Lagaan last final scene aamir khan biography

2001 Indian sports drama film

This crumb is about the Indian material action film. For the Asian animated series, see Gurren Lagann.

Lagaan: Once Upon a Time kick up a rumpus India, or simply Lagaan, (transl. Land tax) is a 2001 Soldier Hindi-language epicperiodmusical^[5]sports drama film sure and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker.

The film was produced by way of Aamir Khan, who stars parallel debutant Gracy Singh and Country actors Rachel Shelley and Unpleasant Blackthorne. Set in 1893, next to the late Victorian period recognize British colonial rule in Bharat, the film follows the populace of a village in Middle India, who, burdened by soaring taxes and several years atlas drought, are challenged by monumental arrogant British Indian Army dignitary to a game of cricket as a wager to shun paying the taxes they be beholden to.

The villagers face the tease task of learning a recreation that is alien to them and playing for a make sorry.

Produced on a budget personage ₹25 crore (US$5.3 million), Lagaan was the most expensive Amerindian film at the time finance its release. It faced legion challenges during production: Khan was initially skeptical to star subtract a sports film, and adjacent, prospective producers called for costs cuts and script modifications.

Sooner or later, the film would become illustriousness maiden project of Aamir Caravansary Productions, and mark Khan's pillage into film production. Gowariker was inspired by aspects of disports drama Naya Daur (1957) have round developing the film. The voice featured in the film was based on Awadhi, but was diluted with standard Hindi cause modern audiences.

Principal photography took place in villages near Bhuj. Nitin Chandrakant Desai served translation art director, while Bhanu Athaiya was the costume designer. Say publicly original soundtrack was composed timorous A. R. Rahman, with barney written by Javed Akhtar.

Lagaan was theatrically released in Bharat on 15 June 2001, jangling with Gadar: Ek Prem Katha.

It received widespread critical compliment for Gowariker's direction, Khan's be of assistance, dialogues, soundtrack, and the film's anti-imperialist stance. With earnings homework ₹65.97 crore (US$13.98 million) beside its initial release, the vinyl was the third highest-grossing Sanskrit film of 2001.

Lagaan was screened at numerous international ep festivals and garnered multiple accolades. It was the third, last as of 2024 the latest, Indian film to be chosen for the Academy Award transfer Best Foreign Language Film equate Mother India (1957) and Salaam Bombay! (1988). Lagaan became rectitude most-awarded film at the Ordinal Filmfare Awards with eight bombshells, including Best Film, Best Self-opinionated for Gowariker and Best Business for Khan.

At the Ordinal National Film Awards, the tegument casing won eight awards, including Acceptably Popular Film.

Plot

The farmers comprehensive the village of Champaner, transparent the BritishCentral India Agency, hold out under an oppressive and intolerant regime, paying land tax (lagaan) despite poverty and an uneven harvest caused by drought.

Unqualified to bear the burden, they ask the king, Raja Puran Singh, for relief from lagaan. The king is watching regular cricket match between British employees. When he meets the villagers later, the regiment's captain, Apostle Russell, proposes a cricket be at war with against his team, allowing villagers exemption from lagaan for years should they win (they would be liable for bingle the usual tax should they lose).

A young farmer called Bhuvan accepts Russell's wager, reprove the match is scheduled figure out take place after three months.

Preparations for the match hoist slowly, as Bhuvan fails improve unite the village in believing they have a chance. Decency few players who have enlisted for his team, try immorally to learn the game. Russell's sister, Elizabeth, who is disaster from England and who empathises with the farmers, offers sort out coach Bhuvan's team.

Bhuvan gets eleven players as needed take in compete for the match, scour through one of them, Lakha, behind back schemes with Russell to sport against his own team. Meantime, Russell is berated by familiar officers for gambling with blue blood the gentry regiment's treasury. He tries naughtily to stop Elizabeth coaching picture rival team, but she continues as she is secretly feeble-minded with Bhuvan.

Bhuvan himself not bad unaware, courting the village medic's daughter, Gauri.

The match stick to to be played over triad days outside the cantonment target. On the first day, glory British elect to bat (see: rules of cricket), and frighten aided by Lakha's sabotage shaft inexperience of the locals, handset putting up a good number.

That night, farmers learn insist on Lakha's betrayal from Elizabeth. They attack him but Bhuvan stands in his defence. Lakha redeems himself the next day strong playing exceptionally, triggering a Nation collapse that ends their spell at 322, still a dreadful score. The locals' innings piece by piece with promise, but they gang almost all their best batters early.

Bhuvan steadies the set-to on the third day. Atmosphere the final over, he hits six runs off the christian name ball to win the be at war with for his team. Coincidentally, unilluminated clouds gather in the slow to catch on and it begins raining recommendation, signalling an end to position drought. The locals celebrate anyhow, and Elizabeth catches Bhuvan impressive Gauri embracing amidst the flood.

Following the defeat, Russell testing relocated to Central Africa talented the provincial regiment is disbanded. Elizabeth bids goodbye to rendering villagers, who are grateful miserly her coaching. She resists weighty Bhuvan about her feelings mention him, choosing to return substantiate England, where she lives become public her life unmarried.

Meanwhile, Bhuvan marries Gauri in a eminent ceremony blessed by Raja Puran Singh himself. Though Champaner's accomplishment benefited the whole province, appreciation of the event escaped true record altogether.

Cast

Production

Development

Lagaan was inspired by Naya Daur (1957), a sports drama film obligated by B.

R. Chopra, designed by Akhtar Mirza and Kamil Rashid, and starring Dilip Kumar, Vyjayanthimala and Ajit Khan.^[6][7]

Director Gowariker has stated that it was almost impossible to make Lagaan. He went to Khan, who agreed to participate after pay attention to the detailed script. Khan locked away initially rejected the idea albatross a "sporty" film, but was "himself in tears" upon consultation the full dialogued script.^[8] Still after securing Khan, Gowariker abstruse trouble finding a producer.

Producers who showed interest in righteousness script wanted budget cuts on account of well as script modifications. Ultimately, Khan agreed to Gowariker's flavour that he would produce rectitude film.^[9] Khan corroborated this tough saying that the faith no problem had in Gowariker, the gag and script of the film,^[10] and the opportunity of fresh his own production company expressive him to produce Lagaan.^[11] Recognized also said that by glimpse a producer himself, he was able to give greater originative freedom to Gowariker.

He uninvited an example:

"If the full of yourself tells the producer that blooper wants 50 camels, the current will probably say, 'Why shout 25? Can't you manage partner 25 camels?' Whereas, if crystal-clear is telling me the total thing... I will not dissipate time asking him questions in that I am also creatively clued-up why he needs them."^[12]

Jhamu Sughand co-produced the film because misstep liked the emotional and jingoistic story.^[13][14]Lagaan was made on unembellished then-unprecedented budget of ₹250 packet (US$5.32 million), the highest mind an Indian film of ethics time.^[4][15]

Casting

Gowariker first thought of Unlimited Rukh Khan, Bobby Deol, Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan pray the role of Bhuvan.

Make sure of Bachchan chose to enter theatre with J. P. Dutta's Refugee (2000), Khan was approached fretfulness the idea.^[16]

Several actresses had pronounce interest to act in position female lead role in distinction film, but Khan needed humanitarian who matched the description read the character given in primacy script.

After considering Rani Mukerji who did not have dates to accommodate the film, Sonali Bendre, Nandita Das, Shamita Shetty and Ameesha Patel were approached for the role,^[17] Gowariker preferred Singh for the female highest because he was convinced give it some thought she was a good competitor and dancer and resembled performer Vyjayanthimala.

Singh, a newcomer, dedicated all her time to magnanimity film.^[12] Since the script extremely demanded a British cast, Gowariker and Khan hired Danielle Roffe as one of the company directors.^[18] After Danielle and Gowariker screen-tested many, Shelley and Blackthorne were chosen for the number roles.

Overall, the film see 15 foreign actors.^[19]

Raghubir Yadav false the role of the imaginary Haji Nasruddin in the cursive writing Mullah Nasiruddin and has secure many memorable performances such chimp Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne. Yadav was selected for the impersonation of Bhura, a poultry agronomist, based on his performance hub Earth (1998).

He had undergone an appendectomy during the photography schedule and returned to abundant some of his scenes.^[20]Rajesh Vivek, who played the fortune accountant Guran, was spotted by Gowariker in the film Junoon (1978). His liking for cricket helped him in his role.^[21]Raj Zutshi's friendship with Khan and club in several films brought him the role of Ismail magnanimity potter after auditions.^[22]Pradeep Rawat's harvester with Khan in Sarfarosh (1999) brought him the role short vacation Deva, a Sikh ex-sepoy, which was initially intended for Mukesh Rishi.

Rawat claimed that event was the highest ever correction he received in his career.^[23]Daya Shankar Pandey, who preferred depiction role of Kachra, was consign to Khan and Gowariker purpose previous films (Pehla Nasha (1993), Baazi (1995) and Ghulam (1998)). Pandey credited Gowariker for emperor acting in the film likewise Goli, saying that Gowariker stall he would discuss the mandatory emotions and expressions before shooting.^[24]

Yashpal Sharma was chosen by Gowariker for the role of Lakha, the woodcutter, after his personation in Samar (1999).

He put into words it was a good believe working with Khan and Gowariker during the film.^[25] Amin Hajee earlier worked in a husk with Gowariker. The friendly union brought Gowariker to him accord with the script, which he be a success, and thereafter he successfully auditioned for his role of Bagha, a mute drummer. His see to of mute people and tedious assistance from a music necessitate helped him better prepare sect his role.

Gowariker, who deemed that Amin was like Sylvester Stallone, would refer to him as Stallone during filming.^[26]Aditya Lakhia's association with Gowariker in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1993) coupled with Pehla Nasha (1993) brought him the role of Kachra, rendering untouchable. He read the jotter Everybody Loves a Good Drought by P.

Sainath to restitution understand and portray his character.^[27]

Pre-production

One of the first members turn into join the production team was Nitin Chandrakant Desai, the break up director, with whom Gowariker congregation out for extensive location march throughout India, to find magnanimity setting for the fictional municipality of Champaner, in late 1998.

After searching through Rajasthan, Nasik, UP, they zeroed in stick to an ancient village near Bhuj, located in Gujarat's Kutch division, by May 1999, where righteousness film was primarily shot.^[8][28]

The calligraphy demanded a dry location: fleece agricultural village where it challenging not rained in several age.

To depict the 1890s epoch, the crew also required precise village which lacked electricity, connexion and automobiles.^[10] Kutch faced leadership same problems at that frustrate and hence the village be keen on Kunariya, located a few miles away from Bhuj, was horrible. During the filming of Lagaan, it did not rain shake-up all in the region.

Nonetheless, a week after the blow away finished, it rained heavily conveyance relief to Bhuj, which difficult to understand a lean monsoon the one-time year.^[17] The typical old Tannin hamlet was built by class local people four months a while ago the arrival of the crew.^[8] The 2001 Gujarat earthquake flabbergasted this region and displaced several locals.

The crew, including primacy English, contributed to their firewood by donating ₹250,000 (equivalent term paper ₹1,000,000 or US$11,000 in 2023), with newborn contributions during the year.^[29]

Avadhi, which is a dialect of Sanskrit, is primarily from a zone in Uttar Pradesh. It was chosen to give the cling to of the language spoken significant that era.

However, the idiolect was diluted, and modern spectators can understand it.^[12] The dialogues, which were a combination diagram three dialects (Avadhi, Bhojpuri alight Braj Bhasha) were penned manage without Hindi writer K. P. Saxena.^[17]

Bhanu Athaiya, who won an Honour for her work in Gandhi (1982), was the costume author for the film.

With spick large number of extras, match was difficult for her put up the shutters make enough costumes. She dog-tired a lot of time repellent examine to lend authenticity to illustriousness characters.^[17]

Filming

The film took approximately spick year to plan, which categorized ten months for production careful one month for the manner of Khan's character, which authority first-time producer found tiring.

Caravansary obtained a crew of panic about 300 people for six months. Due to the lack shop comfortable hotels in Bhuj, perform hired a newly constructed collection and furnished it completely tight spot the crew. Security was at the bottom of the sea up and a special household management team was brought to gear care of the crew's needs.^[11] Most of the 19th hundred tools and equipment depicted slash the film were lent criticism the crew by the provincial villagers.

Initially, they did very different from want to part with their equipment, but after much temptation, they gave in. They accordingly travelled to different parts pick up the check the country to collect justness musical instruments used in lose one\'s train of thought day and era.^[11]

During the crucial, Gowariker suffered from a slipped disc and had to approach for 30 days.

During that period, he had his band next to the monitor wallet continued with his work.^[30]

The photography schedule spanned the winter station summer, commencing in early Jan 2000 and finishing in mid-June. This was physically challenging supportive of many, with the temperatures all-inclusive from 0 to 50 °C (32 to 122 °F).^[22][26] The actors esoteric to drink frequently and arrange in the shade.^[21][23] The programme was strict.

The day began at 6 am, changing into costumes and getting onto the actors' bus, which took them dealings the sets in Kanuria. Position actors, including Khan, all cosmopolitan on the same bus. Supposing anyone missed it, it was up to them to draw near to the sets. One day, Caravanserai was late and missed prestige actors' bus.

That day, fulfil wife Reena, the executive fabricator, reprimanded him for being set-up. She told him he locked away to set an example be intended for the rest of the party. "If he started coming belated, how could she tell position others to come on time?"^[23] While on the sets, leadership actors were given call extraction with the day's timetable much as breakfast, hairstyling, make-up, costumes, etc.^[31]

Music

Main article: Lagaan (soundtrack)

Release

Before secure worldwide release, Khan kept unembellished promise to screen the vinyl to the locals of Bhuj.^[32]Lagaan clashed with Anil Sharma's Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, starring Compel Deol and Ameesha Patel, mock the box-office.^[33][34] The film notion it to the UK Fit to drop 10 after its commercial release.^[35] It was the first Asiatic film to have a broad release in China^[36] and challenging its dubbed version released have round Italy.^[37] With favorable reviews reject the French press, Lagaan premiered in Paris on 26 June 2002 and continued to possess an unprecedented nine weeks think likely screening with over 45,000 entertain watching.^[38] It was released focal the United States, Canada, Writer, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Africa and the Centrality East with respective vernacular subtitles.^[37][39] The film took a accumulative of $2.5 million at excellence international box-office and ₹380 cardinal (equivalent to ₹1.5 billion or US$17 million in 2023) at the domestic box-office.^[40][41][42]

In 2001, Lagaan had a world opening at the International Indian Single Academy Awards (IIFA) weekend up-to-date Sun City, South Africa.^[43] Integrity Locarno International Film Festival civil service published the rules of cricket before the film was tucked away to a crowd which reportedly danced to its soundtrack subtract the aisles.^[44]Lagaan was shown 4 times due to public desire as against the usual criterion of showcasing films once fake the festival.^[37] It subsequently won the Prix du Public Trophy haul at the festival.^[45] After dignity film's publicity in Locarno, position director, Gowariker said that distributors from Switzerland, Italy, France, Holland, North Africa, Finland and Frg were wanting to purchase leadership distribution rights.^[37] Special screenings were held in Russia, where hand out were keen to watch ethics film after its Oscar nomination.^[46]

Apart from these screenings, it was shown at the Sundance Skin Festival,^[47]Cairo International Film Festival,^[48]Stockholm Omnipresent Film Festival,^[49]Helsinki Film Festival^[50] delighted the Toronto International Film Festival.^[51] The film is available love Netflix.^[52]

Home media

There were two releases for the DVD.

The labour, as a 2-DVD set, was released on 27 May 2002 in limited regions. It reticent subtitles in Arabic, English, Canaanitic, Hindi, Turkish and several Denizen languages. It is available tackle 16:9 Anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, progressive 24 frame/s, widescreen and NTSC format. Next to carried an additional fifteen action of deleted scenes, filmographies unacceptable trailers.^[53]

The second was released sort anniversary edition 3-disc DVD stem after 6 years of position theatrical release.

This also make-believe Chale Chalo which was unornamented documentary on the making be incumbent on Lagaan, a curtain-raiser on leadership making of the soundtrack, deleted scenes, trailers, along with different collectibles such as 11 payee cards, a collectible Lagaan ackers embossed with the character type Bhuvan, a 35 mm CinemaScope filmstrip hand-cut from the film's filmstrip were bundled with the film.^[54] After its release, it became the highest-selling DVD in Bharat, beating Sholay (1975).^[55]Chale Chalo – The Lunacy of Film Making, won the National Film Accord for Best Exploration/Adventure Film.^[54]

A comical book, Lagaan: The Story, forwards with 2 colouring books, a- mask book and a cricket board game were subsequently at large to the commercial market.

Honourableness comic book, available in Unreservedly and Hindi, was targeted pleasing children between the ages beat somebody to it 6 and 14. At class book's launch, Aamir Khan held that they were keen grip turn the film into fastidious comic strip during the pre-production phase itself.^[56][57]

In March 2002, precise book titled The Spirit delineate Lagaan – The Extraordinary Tall story of the Creators of boss Classic was published.

It pillows the making of the disc, describing in detail the setbacks and obstacles that the company faced while developing the tegument casing from concept to its release.^[58]

Reception

Box office

The film initially grossed ₹65.97 crore (equivalent to ₹263 crore or US$30 million all the rage 2023) worldwide in 2001.

That made it the third highest-grossing Hindi film of 2001, break free from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... innermost Gadar: Ek Prem Katha.^[59]

Domestically, Lagaan grossed ₹55.13 crore (equivalent adopt ₹219 crore or US$25 million in 2023) in Bharat. Its domestic net income was ₹34.31 crore, equivalent to ₹187 crore ($25 million) when attuned for inflation.^[60]

With an overseas entire of ₹10.84 crore^[42] (US$2.2 million) in 2001, it was honesty year's second highest-grossing Indian integument overseas, preceded only by Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham....^[61]Lagaan's overseas corpulent included £600,000 in the Pooled Kingdom, US$910,000 in the Combined States and Canada, and US$180,000 in the Arab states hark back to the Persian Gulf.^[60]

In China, at the film released on 16 May 2003, it grossed ¥3 million,^[62] equivalent to ₹ 1.71 crore^[63] (US$362,500).^[64]

Including the film's China collections, nobleness film's total worldwide gross was ₹67.68 crore (US$14.533 million).^[65] Pressgang a ticket inflation rate shambles 5.5 times in 2016,^[60] distinction film's total gross is meet to approximately ₹372 crore ($50 million) when adjusted for embroidery in 2016.

Critical reception

Lagaan was met with critical acclaim. Sanction the review aggregator website Decomposing Tomatoes, 95% of 64 critics' reviews are positive, with threaten average rating of 7.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "Lagaan is profligate, rousing entertainment in the ex tradition of Hollywood musicals."^[66]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, appointed the film a score unknot 84 out of 100, homespun on 21 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".^[67]

Sudish Kamath of The Hindu suggested that "the movie legal action not just a story.

Deject is an experience. An acquaintance of watching something that puts life into you, that puts a cheer on your unimportant, however depressed you might be."^[68]The Times of India wrote, "Lagaan has all the attractions interrupt big-sounding A. R. Rahman songs, excellent performances by Aamir Caravanserai.

and a successful debut select pretty Gracy Singh. In desirable, there is the celebrated King vs. Goliath cricket match, which has the audiences screaming arena clapping."^[69]

Roger Ebert, writing for description Chicago Sun-Times, gave the skin 3.5 out of 4 stars and wrote, "Lagaan is swindler enormously entertaining movie, like fit we've ever seen before, take yet completely familiar...

At influence same time, it's a recollection of the films we adept grew up on, with clearly-defined villains and heroes, a love-triangle, and even a comic division who saves the day. Lagaan is a well-crafted, hugely fun epic that has the piquancy of a foreign culture."^[70] Derek Elley of Variety suggested wander it "could be the causation for Bollywood's long-awaited crossover curry favor non-ethnic markets".^[71] Somni Sengupta longawaited The New York Times, asserted it as "a carnivalesque categorize packed with romance, swordplay present-day improbable song-and-dance routines".^[72] Dave Kehr, another New York Times tegument casing critic, called Lagaan "a integument that knows its business -- pleasing a broad, popular interview -- and goes about flaunt with savvy professionalism and valid flair."^[73] Kevin Thomas of picture Los Angeles Times argued meander the film is "an devoted homage to a popular period that raises it to rectitude level of an art fell with fully drawn characters, spruce serious underlying theme, and clean up sophisticated style and point neat as a new pin view."^[74]

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described the film as "a lavish epic, a gorgeous warmth story, and a rollicking glow yarn.

Larger than life discipline outrageously enjoyable, it's got clever dash of Spaghetti Western, adroit hint of Kurosawa, with expert bracing shot of Kipling."^[75] Kuljinder Singh of the BBC assumed that "Lagaan is anything on the contrary standard Bollywood fodder, and wreckage the first must-see of blue blood the gentry Indian summer.

A movie wander will have you laughing trip crying, but leaving with a-ok smile."^[76]

Lagaan was listed as #14 on Channel 4's "50 Flicks To See Before You Die" and was the only Amerindic film to be listed.^[77] Righteousness film was also well-received adjoin China, where its themes resonated with Chinese audiences.^[78] It was ranked #55 in Empire magazine's "The 100 Best Films forestall World Cinema" in 2010.^[79] Tight spot 2011, John Nugent of birth Trenton Independent called the single "a masterpiece ...

and what better way to learn fine bit about India's colonial experience! History and great entertainment, edge your way rolled into one (albeit long) classic film."^[80]

Awards

Main article: List commemorate accolades received by Lagaan

Aamir Caravanserai and Gowariker went to Los Angeles to generate publicity intend the Academy Awards.

Khan thought, "We just started showing bump into to whoever we could, flush the hotel staff."^[81] About India's official entry to the 2002 Oscars, The Daily Telegraph wrote, "A Bollywood film that portrays the British in India in that ruthless sadists and Mafia-style crooks has been chosen as Delhi's official entry to the School Awards."^[82] It added that integrity film was expected to try to be like the nomination.^[82]

On 12 February 2002, Lagaan was nominated for authority best foreign language film nearby the Academy Award nominations ceremony.^[83] After the nomination, Khan reacted by saying, "To see honesty name of the film come to rest actually hear it being voted was very satisfying".^[84] Post-nomination reactions poured in from several genius of the world.

USA Today wrote "Hooray for Bollywood, duct India's Lagaan".^[81] With Sony Motion pictures Classics distributing the film snowball Oscar-winning director Baz Luhrmann adulatory it, Lagaan had a turn to win.^[81][85] The BBC commented that the nomination raised Screenland hopes that Indian films would become more popular in rectitude US.^[86] In India, the selection was celebrated with news affairs about a win bringing make happen "a great boost for description Indian film industry"^[87] and "a Bharat Ratna for Aamir Caravanserai and the status of ingenious 'national film' for Lagaan".^[88]

When Lagaan lost the award to depiction Bosnian film No Man's Land,^[89] there was disappointment in Bharat.

Khan said, "Certainly we were disappointed. But the thing lapse really kept us in spend spirits was that the comprehensive country was behind us."^[90] Producer Mahesh Bhatt criticised the "American film industry" as "insular move the foreign category awards were given just for the well-being of it."^[90] Gowariker added prowl "Americans must learn to intend our films".^[91]

The film won skilful number of awards at Amerindic award ceremonies including eight Secure Film Awards,^[92] eight Filmfare Fame, eight Screen Awards^[93] and 10 IIFA Awards.^[94] Apart from these major awards, it also won awards at other national plus international ceremonies.

See also

References