Q) What do 5000+ people have that 1.2 billion don’t?
A) The right to vote at the Oscars!
As quite like our national cricket team, Aamir’s team played very well throughout but faltered in the finals.
But this time, there could have been, (or this is what I and billions other would like to think) a case of dubious umpiring and there are no 3rd umpires or match referees here.
For a film which garnered $14 million in India, it was a bit surprising to know that pre-oscar marketing, nobody in Hollywood had even heard about Lagaan, let alone see it. It’s going to be released in the US only on the 10th May 2002!.
You really don’t want me to review Lagaan the movie, do you? I’m pretty sure you all must have seen it!
For the benefit of those who haven’t, let me tell you that the movie’s about a cricket match more exciting than any India-Pakistan match (’cause it’s usually one-sided anyway!) and there were more spectators than they ever are in Eden Gardens, Kolkata. But, of course, like all the cricket matches played at DDCA grounds in New Delhi, here also the spectators were without any tickets! The story is pretty simple really. A village called Champaran hasn’t seen rain for a few years and hence are unable to pay the annual tax or Lagaan to the British rulers. The British commander of that village challenges the village to a cricket match which if the then non-existent village cricket team won, the Lagaan would be revoked but if they lost, then they’d be required to pay triple Lagaan. (The Brits probably thought they’ll be dealing with Saurav’s team!)
Little did the English rulers know that we Indians are moved to the hilt by challenges, adulation, glory, the desire to win and any chance of saving money!
So there we had yet another Muslim captain who had his job cut out...to recruit players for the team! Unlike the Indian cricket team, there were no past performances to go by for any of the hopefuls. Almost all had seen the Cricket bat and ball for the first time in their lives. (or is it quite like the Indian team!)
Anyway, with a lot of egging from the skipper, Bhuvan (Aamir), some songs and some help from Rachel Shelly who played the British commander’s sister (don’t remember her name in the movie), the team was ready to take on the mighty Brits.
Finally the D-Day arrived. The clash of the titans began. (By that time, Aamir’s team had become world famous, at least in UK!)
With some wonderfully different type of players, some luck and a wrongly taken catch, guess what??......WE WON!! Phew!
Unfortunately, after such a wonderful performance, Lagaan XI could not repeat it at Oscars. I certainly would have said that the awards were rigged if Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding had also not fallen in the ’’NO MAN’S LAND’’ at Golden Globes.
But you know, I am a true Indian at heart...maybe the awards were rigged after all!!
All in all, a very enjoyable movie.