Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Producer: Aamir Khan
Story: Ashutosh Gowariker
Screenplay: Ashutosh Gowariker,Kumar Dave,Sanjay Dayma
Dialogue: K.P. Saxena
Cinematography: Anil Mehta
Art: Nitin Desai
Editor: Ballu Saluja
Lyricist: Javed Akhtar
Music Director: A R Rahman
Cast: Aamir Khan,Gracy Singh,Paul Blackthorne,Rachel Shelley
Length: 223 minutes
Release: 15 June 2001
Country: India
Plot:The year is 1893. The farmers of a small village in central India have been waiting for the evasive monsoons to rain on their dusty crops but to no avail. On top of their woes, the local British ruler Captain Russell (Paul Blackthorne) has demanded double tax - Lagaan. The angry villagers confront their masters, only to be faced with the arrogant Russell who issues them with a challenge: a game of cricket.The unlikely heroes are led by enigmatic farmer Bhuvan (Aamir Khan), who slowly wins the hearts and minds of the village, inspiring them to learn the game and climaxing in the most lively and tense cricket match witnessed on the silver screen.
My Take:This may seem like a ridiculous idea for a movie but this was one of the most exciting and wonderful movies ever made in Indian cinema.It all comes down to a cricket match between the upper class British twits and the neophyte Indian farmers.But the movie is no just about a cricket match.It speaks volume about the Indian culture, the social issues and the lifestyle of people of central India in that era. The movie is not just a story. It is an experience. An experience of watching something that puts life into you, that puts a cheer on your face, however depressed you might be.To make a movie of this kind calls for real guts. It requires grit and determination to attempt a film of this magnitude. It requires guts to defy the norms and parameters of commercial cinema and devote the entire film to a cricket match. It also requires valour and money in abundance to recreate an era which none from the present generation have witnessed (the film is set in the year 1893). A. R. Rahman does justice to this Indian musical.This movie has gems of A. R. Rahman songs and background scores.Anil Mehta's cinematography, Bhanu Athaiya's costumes, Nakul Kamte's sound and tremendous acting performance by all the actors take the movie to the next level. Amitabh Bachchan's commentary, interspersed throughout the film, is one of the assets.Whichever country you belong to, if you are a movie lover this is a movie which certainly falls in the list of movies-to-see-before-you-die.
DID U KNOW?
- Ashutosh first put forth the idea of the film to Shahrukh Khan, Khan was not able to do the film and recommended Aamir Khan for the film.
- Initially Aamir Khan not only refused to act in it but also tried to dissuade Gowariker from making it.As he insisted in making something 'safe' this time as their previous venture Baazi had bombed at the box office.Finally Aamir Khan went on to produce this high budget movie.
- The movie was shot in villages of Bhuj (Gujarat). Bhuj was destroyed in an earthquake on 26th January 2001, six months after the movie was shot.
- The first Bollywood production in 30 years to use synchronized sound. An Arri535 camera, brought over from Germany, was used to facilitate sync-sound recording. Most Indian films are dubbed entirely in the studio in the process known as ADR.
- Lagaan was also number 14 on Channel Four's "50 Films to See Before you Die" list; it was the only Indian movie to be listed.
- It was shot in six months from start to finish - unusual for Bollywood where films can take up to three years to complete.
- Lagaan was nominated for the best foreign language film at the Academy Award nominations ceremony.The film made it to the last five but failed to win the oscar.This is attributed to the fact that westerners are not used to the typical song-and-dande bollywood flicks which last for 2.5 to 3 hrs.
- Initially the script was set in the modern era and gradually as the discussion progressed it was set to pre-independence era.The year the story takes place(1893) was not chosen randomly but was set to coincide with many events associated with the independence of India.
- The filming schedule was spread across the winter and summer seasons commencing early January and finishing in mid-June. This was physically challenging to many with the temperatures ranging from 0 - 50 degrees Celsius.Throughout the shoot, the actors had to hydrate themselves and sit in the shade.
- After pre-planning for a year, a crew of about 300 people were selected for six months.With a good hotel lacking in Bhuj, they hired a newly constructed apartment and furnished it completely for the crew.The shooting schedule was strict. The day began at 6 A.M., getting dressed up and getting into the actors' bus, which took them to the sets in Kanuria. All the actors, including Aamir, travelled on that bus. If anyone missed the bus, it was up to them to reach the sets.
- Much before its worldwide release, Aamir Khan had screened the film for the locals of Bhuj, as promised.
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