Lagaan: Once Upon A Time In India

Lagaan (2001) is an over-determined, light-hearted, patriotic good time. It is not unexpected or challenging, and there is a massively long cricket game towards the end- but it is sufficiently thoughtful and more than sufficiently fun to warrant viewing, reviewing, and frequent re-viewing. A.R. Rahman’s music is phenomenal as always, the village setting is lovely, the costumes are spiffy, and lets face it- the idea is something we can all get behind. Indian villagers beating the British at a game of cricket in exchange for three years without having to pay taxes? Obviously never happened. But to take a deadly serious idea- the human impact of agricultural and economic policies imposed by an occupying foreign power (please see the famine in Bengal circa 1943)- and make it a musical about cricket, national unity, romance, and the resilience and creativity of the every-man is pretty nifty. 

Now, western women in Bollywood films are annoying. All of them. If nothing else, they all speak fantastic Hindi without having to put forth any obvious effort, which sets a bad precedent. Nevertheless, I confess: I have, on occasion, been the white girl in Lagaan. Put out in some nature and given a little too much free time, I formed doomed romantic attachment(s). I also maybe sang about my mini-melodramas. There was maybe dancing. So my heart goes out to Elizabeth (Rachel Shelley). I feel your train wreck. I also recommend urban living and a job. 

Dancing in Nauky

And who doesn’t feel Gauri (Gracy Singh)? I love the song "Radha Kaise Na Jale" (sung by the incomparable Asha Bhosle) - how can Radha not burn with jealousy when she sees Krishna cavorting with those other gopis, or in this case, Bhuvan, (Aamir Khan) making nice with that leggy colonial oppressor? One of the rewards of watching foreign films is enjoying the universal human experience- in this case, watching the other girl smile and absolutely hating her. The baul-inspired "Mitwa", which features several men crying and embracing (patriotism is on) is also fantastic. "Chale Chalo" is about Aamir Khan running up and down hills without a shirt on. 

I know there are sarcastic souls out there wondering why Indian villagers spend so much time singing and dancing- surely not? Now, my experience may not be typical, but when I lived in Naukuchiatal, a village in Uttarakhand, I spent a lot of time singing and dancing. A lot of time. Not every day, but several times a week- excluding Holi, during which week I went to parties with singing and dancing every single day. So just leave the sarcasm at home, buddy. People like singing and dancing. 

There is also cricket in Lagaan. A lot of it. Despite having lived in India for over a year, I know nothing about cricket. I probably never will because I just dont care. I suspect the Academy felt much the same- Lagaan was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 2002, but failed to bring home the statue. I suspect the Academy was not ready for a 45-minute game of cricket in the middle of their 3.5+ hour musical extravaganza.

I am also not really ready for a 45-minute game of cricket in the middle of my musical extravaganzas. I usually fast-forward to the inevitable dramatic ending in which the villagers, who have overcome religious and caste prejudices to unite as one team in a few short weeks, are inevitably, gloriously victorious. (over-determined!) But do not let the ponderous length, cricket, or annoying white woman deter you- Lagaan is worth the investment in time and energy. I have watched it more than once, and I don’t even like sports movies. I absolutely recommend Lagaan to anyone who likes sports movies. I also recommend Lagaan to anyone who likes fantastic music, and to anyone who doesn't want to worry about the ending- who just wants to enjoy the ride.

To the fashion! The outfits worn by Gauri are called ghagra choli, and are made up a a long, full skirt tied at the waist called a lehenga or ghagra, a short blouse called a choli, and a long, wide scarf called a dupatta or orna.  The polka-dots on Gauri’s outfit, most often found on fabrics found in western India and eastern Pakistan, and famously in Rajasthan, are traditionally created by wrapping cloth around lentils, tying twine around the fabric, and then dying the fabric-twine-lentil bundle. I haven't seen it done, but having seen sari drying in the sun, I suspect the process is beautiful. Also, I suspect, a whole lot of work. 

Film: Lagaan (2001)

Writer/Director: Ashutosh Gowariker

Runtime: 224 minutes
Country: India

Language: Hindi

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