Lagaan - Once upon a time in India...

"Lagaan" (also known as "Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India") is an award winning movie made in India, released on June 1, 2001 and nominated for "Best Foreign Film" Academy Award. Unusually widely distributed throughout the world, this was for many Westerners the first opportunity to see a genuine Bollywood film in their own movie theaters.

Cast and crew

• Aamir Khan as "Bhuvan"
• Gracy Singh as "Gauri"
• Rachel Shelley as "Elizabeth Russell"
• Paul Blackthorne as "Captain Andrew Russell"
• Suhasini Mulay as "Yashodamai"
• Kulbhushan Kharbanda as "Raja Puran Singh"
• Raghuvir Yadav as "Bhura"
• Rajesh Vivek as "Guran"
• Raj Zutshi as "Ismail"
• Pradeep Rawat as "Deva"
• Daya Shankar Pandey as "Goli"
• Yashpal Sharma as "Lakha"
• Amin Hajee as "Bagha"
• Aditya Lakhia as "Kachra"
• A.K. Hangal as "Shambukaka"

Director: Ashutosh Gowarikar

Music Director: A. R. Rahman

Lyricist: Javed Akhtar

Producer: Aamir Khan

Awards and Nominations

• 2002 Oscar Nominated for Best Foreign Film
• 2002 Filmfare Award Best Actor: Aamir Khan
• 2002 Filmfare Award Best Director: Ashutosh Gowarikar
• 2002 Filmfare Award Best Film
• 2002 Filmfare Award Best Music
• 2002 Filmfare Award Best Story
• 2002 National Film Awards, India Golden Lotus Award for Best Popular Film
• 2002 Locarno International Film Festival Audience Award

Plot

Lagaan is set in late 19th century India. Captain Russell (Paul Blackthorne), the vicious commanding officer of a British cantonment, oppresses the people of the region with high taxes (lagaan) while they are also suffering under an unusual drought. Out of a fancy, Russell offers the peasants of nearby village Champaner a wager to cancel the taxes of the whole province for three years if they beat his men at cricket—a sport the villagers have little concept of. Led by the courageous Bhuvan (Aamir Khan) and helped by the officer's good-hearted sister Elizabeth (Rachel Shelley), the villagers start training for the cricket match that will decide their fate.

External links

• Official site (http://www.lagaan.com/)
• Lagaan (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0282674/) at the Internet Movie Database