Lagaan

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Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India
Image:Lagaan.jpg
Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced by Aamir Khan
Written by Screenplay:
Kumar Dave
Sanjay Dayma
Ashutosh Gowariker
Original Story:
Ashutosh Gowariker
Dialog:
K. P. Saxena
Starring Aamir Khan
Gracy Singh
Rachel Shelley
Music by A. R. Rahman
Cinematography Anil Mehta
Editing by Ballu Saluja
Release date(s) June 15, 2001 India, UK and U.S. release
Running time 224 min.
Country India
Language Hindi
English
Bhojpuri
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Lagaan (Bhojpuri/Hindi: लगान; Urdu: لگان;), also known as Lagaan: Once upon a time in India, is an award-winning film made in India, released on June 1, 2001. It became the third Hindi language film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (after Mother India in 1957 and Salaam Bombay! in 1989).

Indiatimes Movies ranks the movie amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films.[1]

Contents

[edit] Plot

Lagaan is set in late 19th century India. Captain Andrew Russell (Paul Blackthorne), the commanding officer of a British cantonment, oppresses the people of Champaner with high taxes (lagaan). The local ruler, Rajah Pooran Singh, asks that taxes be lowered, to ease the suffering of the drought-stricken villagers. Captain Russell humiliates the rajah by asking him to eat meat if he wishes the taxes to be lowered. The rajah says that he must keep the rules of his religion and his caste; he cannot eat meat. Captain Russell then doubles the taxes.

The peasants, who are already suffering from a prolonged drought, are devastated by this news. The monsoon is late; they will be unable to pay regular taxes, much less double taxes. They beg the rajah to help them, but he says he cannot persuade the British to mercy.

The villagers, returning from their fruitless audience with the rajah, stop to watch the British officers playing cricket. Captain Russell notices them and sees the young, impetuous Bhuvan (Aamir Khan), who has previously angered him. The captain offers Bhuvan a wager: He will cancel the taxes of the whole province for three years if a village team can beat his men at cricket. If they lose, they will owe triple tax. To the horror of the other villagers, Bhuvan accepts this wager on their behalf. Later, he explains that as they can pay neither double nor triple taxes, they should grab the chance for a tax remission.

Nonetheless, the villagers of Champaner, and of all the neighboring villages, are furious with Bhuvan. No one has ever played cricket. How can complete novices beat the British?

The British Government, on learning of Captain Russell’s wager, admonishes him for his arrogant and irresponsible behaviour. His superiors tell him that if he loses the match, he will have to reimburse all the taxes from his own pocket and moreover suffer a transfer to Central Africa.

Led by the courageous Bhuvan and helped by Russell’s good-hearted sister Elizabeth (Rachel Shelley), a few villagers begin to learn cricket. As time progresses, more and more villagers are convinced to join Bhuvan's team. Bhuvan accepts them on merit alone, disregarding all considerations of religion and caste. This is controversial, but eventually accepted by the villagers. The team works hard and it seems that they might have a chance to win.

As they spend time together, Elizabeth falls in love with Bhuvan, who is himself attached to a charming local girl, Gauri. Though Bhuvan feels nothing but respect for Elizabeth and Elizabeth never expresses her feelings, Gauri sees how matters stand and is anxious until Bhuvan declares his love. This infuriates the woodcutter Lakha, who had hoped to win Gauri himself.

Lakha decides to humble Bhuvan by forcing him to lose the match. Lakha joins the team, but secretly meets with Captain Russell, informing him of everything that is happening. The captain tries to prevent his sister from helping the villagers, but she defies him. On the first day of the match when the villagers are fielding, Lakha deliberately drops many catches. That night, Elizabeth sees Lakha travelling to the British camp to meet her brother and she informs Bhuvan. The villagers attempt to kill Lakha on the spot but Bhuvan reprieves him. Lakha takes a diving one-handed catch the next day which sparks the British batting collapse.

So matters stand when the three-day cricket match starts. An immense crowd of villagers gathers to watch the British and the local team face off at cricket. The last hour of the movie is a condensed rendition of the game, with many improbable changes in the match situation. Bhuvan strikes a six from the final ball to seal a one wicket victory for the Indians.

[edit] Cast and crew

[edit] Cast

[edit] Crew

[edit] Developments

[edit] Pre-production

Director Ashutosh Gowariker once said that it was almost impossible to make Lagaan. When he first put forth the idea of the film to Aamir Khan, he not only refused to act in it but also dissuaded him from making it. Even after Aamir agreed to act after the narration of a detailed script, Ashutosh found the script lacking a producer. All those producers, who evinced interest in the script, wanted budget cuts as well as script modifications. Eventually, Aamir agreed to his suggestion of producing the film.[1] Aamir corroborated this by saying that the faith he had in Ashutosh, the story and script of the film[2], and the opportunity of starting his own production company[3] had inspired him to produce Lagaan. He also said that by being a producer himself, he was able to allow greater creative freedom to Ashutosh. He cited an example: "If the director tells the producer that he wants 50 camels, the latter will probably say, Why not 25? Can't you manage with 25 camels? Whereas, if he is telling me the same thing ... I will not waste time asking him questions because I am also creatively aware why he needs them."[4] Jhamu Sughand co-produced the film because he liked the emotional and patriotic story very much.[5]

[edit] Location, language and costumes

The film was primarily shot in an ancient village near Bhuj, which is located in Gujarat's Kutch district. The script demanded a dry location; an agricultural village where it had not rained in several years. To depict the 1890s era, the crew also required a village which lacked electricity, communication and automobiles.[2] Kutch faced the same problems at that time and hence the village of Kanuria, located a few miles away from Bhuj, was chosen. During the filming of Lagaan in this region, it did not rain at all during the entire shoot. However, a week after the shoot finished, it rained heavily bringing relief to Bhuj, which had a lean monsoon in the previous year.[6] This typical old Kutch hamlet was built by the local people four months before the arrival of the crew. They erected 56 small houses, many of them being ghumbas (round-shaped huts), that were common in ancient Kutch. A village mukhiya (head), a blacksmith and other such people occupied these houses. A temple was specially built on a hill, with Lord Krishna as its deity.[7] At the end, all the female members of the crew and cast were presented with beautiful pieces of Kutchi embroidery made by the friendly womenfolk of Bhuj.[6]

Avadhi, which is a dialect of Hindi, is primarily from a region in Uttar Pradesh. This was chosen to give a the feel of the language spoken during that era. However, the language was diluted such that the common man could understand it.[4] The dialogues, which were a combination of three different dialects: Avadhi, Bhojpuri and Brajbhasha were penned by noted Hindi writer, K. P. Saxena.[6]

Bhanu Athaiya, an Oscar winner for Gandhi, was the costume designer for the film. With large number of extras used in the film, it was a challenge for the designer to make enough costumes. She spent a lot of time researching to lend authenticity to the characters of the film.[6]

[edit] Casting

For the casting, Ashutosh first thought of having Shahrukh Khan and Abhishek Bachchan for the role of Bhuvan. While Khan suggested the name of Aamir for the role, Bachchan chose to enter cinema with J. P. Dutta's Refugee (2000). It was only after this, Aamir was approached with the idea. After Aamir agreed for the film, Ashutosh felt that both of them might not have played the role better than Aamir.[8]

Many prominent actresses had offered to act in the film, but Aamir needed someone according to the script. After considering many such as Sonali Bendre, Nandita Das and Rani Mukherjee[6], Ashutosh had selected Gracy Singh for the female lead because he was convinced that she was a good actress and dancer. Gracy, a newcomer, devoting all her time for the film was an added plus to the debutant producer.[4]

Since the script also demanded a British cast, Ashutosh and Aamir hired Danielle Roffe[9] as one of the casting directors. After Danielle and Ashutosh screen-tested many, Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne were chosen for the prime roles. Overall, the film had cast 15 foreign actors.[7] Other notable cast in the film included A. K. Hangal, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Raghuvir Yadav, Raj Zutshi, Suhasini Mulay and Yashpal Sharma.[7]

[edit] Cricket team

  • Amin Hajee, who played the role of Bagha, a mute character, earlier worked in a film with Ashutosh. The friendly association soon brought Ashutosh to him with the script, which he liked, and thereafter he successfully auditioned for his role. His knowledge of mute people and some assistance from a music band helped him better prepare for his role. Ashutosh, who believed that Amin was like Sylvester Stallone, used to fondly refer to him as Stallone during the shots.[10]
  • Similar was the casting story of Aditya Lakhia, who played the role of Kachra. It was his association with Ashutosh in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1993) and Pehla Nasha (1993) that fetched him this role. He read the book Everyone Loves A Good Drought by P. Sainath to better understand and portray his character. To get the distinct tanned look of the respective characters, the cast were asked to lie down under the sun.[11]
  • For Arjan, the blacksmith's role, Akhilendra Mishra was chosen. His forefathers' tryst with lagaan (land-tax) during the British rule helped him better associate with his character. He had worked on his body language, mind modulation and emotions during the filming and attributed Ashutosh for his able guidance.[12]
  • The role of Goli was essayed by Dayashankar Pandey. Pandey, who preferred the role of Kachra, was known to Aamir and Ashutosh through previous films (Pehla Nasha (1993), Baazi (1995) and Ghulam (1998)). After successfully auditioning for the role, Ashutosh and he used to discuss the required emotions and expressions. Pandey credited Ashutosh for all his acting in the film.[13]
  • Pradeep Rawat's association with Aamir in Sarfarosh (1999) brought him the role of Deva, which was initially thought to be given to Mukesh Rishi. He claimed that it was the highest ever compensation he received in his career.[14]
  • Yashpal Sharma enacted the role of Lakha. He was chosen after his portrayal in Samar (1999). He said it was a good experience working with Aamir and Ashutosh during the film.[15]
  • Guran was played by Rajesh Vivek, who was spotted by Ashutosh in the film Junoon (1978). His like for cricket helped him in his role.[16]
  • Raghuvir Yadav, who played the role of Bhura, was selected based on his performance in Earth (1998). He had undergone an appendicitis operation in between the filming schedule and returned to complete some of his scenes.[17]
  • Raj Zutshi's friendship with Aamir and association in several films brought him the role of Ismail after the auditions.[18]

[edit] Production

After pre-planning for a year, that included ten months for production issues and two months for his character, Aamir was a tired man. For a first-time producer, he managed a crew of about 300 people for six months. With a good hotel lacking in Bhuj, they hired a newly constructed apartment and furnished it completely for the crew. Security was setup and a special housekeeping team was brought to take care of the crew's needs.[3]

Most of the ancient tools and equipment that are depicted in the movie were lent to the crew by the local villagers. Initially, they did not want to part with their equipment, but after much coaxing, they gave in. However, they traveled to different parts of the country to collect the musical instruments used in that day and era.[3]

During the shooting, Ashutosh suffered from a slipped disc and was to rest for 15 days. However during this period, he had his bed next to the monitor and passionately continued with his work.[19]

[edit] Filming schedule

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.[10][18] Throughout the shoot, the actors had to hydrate themselves and sit in the shade.[16][14] The 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. One day, Aamir was late and missed the actors' bus that took us to the sets. That day, his wife Reena, the executive producer, reprimanded him for being late. She told him he had to set an example for the rest of the crew. "If he started coming late, how could she tell the others to come on time?"[14] While on the sets, the actors were given call sheets with the day's timetable such as breakfast, hair styling, make-up, costumes, etc.[12]

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] Won

[edit] Nominated

[edit] References

  1. ^ Nandy, Pritish (2001-07-17). The Ashutosh Gowariker interview. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  2. ^ a b Pandya, Haresh (2000-02-21). 'A true actor can play any role'. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  3. ^ a b c Mukherjee, Sanjeeb (July 2001). Aamir Khan on 'Lagaan' - the surprise of the year!. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  4. ^ a b c 'Many top heroines had offered to work in this film'. Rediff.com (2000-02-21). Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  5. ^ Kulkarni, Ronjita. 'I'm sure Lagaan will win the Oscar'. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  6. ^ a b c d e Verma, Sukanya (2001-06-01). Lagaan: A ready reckoner. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  7. ^ a b c Pandya, Haresh (2000-02-14). Where time stands still.... Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  8. ^ Khubchandani, Lata (2001-08-27). 'I approached Shah Rukh and Abhishek for Lagaan'. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  9. ^ Lagaan (2001): Full credits. IMDB. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  10. ^ a b Bagha, the mute: The Ten Samurai. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  11. ^ Kachra, the untouchable: The Ten Samurai. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  12. ^ a b Arjan, the blacksmith: The Ten Samurai. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  13. ^ Goli, the man with the largest piece of land: The Ten Samurai. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  14. ^ a b c Deva, the Sikh from the neighboring village: The Ten Samurai. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  15. ^ Lakha, the woodcutter: The Ten Samurai. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  16. ^ a b Guran, the fortune teller: The Ten Samurai. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  17. ^ Bhura, the poultry farmer: The Ten Samurai. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  18. ^ a b Ismail, the potter: The Ten Samurai. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  19. ^ Koppar, Arati. Gracy Singh: Interview. Indiatimes.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.

[edit] External links


Awards
Preceded by
Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai
कहो ना प्यार है 		Filmfare Award for Best Film
2001 		Succeeded by
Devdas
देवदास
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