Review of Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) by Josh G — 02 Nov 2008

There's never been a movie made like this. The film takes place in the 1890's India when the British still owned it. When a town is outraged by the doubling of Lagaan (taxes), they storm to complain at the British empire.

One native of the town sees the British playing Cricket and is fascinated by it, so a British man challenges him and his town to a game of cricket and he accepts. If the Indian town wins, no lagaan for two years; if they lose, triple Lagaan.

The formation of the Indian Cricket team is incredible and it allows those who know nothing about cricket to explore. The film also tackles the religions of the different villagers, making the film powerful, emotional, and empowering.

The cricket match is intense (beating out the super bowl). A love triangle and terrific musical numbers add to the spectacle of this 3 hr 44 min Bollywood motion picture that was nominated for (and should have won) the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film of 2001.