Lagaan

About the film

Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, or simply Lagaan, (transl. Land Tax) is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language epic period sports drama film written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. The film was produced by Aamir Khan, who stars alongside debutant Gracy Singh and British actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne. Set in 1893, during the late Victorian period of British colonial rule in India, the film follows the inhabitants of a village in Central India, who, burdened by high taxes and several years of drought, are challenged by an arrogant British Indian Army officer to a game of cricket as a wager to avoid paying the taxes they owe. The villagers face the arduous task of learning a game that is alien to them and playing for victory.

Produced on a budget of ₹25 crore (US$5.3 million), Lagaan was the most expensive Indian film at the time of its release. It faced multiple challenges during production: Khan was initially sceptical about starring in a sports film, and later, prospective producers called for budget cuts and script modifications. Eventually, the film would become the maiden project of Aamir Khan Productions, and mark Khan's foray into film production. Gowariker was inspired by aspects of the sports drama Naya Daur (1957) in developing the film. The language featured in the film was based on Awadhi, but was diluted with standard Hindi for modern audiences. Principal photography took place in villages near Bhuj. Nitin Chandrakant Desai served as art director, while Bhanu Athaiya was the costume designer. The original soundtrack was composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics written by Javed Akhtar.

Plot

In 1893, the farmers of the village of Champaner, located within the British Central India Agency, endure an oppressive colonial administration. Despite a devastating drought and a failed harvest, British officials demand the regular lagaan (land tax). Led by a resilient young farmer named Bhuvan, the villagers appeal to their local ruler, Raja Puran Singh, for a tax waiver. Their petition is intercepted by the arrogant and sadistic regiment commander, Captain Andrew Russell. Russell proposes a high-stakes wager: the villagers will play a game of cricket against his elite British officers. If the villagers win, their lagaan will be completely canceled for three consecutive years; if they lose, they must pay triple the standard tax, an ultimatum that would guarantee their starvation. Bhuvan boldly accepts the challenge, and the match is scheduled three months later.

Bhuvan initially faces intense skepticism and isolation, as the terrified villagers refuse to believe they can master an unfamiliar British sport. Slowly, he recruits a diverse group of eleven players, including a low-caste untouchable named Kachra, whose spin-bowling abilities prove lethal. Meanwhile, Russell’s sister, Elizabeth, arrives from England. Horrified by her brother's cruelty and secretly infatuated with Bhuvan, she decides to covertly coach the village team on the rules and strategies of the game. However, a jealous villager named Lakha, who covets Gauri—the village medic's daughter currently courted by Bhuvan—agrees to act as an insider informant and saboteur for Captain Russell. As the match approaches, Russell is severely reprimanded by his superiors for wagering the government treasury, and is warned that he will be court-martialed and forced to pay the taxes himself if the British lose.

The three-day match commences outside the British cantonment. On the first day, the British team bats first and builds a formidable score, heavily aided by the villagers' technical inexperience and Lakha’s deliberate sabotage on the field. That night, Elizabeth witnesses Lakha conferring with Russell and exposes the betrayal to the villagers. When the angry locals attack Lakha, Bhuvan intervenes, offering him a chance at redemption. Conscience-stricken, Lakha plays exceptionally well on the second day, executing critical catches that trigger a sudden British collapse, capping their innings at a daunting 322 runs. Champaner's batting response starts disastrously, losing their top batsmen rapidly to aggressive British bowling.

Production

Lagaan was inspired by Naya Daur (1957), a sports drama film directed by B. R. Chopra, written by Akhtar Mirza and Kamil Rashid, and starring Dilip Kumar, Vyjayanthimala and Ajit Khan.

Director Gowariker has stated that it was almost impossible to make Lagaan. He went to Khan, who agreed to participate after hearing the detailed script. Khan had initially rejected the idea of a "sporty" film, but was "himself in tears" upon hearing the full dialogued script. Even after securing Khan, Gowariker had trouble finding a producer. Producers who showed interest in the script wanted budget cuts as well as script modifications. Eventually, Khan agreed to Gowariker's suggestion that he would produce the film. Khan corroborated this by saying that the faith he had in Gowariker, the story and script of the film, and the opportunity of starting his own production company inspired him to produce Lagaan. He also said that by being a producer himself, he was able to give greater creative freedom to Gowariker. 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."

Key details