Lagaan has to be my favorite Bollywood film to date.
When a local British governor doubles the lagaan (tax) on a small village in the midst of a drought, the villagers make a deal that they'll be free of Lagaan for 3 years if they can beat the British in a game of cricket, or suffer triple the tax if they lose. Trouble is, they don't know the first thing about the game.
It's a typical sports story with a rag tag team of underdogs squaring off against an experienced, arrogant veteran team vividly dramatizing the Indian fight against British oppression.
The well executed story is buttressed with lavish Victorian era costumes, beautiful cinematography, and several musical numbers that are a cut above the average Bollywood song-and-dance numbers.
When a local British governor doubles the lagaan (tax) on a small village in the midst of a drought, the villagers make a deal that they'll be free of Lagaan for 3 years if they can beat the British in a game of cricket, or suffer triple the tax if they lose. Trouble is, they don't know the first thing about the game.
It's a typical sports story with a rag tag team of underdogs squaring off against an experienced, arrogant veteran team vividly dramatizing the Indian fight against British oppression.
The well executed story is buttressed with lavish Victorian era costumes, beautiful cinematography, and several musical numbers that are a cut above the average Bollywood song-and-dance numbers.