Lagaan (2001)

Synopsis:
Lagaan (Hindi: लगान; Urdu: لگان; translation: "Land tax"), also known as Lagaan: Once upon a time in India, is a 2001 Bollywood feature film made in India. The film, based on an original story by Ashutosh Gowariker, was also directed by him. It was produced by Aamir Khan, who plays the lead role, and stars Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne in supporting roles.

The movie is set in the Victorian period of the British Raj and revolves around the peasants from a barren village who are oppressed by high taxes imposed by the British. When the peasants attempt to persuade the officers to reduce the taxes, the officers put forth a proposition to the peasants. One senior officer offers to cancel their taxes for three years if their village team beats him at cricket. After accepting his proposition, the villagers face the arduous task of learning the game and playing for a result that will change their village's destiny.

The film received critical acclaim and awards at various international film festivals, as well as many Indian film awards. It also became the third Hindi-language film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film after Mother India and Salaam Bombay!. It was one of the biggest hits of 2001 while its DVD sales were the highest ever for a Bollywood movie up to 2007.

Starring:
Aamir Khan
Gracy Singh
Rachel Shelley
Paul Blackthorne
A K Hangal
Suhasini Mulay
Kulbhushan Kharbanda
Raghuveer Yadav
Rajendra Gupta
Rajesh Vivek
Sri Vallabh Vyas
Javed Khan
Raj Zutshi
Akhilendra Mishra
Pradeep Rawat
Daya Shankar Pandey
Amin Hajee
Aditya Lakhia
Yashpal Sharma
John Rowe
David Child
Ben Nealon

Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
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