Lagaan
Lagaan is about the triumphant of human spirit, and how faith can make you do the seamlessly impossible.
Plot review -
The director of this movie makes it at a priority to explain everything - even the farfetched idea of the cricket match, is backed up. We think its nonsense, and the director also coveys how nonsensical it is. The story is well bought up from the beginning right to the finish - this is usually missing in most Bollywood films. Usually I feel a film can do without songs and dance sequences, but not in this one. In fact the rustic music and the dances are the highlight of this movie. They flow so naturally in the movie, and the way in which the music director AR Rahman has fused two entirely different types of music, English clical and the old rustic Indian music deserves an award. It is a delight to watch all the song and dance sequences, some the dance moves are funny but it looks like it was intended. On top of that the director has incorporated almost every element in the story, there is humour, action, romance, thrills and over powering emotions. This movie will make you laugh, cry and then laugh again.
Plot rating - 10/10
Technical review -
The Film starts out with an superb 3D animation, which makes you think its made by a Hollywood company, but NO, its Aamir khan productions.
The way the credits roll is very impressive and very fresh.
Technically this film is a master piece, everything has been well thought out, the director has managed to recreate the setting of 1893 British India. Everything seems like its from that period, even the language spoken by the villagers is an old peasant form of Hindi and some of the words even I did not understand, so I had to make use of the excellent bold bright sub titles. The director has played remarkable attention to the picture quality, which seems old and just as if we are viewing the atmosphere in that period. The songs and dance sequences have been picturised with perfection. The special effects used to create the moving clouds etc, are at their best.
Without no flaws in the technical aspects of this movie, technically this movie scores maximum marks
Technical rating - 10/10
Music review -
I had listened to the all the music before I had watched the film, but watching the music inside the movie is a real treat. The way the songs and dance sequences flow in so naturally with the story is a feature that only a few Bollywood films see. All the songs are beautiful to listen to and some songs that I was not to keen on, suddenly overpowered me when I saw them play in the movie in their own settings. In fact each song is not just a song, but a story itself.
A special mention for the sound effects, instrumental music and orchestra - All I can say is breathtaking - every sound effect and music fits in the plot and helps convey the emotions.
Music rating - 10/10
Screen play review
The screen play is absolutely fabulous, to say the actors acted, is an insult. They did not act, they became the characters. The highest honours go to Aamir khan for the role of Bhuvan and Gracie Singh for (Gauri). Though the rest of the cast does not deserve lesser acclaim, everyone was good. In fact in the end when there is crowd of some 10, 000 people, Even they acted like dreams. Russel( Paul Blackthorne) acts well, in fact other than being the villain he also has a humorous side of him. The 40 somewhat British cast were an excellent addition to this film and helped bring realism to the story. However when they had to speak Hindi dialogues, the audience could not help laughing their heads off(grin). However a lot of credit goes to the director for extracting superb performances from everyone, even small 5 year old kids.
Screen play rating - 10/10
Final rating 10/10 - 100%
WARNING: Below is a spoiler(Part of the story) so if you have not seen Lagaan and intend to see it sometime in the Future and do not want to know some of the plot beforehand, THEN PLEASE DONT READ ANY FURTHER!
Story line
The year is 1893, India is under the rule of the British, they have imposed a law on the pheasants, that they must pay a food tax(lagaan) every year. However it has not rained for all of the year, hence they struggle and remain in hunger for most of the day. However later the Lagaan or tax is doubled, and now chaos strikes the village, who can barely manage the single Lagaan. They go to see the king of the land (Who is controlled by the British) in protest and to reach a resolution. When they arrive there, they have to wait while the British play a game of cricket. The villagers watch the game and humour the game, knowing nothing about cricket or what the British were doing, they speak ill of the game to each other. Captain Russel, the head of the British cantonment, overhears them and later when the villagers speak to the king about the tax, the king replies , ’’Im sorry you will need to pay double tax, when suddenly he is interrupted by Captain Russel, ’’You don’t need to play double Lagaan’’. The villagers with a sigh of relief and excitement express their premature thankfulness when the general interrupts once again, ’’But there is one condition’’ - He points at Bhuvan, who made fun of his game to stand up and he says, ’’What did you say about our game’’, later then points out his condition, ’’You need to beat us in a game of cricket, and If you win, I will cancel the double Lagaan’’ Shock hits the crowd of villagers, when they are interrupted once again, ’’And if you lose!, You will have to pay THREE times as much Lagaan’’ Outrage hits the crowd, while Bahvun is standing there speechless, shocked and confused and as if he’s going to explode. The villagers beg Bhuvan not to say anything out of bravado and accept their impossible challenge and Captain Russel interrupts again, ’’And I will UP the wager! if you win, I will not only cancel the double Lagaan I will cancel your Lagaan for a year’’ After a few more intense situations(I do not want to reveal all the story to you) Captain Russel proposes, ’’And I will UP the wager even more! if you win, I will cancel the Lagaan for THREE consecutive years!’’. After a tense ordeal, Bhuvan agrees . In three months from then they will play a game of cricket. Before the intermission, it is shown how Bhuvan has to convince the outraged villagers to learn the game and then set up a team. This is not just a game of cricket, this is a war. An impossible war, which will destroy the village if they lose. And for a village that has never heard of cricket or its rules, was this an impossible condition to accept? After the intermission, the game is played, the 2nd part is like watching a match between India and Pakistan - it is totally gripping, exciting and very well thought out.
If you catch this movie any where, then watch it!
Lagaan is the best movie I have ever seen, including all Hollywood and Bollywood films and I really hope its sets the Indian and overseas box office alight.