Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001)
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001)
Plot.
Where to Watch.
Cast & Crew.
Aamir Khan
Bhuvan / Producer
Gracy Singh
Gauri
Rachel Shelley
Elizabeth Russell
Paul Blackthorne
Captain Andrew Russell
Suhasini Mulay
Yashoda
Kulbhushan Kharbanda
Raja Puran Singh Chawla
Raghubir Yadav
Bhura
Rajesh Vivek
Guran
Raj Zutshi
Ismail
Pradeep Ram Singh Rawat
Deva Singh Sodhi
Akhilendra Mishra
Arjan
Daya Shankar Pandey
Goli
Shri Vallabh Vyas
Ishwar
Yashpal Sharma
Lakha
Amin Hajee
Bagha
Aditya Lakhia
Kachra
Rajendra Gupta
Mukhiya
Javed Khan
Ram Singh
A.K. Hangal
Shambukaka
Amin Gazi
Tipu
Anupam Shyam
Namdeo
Raja Awasthi
Ramprasad
Pramatesh Mehta
Harikaka
John Rowe
Col. Boyer
David Gant
Maj. Warren
Thor Halland
Captain Roberts
Jeremy Child
Maj. Cotton
Chris England
Yardley
Howard Lee
Burton
Ben Nealon
Lt. Smith
Simon Holmes
Brooks
Jon House
North
Neil Patrick
Lt. Harrisson
Jamie Whitby Coles
Lt. Wesson
Barry Hart
Lt. Benson
Alex Shirtclliff
Lt. Flynn
Amitabh Bachchan
Narrator / Thanks
Ashutosh Gowariker
Director / Casting / Story / Screenplay / Dialogue / Writer
Mansoor Khan
Producer
A.R. Rahman
Music / Playback Singer
Anil Mehta
Cinematography
Ballu Saluja
Editor
Uma Da Cunha
Casting
Nitin Chandrakant Desai
Production Design
Bhanu Athaiya
Costume Design
Nicole Demers
Makeup Artist
Urvashi Chugani
Assistant Director
Abbas Ali Moghul
Stunt Coordinator
Danielle Roffe
Casting
Giles Livesey
Color Designer
Satish Ratakonda
Digital Compositors
Shakti Banerjee
Digital Compositors
Ejaz Gulab
Stunts
Asha Bhosle
Playback Singer
Lata Mangeshkar
Playback Singer
Alka Yagnik
Playback Singer
Media.
Details.
Release DateJune 15, 2001
Original Nameलगान
StatusReleased
Running Time3h 44m
Content RatingPG
Budget$5,200,000
Box Office$8,100,000
Genres
Last updated:
This Movie Is About.
Wiki.
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, or simply Lagaan, (transl. Land tax) is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language epic period musical 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 a 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 skeptical to star 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 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.
Lagaan was theatrically released in India on 15 June 2001, clashing with Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. It received widespread critical acclaim for Gowariker's direction, Khan's performance, dialogues, soundtrack, and the film's anti-imperialist stance. With earnings of ₹65.97 crore (US$13.98 million) during its initial release, the film was the third highest-grossing Hindi film of 2001. Lagaan was screened at numerous international film festivals and garnered multiple accolades. It was the third, and as of 2024 the last, Indian film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film after Mother India (1957) and Salaam Bombay! (1988). Lagaan became the most-awarded film at the 47th Filmfare Awards with eight wins, including Best Film, Best Director for Gowariker and Best Actor for Khan. At the 49th National Film Awards, the film won eight awards, including Best Popular Film.