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 If there's ever a perfect Hindi movie out there, it has to be Lagaan. From Anil Mehta's beautiful cinematography to AR Rahman's vibrant soundtrack. Lagaan is a tale of struggle during a time when the British ruled India. Aamir Khan as Bhuvan who accepts the challenge from the British through a game, both the British and Indians love, cricket. No, you don't need to know anything about cricket to love this film. Just watch Bollywood at its best.
`Lagaan' is a story built upon immense emotion. Anger, despair, joy--they're all remarkably on display in this epic film. And the viewer experiences each in turn. Each character (or set of characters if you are to lump the British into one group) represents typical roles. You have the "good" Bhuvan, willing to give anyone a chance, to defend his beliefs with passion and conviction. You have the "bad" Captain Russell, vindictive and malicious, blinded by what power he has. However just because they do not appear to be multi-dimensional it does not hinder the impact of their presence. You find yourself a staunch supporter of the rag-tag band of would be cricket players, willing them to form a cohesive team in order to beat back the casual brutality of the British officers. There are moments that in any other movie might seem contrived, leading, but in `Lagaan' are simply moving. One such case involves an "untouchable," a crippled man of lower caste, and his scenes are heartbreaking where they might have been considered didactic. There is also a love story, a love triangle of sorts, but it is handled in a refreshing manner, and is thankfully overshadowed by greater aspirations-namely, the game of cricket itself. Whoever thought that a roughly two hour game that some of us have very little familiarity with could be so exciting, so nail-bitingly intense? But then, it's not really the game itself that is so intense, but the hope you have for the "home team" and their inevitable victory. By the last minutes of the game I was practically in tears and smiling all the same. The music of `Lagaan' didn't carry the same energy and playfulness that `Asoka's did. The songs were meant to be more a part of the actual story then an interlude designed to add to the over all appeal. I appreciated them more for their connection to plot then for the choreographed dance moves assigned to them. Really, they were nice, but not at all necessary, and that's not a bad thing. Though my heart still belongs to `Asoka' in terms of Bollywood productions, it's really no wonder `Lagaan' found itself in Academy Award contendership. It is a quality film with a wonderful sense of atmosphere and emotion. Even if you're not one to normally sit through an epic movie in subtitles, give `Lagaan' a chance and sit back to enjoy a remarkable film experience.
2 thumbs up!
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My first exposure to Bollywood came in the form of 'Asoka'. I cannot begin to describe the reaction it instilled in me except to say that Shah Rukh Khan is now a major star in my house and that my dvd rarely stays in its case. Whichever film I chose to watch next was going to have to work very hard to even come close. It's a good thing I chose `Lagaan'.
