting equipment wasn't easy.
• Even though the film had an impressive cast and a compelling story, it earned a below-par 230 million at the domestic box office and was declared ‘okay’. 

Also read: Sussanne Khan's Father's Day Video For Hrithik Has Pinkie Roshan's Attention

• Since the film was shot at high altitudes, the actors and crew members even collapsed at times. The team had also stated in one of the interviews that if there were several takes for a shot that called for light running, the cast and crew had to depend on oxygen cylinders. The fight sequences in the movie were shot at night when the temperature would drop to sub-zero temperatures. 
• When they were shooting in Leh, the crew couldn't use their mobile phones. After the shoot would wrap up, everyone would use landline phones to speak to their respective families and loved ones. 
• The vast majority of the non-speaking Army roles in the film were filled by real-life soldiers of 13th Battalion, The Punjab Regiment. In the film, the unit portrayed is 3rd Battalion, The Punjab Regiment.
• Amitabh Bachchan, despite having a major role in the film, has only around 20 minutes of entire screen time in the film.