• Friday, June 15, 2001

• Country:

  India

• Language:

  Hindi

• Runtime:

  224 min

2001

The rains have failed, and the people of a small Indian village in Victorian India hope that they will be excused from paying the crippling land tax that their British rulers have imposed. Instead, the capricious British officer in charge challenges them to a game of cricket, a game totally alien and unknown to them. If they win, they get their wish; if they lose, however, the increased tax burden will destroy their lives. The people are terrified, but one man thinks the challenge is worth staking their entire future on. Will he convince the villagers to give it their best shot?Circa late 1800s, India is ruled and governed by the British.

A small rural town is asked to pay it's annual taxes to a British army captain. The Rajah of this town, Puran Singh, pleads before Captain Andrew Russell to reduce the levy as monsoons had not been adequate and as a result crops had suffered. But the Captain does not agree. Taking advantage of the simple-minded townspeople, he magnanimously makes a offer to play cricket with their team, if they win then there will no taxes levied, but if they lose then they will end up thrice the amount of taxes. The Rajah returns to confer with his subjects. A young man by the name of Bhuvan tells the Rajah that he will make up a team and that the Rajah should accept the Captain's challenge. The Rajah delightedly does so, much to the glee and amusement of the Captain. Then begins the task of selecting a team. Bhuvan finds this to be a real challenge, as no

Goofs

• Continuity: When Kachra is batting, the scoreboard in the background shows a score of 314. However, after two more runs have been scored, the close-up of the scoreboard shows the score to be 313.
• Continuity: After the first day's play, the direction of light-and-shade don't seem to correlate to the time-of-day (may be this is continuity?)
• Factual errors: When they get to the last over, someone says they need 10 runs off 6 balls - but in those days there would have been 4 or 5 balls to an over.
• Plot holes: When the cricket match scene is being shot, and Ismail got out as Tipu was run-out by the bowler, there is actual an omission of 1 ball. In a game of cricket, which is driven till last ball, calculation of 1 ball less is a major plot hole.
• Anachronisms: Approximately 13:27 into the movie, in the background there appears to be orange plastic fencing.
• Continuity: When Kachra takes his first wicket he hits the OFF Stump. Later in the next scene it shows that he hit the MIDDLE stump and the OFF Stump is not at all moved.

Taglines

• Once upon a time in India.

Trivias

• Aamir Khan got his ears pierced so that he could actually wear earrings.
• The first Bollywood production in 30 years to use synchronized sound. An Arri535 camera, brought over from Germany, was used to facilitate sync-sound recording. Most Indian films are dubbed entirely in the studio in the process known as ADR.
• The movie was shot in villages of Bhuj (Gujarat). Bhuj was destroyed in an earthquake on 26th January 2001, six months after the movie was shot.
• Lagaan has many parallels with Bhuvan Shome (1969). Amitabh Bachchan is the narrator in both the movies. The hero and heroine's name are the same, Bhuvan and Gauri. Suhasini Mulay who played the heroine in Bhuvan Shome, played the hero's mother in Lagaan. Both movies were shot in Gujarat.
• Amisha Patel auditioned for the role of Gauri.
• During the final cricket match, one of the British players, Smith, gets run out. As the actor ran back to the crease he fell, landing on his cricket bat and dislocating his left shoulder.
• The village shown in the film is titled Champaneer, which is supposed to be located in Madhya Pradesh. This is a fictitious place, but there is a place called Champaneer near Vadodara that is now a World Heritage Site. Coincidently, Vadodara and Bhuj, where the film was shot, are in the same state of Gujarat.
• Abhishek Bachchan was offered a role in the film, but he turned it down.
• Director Cameo: [Ashutosh Gowariker] an untouchable and a widower.
• Model turned actress Sonali Bendre was interested in playing "Gauri" but Aamir Khan rejected her, felt that she looked much like a Westerner.

Quotes

• Maj. Cotton: This is ridiculous! This OFFICER wants to make the government a bookie through which he can place his wagers! What'll you have us do next? Race horses?
• Capt. Russell: There is one thing you don't know. If they lose, which they will, they will have to pay the Queen three times the tax.
• Maj. Warren: You're missing the whole bloody point! Do you realize, Captain Russell, that we could have on our hands a bloody situation where there'll be cricket matches happening all over the damn sub-continent in order to cancel the bloody tax?
• Capt. Russell: But they won't win.
• Maj. Warren: Not just Champaner but the entire province.
• Maj. Cotton: I think we'll be the judge of that, Russell! We also understand that if you lose this so-called match, you will cancel their taxes for the next three years.
• Capt. Russell: Pardon me, sir, but that's exactly what I'm doing.
• Maj. Warren: Let me remind you that you are working here for Her Majesty, the Queen. Your job is to ensure the smooth running of your province.
• Col. Boyer: What on earth do you think you're here for? To play games?
• Capt. Russell: Yes, Colonel Boyer, sir, it is.

Awards

1. American Choreography Award
   Event: American Choreography Awards, USA
   Result: Won
   Category: Outstanding Achievement in Feature Film
   Recipient(s): Saroj Khan
2. Popular Award
   Event: American Choreography Awards, USA
   Result: Won
   Category: Actor in a Leading Role
   Recipient(s): Aamir Khan
3. Award for Technical Excellence
   Event: Awards of the International Indian Film Academy
   Result: Won
   Category: Best Editing
   Recipient(s): Ballu Saluja