IMDb user comments for
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001)

advertisement

Filter:

Best Chronological Prolific Authors Loved It Hated It Hide Spoilers:

Page 1 of 22:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Index

212 comments in total

---

81 out of 88 people found the following comment useful :-
Boy, was I surprised!, 1 March 2002

Author: Morten

Okay, I am not from India, not even close. I am from Scandinavia. Before Lagaan I had never watched any Hindi movies of any kind. I know about 3 words from the hindi language. And I don't like musicals much. I viewed the movie on a DVD of rather poor quality compared to the state of the art DVDs I am used to. And I was told the movie lasted close to 4(!) hours... I figured this would be a complete waste of time... BOY was I wrong! This movie is completely the opposite! It is just amazing! Mr. Gowariker has selected an incredible cast with Aamir Khan in the lead. He makes an stunning performance as the village rebel, Bhuvan. He tries to unite the village in a struggle for life against the greedy Britons. The Britons exploit the villages by collecting lagaan (tax). This means that most of the harvest surplus is gone and there is just enough left for food for the farmers themselves. It's a classic war between "David", the native villagers of India, and "Goliath", the powerful and greedy Britons. But what makes it really interesting is that this war is fought in a Cricket arena. This is a challenge from the Britons, who are well known with Cricket, against the village, where most people have never laid eyes upon a cricket bat. If the villagers win, there will be no lagaan at all, for three years! And if the Britons win, they will collect triple lagaan, which will mean the end of the village. The stakes could not be higher!!

I can't remember a movie being this thrilling and having so much life in it. And the music has a huge impact thanks to the great voices of Udit Narayan, Lata Mangeshkar etc. And the dancing is a chapter in itself! Few or none will leave this movie not remembering the song "Mitwa, sun Mitwa". It is a must see for everyone, inside and outside of India. And this movies has been totally righteously nominated for an Oscar too, and I wouldn't be surprised if it goes all the way to the top. It has my vote! It gets 10 out of 10 from me. Excellent!

---

43 out of 49 people found the following comment useful :-
A Magnificent and Overwhelming Fairytale – An Oscar Deserving, 15 July 2004

Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In 1893, India was a colony of England. The starving native farmers had to pay an imposed tax to the British soldiers for the protection of their lands, delivering most of their harvest to the British Queen. In those years, the lands were very dry due to the lack of rain, and the inhabitants of Champaner decide to request to their Rajah Puran Singh (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) to waive the taxes. While waiting for the Rajah, Bhuvan (Aamir Khan), the beloved friend of Gauri (Gracy Singh), comments that the silly game of cricket was a stupid game, comparable to the Indian child game `gilli-danda'. The nasty and arrogant Captain Andrew Russell (Paul Blackthorne), who had had a previous discussion with Bhuvan, listens to his comment and challenges Bhuvan to play a match against the British team, imposing the following condition: if the natives win the game, they would not need to pay Lagaan for the next three years. Otherwise, they would triplicate their payment in that year. Bhuvan accepts the bet despite of the opinion of his people. The sister of Captain Russell, Elizabeth Russell (Rachel Shelley), finds the competition unfair to the Indians and decides to help Bhuvan and his friends, teaching them how to play cricket. This movie is a magnificent and overwhelming fairytale. It really deserved an Oscar nomination! The nice and well-directed story has wonderful songs and interpretations, romance, treason, dispute, drama, beautiful messages, outstanding choreography, being a stunning film indicated as family entertainment. The expensive Brazilian DVD is a shame, showing a total lack of respect of the `Columbia Tristar Home Video' with the Brazilian costumers: the important songs do not have subtitles in Portuguese. I changed the option in the `Menu' to `English', and there were subtitles in English. At least in the opinion of the ridiculous Columbia representatives, Brazilians shall learn English first to understand the wonderful lyrics sang in Hindi. I feel really sorry for those who cannot understand English, since they will miss the meaning of these songs. It is amazing how 225 minutes running time passes so fast when you see such a marvelous movie. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): `Lagaan – A Coragem de Um Povo' (`Lagaan – The Courage of a People')

---

44 out of 54 people found the following comment useful :-
A cinematic masterpiece that will take your breath away..., 16 June 2001
Author: fuaad45 from London, England

Sony Entertainment's Lagaan is more an experience than a movie.

Indian actor Aamir Khan's home production is a cinematic experience which highlights Indian cinema to the hilt, while weaving a tale set in Champaner during the time of the British Empire's presence which deals with Lagaan (the tax of the land) and a village's upheaval against its oppressors.

The film revolves mainly around three characters namely Bhuvan (Aamir Khan), Gauri (debutante Gracey Singh) and Elizabeth (British actress Rachel Shelley), and deals with Bhuvan's spirited fight to defend what is his birthright, as he embroils the entire village into a magnitude of problems which inadvertently ends up being their only escape from the tyranny under which they reside. Gauri is the simple village girl who loyally stands behind the man she loves yet cannot profess her love to, while Elizabeth is the beautiful sister of the British Lieutenant and the complication who aids the village in their fight against injustice.

The first half sets the scene beautifully, explaining what Lagaan is, introducing the characters and gradually pulling the audience into this period and place, literally taking the viewer into Champaner through cinematography which highlights the locales and sets which establish the standard of living. It makes you feel for the characters, believe in the villagers and draws you into the celluloid created world, while the second presents to you their turmoil, dawns on you what is at stake and whisks you away in a tornado of emotions and rising spirits.

The opening scenes are more congruent to joining a conversation midway, as from the moment you are thrust into 1893's India, you gain footing and a sense of atmosphere, feeling at ease as the camera pans across its setting for the movie, drifting into the journey that will hold your attention for the duration of the film. Apart from familiarising the viewer with its characters, the first half also takes you back with its breathtakingly beautiful cinematography and fitting background score. The characters are established, the situation presented and relationships etched, with each scene rhythmically flowing from one to the other in a continuos motion.

The second half is less involved in justifying its characters and aims more towards culminating the scene which has been set in the first. By this time you are already a part of this world and your emotions have already been stirred, now they are put to the test as the events which will determine the entire crux of the film begin and get the viewer involved.

The romantic triangle between Bhuvan, Gauri and Elizabeth is expertly handled. The beauty of its predicament is that no one feels a loss by the end of the film, and director Ashutosh Gowariker beautifully justifies eternal love (but not necessarily requitted love) through drawing a comparison with the spiritual romance of the Hindu god Krishna and Radha. A delightfully delicately handled scene and situation gives birth to the foundation which will resolve the triangle in a manner leaving warmth in the viewer's heart.

Aamir Khan is a revelation. His acting is superb and be it the conviction and fire in his eyes, the way he draws breaths from the air of the abode he calls home or even gulps at the atrocities he witnesses, he has become Bhuvan completely. His portrayal is such that it puts you inside Bhuvan's psyche and enables the viewer to understand the character from his demeanour alone. His piercing eyes stare sharply like razor blades, cutting through the camera and leave a haunting impression on an unsuspecting audience, drawing them more and more deeper into his world.

Gracey Singh performs ably and is also an extremely graceful dancer, as particularly evident in the Radha Kaise Na Jale song. She acts with her eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, all of her and gives to the role of Gauri completely, giving a debut performance of high calibre.

Rachel Shelley makes her presence felt like an ethereal spirit. Apart from looking stunning she adds to whichever frame she is in with panache and style. Her crossover to Indian cinema, or indeed to this film, is delicately handled and a feat to be applauded. To light a face like Shelley's in the same frame as the villagers without making one or the other look considerably darker or awkwardly paler, is a difficult task in itself. But the cinematography, the lighting and make up is such that the characters come alive as physical presences which complement each other, as do Aamir Khan and Rachel Shelley. Her interactions with Bhuvan and the villagers are intricately handled and executed wonderfully, and her inclusion in the O Rey Chori song is poetry on screen. To make a Western character dance in Indian cinema without causing a giggle from the audience or without it appearing unnatural is also something which needs to be handled with careful thought and the result is such that this song picturisation alone will invoke discussion on how beautifully it has been shot.

Andrew Russell's boisterous character is brought to life by Paul Blackthorne, as he slides perfectly under the skin of a character that should reflect British pride and be menacing and hostile. He performs well and bounces off the supporting cast with utmost ease. The entire ensemble of supporting cast are deserved of mention, and particularly Raghuveer Yadav, who dynamically brings the character of Bhura across effectively and convincingly with edge.

A R Rahman is the composer who has scored for many Indian and South Indian films, and this time too he does not betray his reputation of being a modern day Mozart. He literally teases then grabs you with his music, first resonating your veins, then breaths and finally allowing it to explode and burst through your body like an energy force, flowing in sync with your heartbeat. It's lilting melody, fresh sound and courageous allegros mesmerise and reflect the movie's emotions and spirit of hope. The songs are very well picturised and choreography is excellent, particularly Ghanan Ghanan, O Mitwa and O Rey Chori. The bhajan O Paalanhaare is bewitchingly lit and shot, injecting a spiritual vibe as candles' flickering flames hypnotise every viewer whose eyes dance to its command.

The film belongs to Aamir and Ashutosh Gowariker all the way. Direction is superb and results in what is a true mark on Indian cinema, held together by Aamir's awe-inspiring performance.

Lagaan is about hope, courage, fighting against injustice, the human spirit and about Indians. You enter the cinema to be entertained, and leave with a piece of cinematic history being firmly etched in your heart.

Fuad Omar.

---

35 out of 40 people found the following comment useful :-
Perfect First Time Bollywood Treat, 3 September 2004
Author: gpadillo from Portland, Maine

This was my first full-fledged trip into Bollywood and I couldn't have asked for a better entry. While there were some inconsistencies in sound, overall I loved the picture. Some of the songs and dances were breathtaking and emotionally charged. In particular the number where Bhuvan and the young boy are sitting on a hill and they're shrugging their shoulders, soon getting the village into the act. The other number where Bhuvan and Gauri re-enact the love of Krishna and Radha in exquisite dancing. Also there were many moments of stunning, breathtaking images, including the women of the village seated in the temple praying for salvation. Absolutely stunning.

While I feel some judicious pruning could have trimmed the nearly 4 hour long version I watched (the DVD of which included an additional 17 minutes cut from this version) the picture did not seem nearly as long as it really was.

Aamir Khan is such an instantly likable presence and Gracy Singh is simply irresistible as Gauri.

Paul Blackthorne was a hilarious, old-school villain right out of a penny dreadful melodrama – and I mean this as a compliment.

Rachel Shelley's Elizabeth was a perfect blend of Victorian reserved beauty and free spirit and noble in her heartbreak.

So many other performances ran the gamut from old school "b" stereotypical characters to some original ideas.

The blending of melodrama (in its purest sense) true comedic moments (the hen keeper), self and enlightenment culminated in the scene where Bhuvan shocks the village by touching an untouchable; his stirring, heartfelt speech about brotherhood and putting away castes shaming the village into enlightenment.

Some of the criticism leveled at Lagaan is (I believe) unduly harsh. This is a charming movie and a perfect introduction into the joys of Bollywood.

---

21 out of 26 people found the following comment useful :-
Lagaan Once Upon A Time In India, 23 January 2003
Author: Sophia (gabriellasofia@yahoo.com) from United states Of America

This movie not only opened my eyes to the beatuies of india but also the hearts of India. I fell in love with this movie at once and I feel very close to all of the characters I know them and feel for them. The dancing and singing made my heart pound and my heart overwhelmed by the matchless beauty and I was imagining myself following along with Gauri. I love this story and I could watch it daily and never tire of the beauty it holds. I have always loved indian people and the culture which they live, I am American and have never visited India,soon I will visit in person and dreams of going there will no longer tug at me . I hope to one day perform the dances as well as those in the movie. I really loved that in the movie the characters were faced with such hardship but somehow they were of cheer and sang together and lifted one anothers spirits.I love this movie some may tire of its length but I wish it would continue forever. I want to be a part of it.

---

20 out of 25 people found the following comment useful :-
A must see for all Indian cricket fans!, 18 June 2001

Author: malvika from Chennai

Initially I was warned about the length of the movie-3hrs and 50 mins.But believe me, its worth it.There is a refreshing Indian-ness about the movie,which is welcome after a recent bout of Hollywood remakes in Hindi that have become such an eye-sore.

The emotion that Indians share about cricket is effectively taken advantage of(the cricket match played between villagers of Champaner and the British officers which forms the climax ,extends to about an hour and a half).

The best part of the movie is the characterization of the eleven players (villagers).Aamir Khan is at his best in this movie and Gracie Singh lives the role of Gauri.The acting talents of the British actors esp. that of the officer Captain Russel(played by Paul Blackthorne) is notable.

There was never a boring moment in the film, the dialogues and songs' lyrics are very meaningful.And lastly I must appreciate the work behind the entire cricket sequence as it covers most of the aspects of the game and not to mention - match fixing,sledging,body line bowling ,making it gripping till the last ball! A must see for Indian cricket fans!

---

22 out of 30 people found the following comment useful :-
The Best Indian Movie of the Year 2001, 7 November 2003
Author: Steven Prasetya (prasetya.steven@lycos.com) from Singapore

I initially gave this movie a miss after I was totally disappointed by "Asoka". The latter was hugely advertised but I don't find it good at all.

I finally saw "Lagaan" after a friend told me that this movie was actually good. And she was right. I borrowed the DVD from the library and had to see the movie in 2 sessions due to it's almost 4-hour-long running time. But it was worth it!

The cricket game was captivating. I didn't know anything about cricket but before the movie ended, I felt that I almost understand the game!

I'm not Indian and I seldom see Indian movie even though I love foreign movies, especially Japanese. But "Lagaan" is truly the best Indian movie I've ever seen, or at least the best of the year 2001.

---

18 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
Once Upon A Time In India!, 8 May 2005

Author: anant_mathur

You can add the name of Ashutosh Gowatrikar to the list of the new generation of Indian Film Directors. An amazing list with the likes of Aditya Chopra (Mohabbatein, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge), Farhan Akhtar (Dil Chahta Hai, Lakshya), Karan Johar (Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai), Sooraj Barjatya (Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Hum Saath Saath Hain), Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Khamoshi, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam). And Now Ashutosh Gowatrikar (Lagaan).

When I went to see Lagaan in the theater, I had certain expectations of what the story was going to be like. But as I watched the film I realized that it was nothing like what I thought. The story was totally unexpected. It was quite a surprise. Never before has a film done that, usually the trailers, promos or songs of an Indian film give the story away and you get an idea of what the film is going to be like, but Lagaan was a total surprise.

The story is very well told and each character is well etched. Aamir Khan gives one of his best performances in the film. New find Gracy Singh gives an excellent performance. The Direction and Story of Ashutosh Gowatrikar are beyond words. After watching the film, it is very easy to see why this film was sent to the Oscars for the Best Foreign Film category.

A great movie, definitely worth watching at least 10 or 12 times.

---

13 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
Just One Word: Wow!, 1 July 2005

Author: hokeybutt from Milwaukee, Wisconsin

LAGAAN (4+ outta 5 stars) Years of subjugation and unfair taxation by the British Empire come to a head and the inhabitants of a small Indian farming community face off against their evil oppressors... in a cricket match??? This may seem like a ridiculous idea for a movie (and I won't even mention the fact that it's a musical) but this was the most exciting and wonderful movie I've seen in quite some time. Yes, it all comes down to a cricket match between the upper class British twits and the neophyte Indian farmers... and the movie is almost FOUR HOURS long... but, wow... what a movie this is! The slow building of trust and community among the usually-bickering villagers as they prepare for their ultimate battle is both fascinating and inspiring. It's like watching The Magnificent Seven or The Wild Bunch gathering together for a big showdown... only instead of shooting and killing... there's cricket! A cocky British Captain (Paul Blackthorne) makes a deal with the proud, young Bhuvan (Aamir Khan): he will give the entire region three years of no taxes if they can defeat the British cricket team... but if they lose they have to pay triple tax this year. Since there has been no rain all season and they can't even pay their regular taxes... this becomes a tense, do-or-die situation. Aamir Khan is terrific in the lead (he resembles a cross between Tony Curtis, Peter Sellers and Al Pacino). He is always believable, whether trying to inspire his fellow villagers or facing his English enemies in stony silence or wooing his the lovely Gauri (Gracy Singh) with song and dance. Great story! Great music! Don't miss this one!

---

12 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
Very entertaining film, 31 July 2002
Author: bob the moo from Birmingham, UK

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

1893. In a small farming community in India stands a British cantonment commanded by the cruel Captain Russell. When the Raja refuses to bow to his demands to eat meat he doubles the tax that the community must pay – even though the lack of rain means the community can barely pay the normal rate. When the villagers beg for mercy Russell challenges them to a cricket match – to win means the tax is waived, to lose means it is trebled. One man in the village, Bhuvan takes up the bet and must rally the village to learn the game and win at all costs.

I was given this to watch because I had told someone at work that Bollywood movies are essentially a love story where the parents disapprove but it all gets sorted in a big dance number. So she gave me this to widen my knowledge. At first read of the plot I thought to myself `this is ‘the air up there' with cricket' – then I saw the 3½ hour running time! But I said I'd watch it out of courtesy.

However let me tell you that the time flew by really quickly. It only dragged occasionally but for most of the time I was really entertained by the plot and in some cases gripped by the drama. First of all – I'm not a fan of cricket but this could really be any sport as that is not important to the story. The plot may be the old `underdog' chestnut but it is still very well done with lots of energy and lots of nice touches that take the chestnut and add just enough difference to it to make it seem fresh.

This main plot also has various stories underneath. The main one being the romance between Bhuvan and Gauri which is complicated by the arrival of Elizabeth, who also falls for Bhuvan. This is well handled and is very involving – although I don't really like Bollywood song and dance numbers very much, so these slowed proceedings a little for me. Although many of the songs are comic but also very well choreographed.

The film is really helped by the constant interweaving of comedy in the form of the villagers' characters – they fight, they fall down they argue etc – but it is still amusing if not roaringly funny. However the focus on their plight is never lost – the drama is kept running just below the surface at all times and the final hour is tense. Tense! A cricket match! I didn't expect it to be exciting but at times you are on the edge of your seat – and it isn't as cliched a game as I'd expected it to be!

It does have some flaws of course – the film is a little heavy handed at first in making sure we know the British are bad, it is done too early and too quickly – couldn't we have been led to that conclusion rather than pushed straight away? The songs I found to sound very similar to oneanother – but this may be the fact I don't like them. To add to this the sound quality between the songs and the dialogue was very different – the songs all had a very studio feel when heard beside the dialogue. Also the plot is a little cliched – although I after watching it I did think that it was well done and like I said, had nice touches (which I won't tell) that upped the drama – even if you THINK you know how it'll end.

But over an almost 4 hr running time, minor flaws can be forgiven. Khan is a good Bollywood lead but the film helps him by not making him invincible – rather it does show him making mistakes etc. Singh is good as Gauri even if she is a standard `wide eyes' Bollywood starlet! Surprisingly good was `Holby City' actor Paul Blackthorne who not only manages to give a really mean performance but does it in both Hindi and English. He also looks a bit like Sean Connery – or at least he did to me!

Overall this manages to make the long running time fly by quite easily – a rare feat for a movie these days. It is exciting, romantic and comic. It may have it's flaws but on the whole it is a very entertaining film in many ways.

---

---

Page 1 of 22:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Add another comment

---

Related Links

Plot summary	Amazon.com summary	Ratings
Awards	Newsgroup reviews	External reviews
Official site	Plot keywords	Main details
Your user comments	Your vote history