Dust flies, feet fly and a young spirit refuses to die. Passion and pride dare to hope and dream, and fly. ‘Yeh dharti apni, apna amber hai re. Oh mitwa, o mitwa.’
Welcome to ‘Lagaan’, movie extraordinary!
You could almost call it a lesson in leadership and inspiration. On the old adage of a host of ordinary people who together can do extraordinary things. And all of it put together in a delicious concoction of romance, song and high drama.
And Aamir Khan (producer) and Ashutosh Gowariker (director), in an almost inspired mode, have combined three passions of Indians: cinema, cricket and patriotism. And by giving it an incredibly smooth and seamless structure, and by ensuring a screenplay full of focus and depth (which itself is unusual for a commercial movie!) they have a fine piece of cinema on hand.
Hence, its tale of match-as-war has few diversions into sub-plots. Its humour, its romance, the perfidy, the retribution, the religion – in fact, every cliché in the book viz the Sikh, the Muslim, the untouchable and the upper caste snob, all finding place in the team – are all weaved into the tapestry of the film. Even the British girl’s hopeless love is given its moments of ecstasy and sorrow without giving even a bump to the story.
And the movie’s characters, so many of them, in spite of being recognizable for what they stand for – the villainous cad, the hopeless untouchable, the dumb and deaf temple drummer, the mother-as-widow – have been given their moments. And they do not come across as mere cardboard cutouts.
As each one of the characters comes out to bat or bowl (gosh, there is our very own Murlidharan, the untouchable with a crippled arm!), you know them as real people, who walk in with their strengths, weaknesses, and prejudices-in-check.
In a fight, ultimately, of good and evil, it irritates to find all Britishers painted pitch-black (only barely counter-balanced by the fresh-faced Elizabeth), without a shade of gray. But in a cricket-field, even in real-life, the opponents are always (albeit symbolically) evil. And the movie enhances that feeling to the level of fervor.
And then there is Aamir.
Short and compact, passionate and driven, filmdom’s own Sachin Tendulkar in dhoti, first man in and the one-never-to-go. Rakish, brave, daring to dream, without prejudices, full of pride. In a world which we dream of, he is the ultimate wish fulfillment.
Aamir bites into the role with relish and gives it all he has. The slit eyes, the sweat, the face turned sideways and the look, which could make hearts, go weak. As does the one inside Gracy Singh.
Welcome to a luminous presence. In spite of being merely a romantic presence, and the reason – ah, the hackneyed aspect of the plot – of the perfidy, she brings the much-needed relief in the frames filled with endless miles of dry brown land. With liquid eyes in which hurt, pain and pleasure get reflected with almost heart-breaking innocence and clarity she fills the screen with a gentle but extraordinary radiance.
Does it require guts to make a movie without sex, without violence? And spend crores doing it? It does. And it has been proven time and again that a good story, recognizable characters, fine music (A.R.Rehman, take a bow, yet again), will always touch a chord.
In his own way, Aamir, in real life, is like his screen persona. In pursuit of an extraordinary dream. Ready to commit to the unusual because he believes in his own vision. With an eye on the tinsels, he has packed in all the standard clichés of communal harmony and the uselessness of untouchability. But he has remained true to himself.
And in turn has made a movie which you could well return to again and again…