Considered to be a modern classic of Indian cinema, LAGAAN is a musical drama which tells the story of a central Indian farming village in 1893. The village waits for the monsoons... more
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Lagaan [2001]
Lagaanis a must-see movie for anyone with an interest in Indian cinema or cinema beyond
... more
Hollywood. Although very much within the mainstream Hindi cinema of Bombay/Mumbai in terms of its stars, use of song and dance and its length,Lagaantook a gamble wi...
Advantages: Story, Performances, Music Disadvantages: None for me
Lagaan was released in 2001 and is one of the biggest blockbusters in Indian Cinema, the movie is all about at the time of British rule in India in 1893. It is based on Cricket but the reason for cricket is because of Lagaan(Tax). Cricket match between the Villagers of Champaner village & British officers who were responsible of collecting tax from that region.
Cast : Aamir Khan (As Bhuvan)
Gracy Singh (As Gauri)
Paul Blackthorne (As Captain Russell)
... ...him to way of the Lagaan for this year as they have nothing. But King at that time is at the ground where British officials are playing Cricket. So the villagers go there to meet him, so they to sit by the ground and wait for their King as he is watching the match. So when the match gets over they meet the King and tell them about their problem of they wont be able to pay the tax. King conveys the message to Captain Russell, and the villagers while ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: great plot, superb choreography, magnificent scenery, well performed Disadvantages: long (but it is so good this isn't really a disadvantage)
...Rajah of the province a lagaan (tax), in return for protection and order. Every farmer must contribute to the tax, by parting with a large portion of their harvest, leaving the people hungry and unable to resist the iron grip of the system. We join the villagers in the midst of a long drought, the crops have failed for another year, and they are distraught. Captain Russell (Paul Blackthorne), the dastardly leader of the British cantonment, challenges ... ...well.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Lagaan was shot in Gujurat, and director Ashutosh Gowariker truly makes the most of the surroundings, incorporating many sweeping vistas of the magnificent landscape, complete with wonderful architectural forts and glorious sunsets. Everything is done on a grand scale, and succeeds in making the movie extremely visually exciting, which is enhanced even more by the beautifully choreographed dances.
The sets, from the Indian ...
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20.03.2006
A Masterpiece Review ofLagaan (Subtitled) (Wide Screen)by
iToast
Advantages: well acted, good story, catchy soundtrack, lots of detail, lovely setting Disadvantages: slightly predictable
...drought. They cannot pay their lagaan to their Rajah unless there is rain soon. The lagaan is a tax that the farmers must pay to their Rajah, who rules over the province. The Rajah in turn pays much of this to the British occupiers, who require the crops to feed their soldiers. When the Leader of the local British Garrison decides to double the lagaan, the villagers march up to protest. Bhuvan speaks his mind, and the Captain ends up giving him a ... ...will not have to pay lagaan for 3 years. If they lose, then next year they will pay triple lagaan.
Bhuvan, being hotheaded and indignant, accepts the challenge. Unfortunately, the villagers don't even know what cricket is. The rest of the fist half of the film involves Bhuvan gathering a team for the cricket match and trying to teach them cricket. Luckily, help arrives in the form of Captain Russell's sister Elisabeth, who sympathises with the ...
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Actor(s): Aamir Khan, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Rachel Shelley
Director(s): Ashotosh Gowariker
Genre: Drama
Classification: Parental Guidance
Production Year: 2001
Running Time: 3 hours 36 minutes
Video Category: Bollywood Feature Film
Country Of Origin: India
Plot: When the town of Champaner in India is hit by a terrible drought, the villagers get together to ask the authorities for a halt to their taxes which are called 'Lagaan'. Unfortunately for the locals, a decision is made to raise the taxes unless the villagers can beat the local army platoon at a game of cricket. The problem is no one in the village can play cricket...
Release details
DVD Region: Region 2 (Europe)
Studio(s): SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT; CINRAM LOGISTICS
Considered to be a modern classic of Indian cinema, LAGAAN is a musical drama which tells the story of a central Indian farming village in 1893. The village waits for the monsoons to come and rain on its crops, but the ground remains dry and infertile. Meanwhile, British ruler Captain Russell (Paul Blackthorne) demands lagaan--or double normal taxes--from the villagers. When it becomes clear that they can't pay, Russell challenges the villagers to a game of cricket, a game they know nothing about. Teaching the villagers about the game falls on the shoulders of farmer Bhuvan (Aamir Khan). As they begin to learn, the villagers are inspired to go up against Russell, with tax negotiation as the stakes for the game. Full of choreographed musical numbers and climaxing in a pulse-pounding cricket match, LAGAAN is a fun, heartwarming British/Indian production that should have no difficulties translating across other national borders.
Technical information
Special Features: Fifteen Minutes Of Deleted Scenes, Filmographies, Trailers
Aspect Ratio: 2.35 Wide Screen
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 English
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