Bollywood at it's best! (Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (DVD))

Member Name: topazblue69

Product:	Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (DVD)
Date:	09/06/02 (95 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: lots of English, meaning mopre enjoyment for those who can't understand Hindi!

Disadvantages: Songs are as cheesy as usual!

Cast: Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthome.
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Producer: Aamir Khan
Music: A. R. Rahman
Rating: Definitely Worth Watching!

Lagaan is a must-see movie for anyone with an interest in Indian cinema or fancies a change from Hollywood.

Experiencing Bollywood for the first time? Then this is probably the best movie to watch as there is a great deal of English spoken within the film, so you don?t spend as much time reading the subtitles that you miss out on the action. Also if you know anything about cricket you will probably enjoy the film and find it amazing funny.

Although very much within the mainstream Hindi cinema of Bombay in terms of its stars, use of song and dance and its length, Lagaan breaks all contemporary conventions of Hindi film by being set in an Indian village during the British Raj, far away from the more usual modern metropolitan cities and exotic foreign locations.
It seemed destined to fail internationally, given that it features a cricket match lasting longer than the average Hollywood film and avoids the melodramatic kitsch, camp style that is known as "Bollywood". Yet Lagaan was not only a huge hit domestically but was also only the third Indian film to ever be nominated for an Oscar in the foreign-language category, thanks to its outstanding performances, music and narrative.

Set in the latter half of the nineteenth century ?Lagaan? is a film about the adversities and injustice perpetrated by the British upon the innocent peasants who face these extraordinary circumstances with fortitude and dignity.

Synopsis.
In a small village of Champaner in Central India in 1890s is a community of poor and innocent farmers who are happy ploughing, sowing, praying for the rains and reaping their harvest. Part of this community are Bhuvan (Aamir) a young farmer and Gauri (Gracie Singh), his love.

Last year, there was very lit
tle rain. But there is no rain this year. All eyes are skywards as the villagers wait tensely for the life-giving drops from the heavens. An arrogant and ruthless officer Captain Russell has suddenly decided to double the tax this year. The villagers are faced with a problem.

Hope comes in the form of a young villager Bhuvan (Aamir Khan) who takes on the challenge proposed by Captain Russell that the loser of the cricket match will pay triple Lagaan.

Although poor, the villagers are people of self-respect. Led by Bhuvan they are ready to take on the Britons despite their ignorance of the game. Now comes to their rescue the army captain?s younger sister Elizabeth (Rachel Shelley). Firstly Elizabeth helps the rustic lads purely out of sympathy for them but later she grows affection for Bhuvan.

But Bhuvan is fixated on one thing. With grit and determination he and villagers stand together against the ruthlessness of their perpetrators. Faith and courage comes face to face with arrogance and ruthlessness and what follows is spectacular climax of showdown between Indians and Britons.

Review.
Clad in a darned Dhoti and with hair drenched in oil, Aamir Khan gives a realistic portrayal of a simple village yokel.

Gracie Singh looks convincing as Gauri, a simple village belle who is smitten by Bhuvan. Gracie?s disarming smile and homely looks make her a perfect choice to play a rustic girl for whom her small village is the world.

The high point of the movie is the three-day match between the villagers and the British team led by captain Russell. In the end, when the Indian side needs to make 20 runs in just three overs and Bhuvan is at the crease, batting with a century to his credit, the nail biting suspense begins. It ends with an Escape to Victory-like climax, leaving viewers? at the edge of their seats.

On the DVD: Lagaan on DVD is presented with good picture and sound, but otherwise has little more to
offer, despite being a two-disc package. The features are less than exciting, comprising 17 minutes of deleted footage with no explanation, the theatrical trailers for two other films rather than for this film and a list of films in which several key participants have worked with no clips. Most DVDs of Indian films have an extra menu for song selections but here one has to move through the scene menu. There are subtitles in several languages.

Summary: