Lagaan

Lagaan (transl. Agricultural tax), released internationally as Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language musical sports film written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, and produced by and starring Aamir Khan, along with debutant Gracy Singh and British actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne in supporting roles.

The film is set in 1893, during the late Victorian period of India's colonial British Raj. The story takes place in a small village in Central India, whose settlers, overloaded by high taxes, and several years of drought, find themselves in an bizarre situation as an arrogant British army officer challenges them to a game of cricket, as a wager to avoid paying the taxes they owe. The narrative spins around this situation as the villagers face the extremely difficult task of learning a game that is strange and new to them and playing for a result that will change their village's destiny.

Lagaan released on 15 June 2001, clashing with Gadar: Ek Prem Katha starring Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel. Lagaan received worldwide critical acclaim and awards at international film festivals, and many Indian film awards and it became a blockbuster. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Made on a very expensive of ₹250 million (US$5.32 million), the movie was a humongous project from Aamir Khan Productions and was filmed in villages near Bhuj.

Cast

• Aamir Khan as Bhuvan Latha
• Gracy Singh as Gauri
• Rachel Shelley as Elizabeth Russell
• Paul Blackthorne as Captain Andrew Russell
• Suhasini Mulay as Yashoda Maa, Bhuvan's mother
• Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Raja Puran Singh
• Rajendra Gupta as Mukhiya Ji
• Raghubir Yadav as Bhura (fielder)
• Rajesh Vivek as Guran (seamer)
• Raj Zutshi as Ismail (batsman)
• Pradeep Rawat as Deva Singh Sodhi (all-rounder)
• Akhilendra Mishra as Arjan (batsman), the blacksmith.
• Daya Shankar Pandey as Goli (seamer), the man with the largest piece of land.
• Shrivallabh Vyas as Ishwar (wicket-keeper), the vaidya (doctor) in the village and Gauri's father.
• Yashpal Sharma as Lakha (batsman), the woodcutter.
• Amin Hajee as Bagha (batsman), the mute drummer.
• Aditya Lakhia as Kachra (spinner), the untouchable.
• Javed Khan as Ram Singh, Indian who works with British and helps Elizabeth in translating villagers language.
• A. K. Hangal as Shambu Kaka
• Amin Gazi as Tipu
• John Rowe as Colonel Boyer
• David Gant as Major Warren
• Thor Halland as Captain Roberts
• Jeremy Child as Major Cotton

References