Lagaan 2001 (Movie Review)


Dir: Ashutosh Gawarikar
Starring: Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh
Dur: 3 hrs 44 mins
Genre: Drama
Rating: 4/5

The British domination over India is something we Indians have probably grown tired of hearing. We are aware of the way they treated us, exploited us and lorded over us. We are also equally aware of the Indian responses to this subjugation. Lagaan tells the story of an unheard of rebellion against the British. The villages of India were subject to heavy tax (lagaan) which they had to pay irrespective of their condition.

A young man from Champaner, Bhuvan (Aamir Khan) is offered a chance to free his and the surrounding villages from lagaan. The catch? He must beat the British soldiers in a game of cricket or pay three times the lagaan. Already here you can guess the outcome, but that is not so important. The crucial part of the film is the in-between. Bhuvan’s village has not seen rain for a couple of years. The mere sight of gathering clouds send them into a frenzy of celebration. After much prayer and waiting they were still left with nothing. Bhuvan and his challenge seem their only hope. He forms a team and slowly begins to win the approval and support of the villagers. The match is well captured. The suspense, anxiety and joy come out convincingly. The only hitch is the poor quality of cricket particularly from the British. A love triangle is thrown in to add appeal to the film and it works out well. There were quite a few things that afforded incredulity but you can hardly expect a Bollywood film without them.

The story is excellent. The actors are fantastic particularly Gracy, who is a delight. There was scope for a little more drama but the film is alright as it is. An excellent job and reason to be proud of our Indian identity.   

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