Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India

(2001)

★ 7.3 IMDb · 667 votes

Genres: Adventure, Drama, History

Year: 2001

Runtime: 224 мин

Country: India

Director: Ashutosh Gowariker

Cast: Аамир Кхан, Gracy Singh, Рэйчел Шелли, Пол Блэкторн, Suhasini Mulay, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Raghubir Yadav, Раджеш Вивек Упадхья, Raj Zutshi, Pradeep Ram Singh Rawat

Plot

The year is 1893 and India is under British occupation. In a small village, the tyrannical Captain Russell has imposed an unprecedented land tax on its citizens. Outraged, Bhuvan, a rebellious farmer, rallies the villagers to publicly oppose the tax. Russell offers a novel way to settle the dispute: he challenges Bhuvan and his men to a game of cricket, a sport completely foreign to India. If Bhuvan and his men can defeat Russell's team, the tax will be repealed.

This is the story about the resilience shown by the Indians when they were under the British Rule. They are already taxed to the bone by the British and their cronies, but when Jack Russell announces that he will double the Lagaan (tax) from all villagers, they decide to oppose it. Leading the villagers is a handsome young man named Bhuvan, who challenges them to a game of cricket, a game that is to be played by veteran British cricket players, versus villagers, including Bhuvan himself, who have never played this game before, and do not even know a bat from a piece of wood. As the challenge is accepted, the interest grows and attracts Indians from all over the region, as well as the British from all over the country - as everyone gathers to see the 'fair play' that the British will display against their counter-parts, who are aided by none other than the sister, Elizabeth, of Captain Rusell.