Set in the late 19th century, the epic sports drama revolves around a small village plagued by high taxes — “lagaan” — imposed by the British rulers.
Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, the story’s protagonist Bhuvan, played by Aamir Khan, challenges a British officer to a game of cricket as a bet. If he wins, the villagers will be exempted from paying taxes for three years.
Marrying the country’s favorite sport and classic Bollywood musical elements, “Lagaan” was nominated for best foreign language film in the 2002 Academy Awards, per IMDb.
It is also a long-time favorite among Indian audiences, per Vogue India.
Despite its runtime of almost four hours, the movie has been praised by critics around the world for captivating audiences from beginning to end.
Back in 2002, the San Francisco Chronicle noted the film as being, “A rippingly good, old-fashioned movie epic that takes the best of Bollywood cinema … and elevates it for an international audience.”
