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Lagaan

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Lagaan (2001)

95%
100%
86%
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95 %
Reviews Counted: 57 Fresh: 54  Rotten:3 Average Rating: 7.9/10
 
Consensus: Lagaan is lavish, rousing entertainment in the old-fashioned tradition of Hollywood musicals.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 3 hrs 44 mins

Synopsis: Considered to be a modern classic of Indian cinema, LAGAAN is a musical drama which tells the story of a central Indian farming village in 1893. The village waits for the monsoons to come and rain on its crops, but the ground remains dry and infertile. Meanwhile, British ruler Captain Russell... Considered to be a modern classic of Indian cinema, LAGAAN is a musical drama which tells the story of a central Indian farming village in 1893. The village waits for the monsoons to come and rain on its crops, but the ground remains dry and infertile. Meanwhile, British ruler Captain Russell (Paul Blackthorne) demands lagaan--or double normal taxes--from the villagers. When it becomes clear that they can't pay, Russell challenges the villagers to a game of cricket, a game they know nothing about. Teaching the villagers about the game falls on the shoulders of farmer Bhuvan (Aamir Khan). As they begin to learn, the villagers are inspired to go up against Russell, with tax negotiation as the stakes for the game. Full of choreographed musical numbers and climaxing in a pulse-pounding cricket match, LAGAAN is a fun, heartwarming British/Indian production that should have no difficulties translating across other national borders. [More]

Genre: Foreign Films

Starring: Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne, Suhasini Mulay

Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Screenwriter: Ashutosh Gowariker, Sanjay Dayma, Kumar Dave
Producer: Aamir Khan

DVD Info

Release:

Oct 1, 2003

[DVD Details]

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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5/5

With an equally stunning soundtrack, this rollicking yarn is a must for all film lovers.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/30/06
Ian Nathan
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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5/5

This is a lavish production that will remain a favourite for years to come.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/30/02
Nina Patel
ViewLondon
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5/5

Lives up to its huge hype with a spirited and well crafted story that could become actor-cum-producer Aamir Khan's magnum opus.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/12/01
Kujinder Singh
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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N/A

A lavish epic, a gorgeous love story, and a rollicking adventure yarn.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/12/01
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
07/24/08
Derek Elley
Variety
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N/A

Few recent American musicals are this fluid or engaging.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/26/07
Mark Peranson
Chicago Reader
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8/10

The film's got a big scope and a big heart, even taking time to decry class, social, and racial discrimination.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/22/04
Jeffrey Chen
Window to the Movies
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3.5/4

A great big Bollywood musical, complete with song and dance and doomed love triangles and elegantly photographed men playing cricket. And it's terrific fun, in a way that only great big musical fantasies can be.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/31/03
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times
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4/5

A great introduction to the joys of Indian popular cinema.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/21/03
Chris Baker
Film Threat
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N/A

If you're in the mood for a Bollywood film, here's one for you.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/21/02
Jean Lowerison
San Diego Metropolitan
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B+

A skillfully made, good-natured movie.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/18/02
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com
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N/A

A good example of the 'masala' type of Indian filmmaking, where politics, romance, class consciousness and long musical numbers are stirred together in an entertaining stew.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/13/02
Lawrence Toppman
Charlotte Observer
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3/4

So fascinating, you may not notice how much time has passed when the credits finally roll.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/13/02
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star
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2.5/4

There's no denying that when this film is good, it's very good.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/02/02
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
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N/A

Even during the climactic hourlong cricket match, boredom never takes hold.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/26/02
Marc Mohan
Oregonian
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3.5/4

After having seen this Cinemascope extravaganza in a theater, on DVD and video, I still think the big screen experience is worth it.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/20/02
Monica Eng
Chicago Tribune
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4/4

The most deliriously entertaining movie of the summer.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/19/02
Joe Baltake
Sacramento Bee
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N/A

It works its magic with such exuberance and passion that the film’s length becomes a part of its fun.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/19/02
F.X. Feeney
L.A. Weekly
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4/5

It seems impossible that an epic four-hour Indian musical about a cricket game could be this good, but it is.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/15/02
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review
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3/4

Two hours of melodramatic musical married to two hours of underdog sports intrigue, if the picture also shares the weaknesses of both genres, more's the pity.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/06/02
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central
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Related Forums

REEL_REVIEWER
LAGAAN is back in the US of A - check it out!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 2/21/05


REEL_REVIEWER
LAGAAN is back in the US of A - check it out!
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REEL_REVIEWER
LAGAAN is back in the US of A - check it out!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 2/21/05


REEL_REVIEWER
LAGAAN is back in the US of A - check it out!
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Helen Wheels
Hooray for Bollywood!
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Around the Network

• Lagaan at Rotten Tomatoes
• Lagaan at AskMen
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