Really guys it's an fantastic and wonderful film with my favourite sport cricket and really very brilliant acting by Aamir khan.Its an Oscar deserving film.The story was good. The direction was awesome from Gowariker.The screenplay was nice.The songs and dialogues were good.I admit that this film is a little long but believe me not even a sec I feeled bored.And now comes to the acting what can I say about Aamir khan man wonderful and brilliant acting by him.See really i swear I am not a fan of Aamir khan but really I have to praise him.He really acted like a village guy.So overall friends this is a must watch film.Really you all will love this one and one will dislike this one.

That's funny. I always thought the reason of "Lagaan" continuous presence on IMDb Top 250 was due to its being "a little more than" your typical Bollywood movie, as if the opposite was a disqualifying parameter. I confess, from my slightly prejudiced perspective, I thought "Lagaan" was an empowering sports movie about the triumph of human spirit etc. but again, not the "typical" Hindi movie. But that would have been overlooking the subtitle: which goes straight to the point: Once Upon a Time in India. I guess if you set a story in India, you better tell it the "Indian way".So, the fact is: "Lagaan" IS your "typical" Bollywood movie, but that's not saying much as the director Ashutosh Gowariker finds that little extra push to elevate the film above the expectations of a national audience, thus delivering a story of universal appeal: something about the fight for dignity and justice, an underdog story with the same resonance as "Rocky", and told in an old-fashioned way with a despicable villain and a colorful gallery of challengers that goes from a handsome hero, a brute with a golden heart, a sneaky traitor, a comic relief etc. The film use many familiar elements from both Bolly and Hollywood's canon but the result is so enthralling, so exhilarating that it gets away with it.And take it from someone who's never been a fan of that Bollywood trope requiring that characters can break into singing and dancing in such a so well-choreographed act you wouldn't believe it's one of these spur-of-the-moment things. But the power of "Lagaan" is to know exactly what the audience longs, an emotional roller-coaster that includes singing and all dancing. There's such boldness in making a movie almost four hour longs by adding nothing that clearly advances the plot that even someone who's not familiar with Bollywood will understand that music isn't just an ornament, but as vital to the enjoyment as the rest. The film was long and riveting enough, but "Lagaan" primarily addresses its own audience and with such gusto that it widened its appeal to foreign audiences.But the story had a part to play in that success. Its premise alone is captivating: at the peak of the British Empire in India, an arrogant and racist Captain named Andrew Russel, commanding the province of Champenar, doubled the Lagaan tax to the villagers, who are already taxed to the bone. But with this new measure, they risk starvation and misery. Phillips (well-played by Paul Blackthorne) is no man to care for such considerations. And when the young and rebel villager named Bhuvan (Aamir Khan) goes with a few villagers to ask the local Rajah to intercede, the man with one foot in each world admits he's powerless. Russell spices up the situation, he challenges the villagers to beat them in cricket, a game Bhuvan called stupid, if they win, they won't pay Lagaan for three years, if they lose, they'll have to play triple Lagaan.When Bhuvan accepts, he faces a major uproar from the other villages of the provinces and before winning the game, there's a long process of winning the villagers' spirit and the process is crucial to reveal more about the characters and the setting. Meanwhile, Philips confronts his superiors and understands he'd rather win the game or he might pay the Lagaan from his own pocket. The dice are cast and we follow the training of villagers who never understood cricket, let alone played it. But it's not much in the game than the anticipation, to see these peasant trying to defy the British establishment, it's both funny like "The Full Monty" but many highly dramatic moments remind us that lives are at stakes and it's not just a game. The odds are worse but they've got to beat them.They are trying to win with what they have at hands and turning their flaws into tricks is the kind of inspirational material you expect from sport movie. One of the villagers is swift with slingshots, which earned him an ability to launch a ball so fast you literally don't see it coming, another one with a defect in his hand is able to make the ball spin, his status as a pariah allows a film to make a few comments about the caste system, to make sure there is an equivalent to British' ruthlessness. And to make up for the vileness of Captain his sister Elizabeth (Rachel Shelley), finding her brother's method cruel and unfair help the villagers, much to the displeasure of Gaury (Gracy Singh) in love with Aamir. There are many subplots in the movie and they swiftly overlap just like the many rules of that cricket game that you don't need to understand in order to enjoy the film.Each sub-story is bound to a specific emotion, there's romance, there's drama, comedy and tragedy, and at the climactic game, all these element come full circle together. And no matter how hard you expect the game to be, how many sports movie you've seen, no matter how firmly you anticipate that it will all comes down to one final blow, the film will still manage to surprise you. And that's the power of Lagaan that Ebert summed up very well, you enjoy it, you realize it's new and fresh although it's a very familiar material. You really enjoyed it. It is Bollywood but its appeals transcend the story.It has escapism, fun, colors, it's the kind of film, you can't say they don't make them anymore… well except maybe in Bollywood, the quintessential place for popular cinema. And it is an empowering sports drama about the triumph of human spirit.

Great movie of all times in Bollywood. I like the actor Amir Khan, he actually blends in with the hero's virtual life and shows it like a reality. The story line was also ultimate. I saw this movie when I was a child and till now I haven't forgotten about anything in that movie. Amir khan is just a awesome superstar and chooses his films appropriately. He has shown its dedication towards Bollywood cinema and which shows. He caters his movies to have a social moral or a thought to the movie which generally now the movies lacks. I really enjoys his movies specially now a days because he is now very particular with the choice of his movies and script.Thanks

This movie is widely regarded as one of the greatest Bollywood movies of all time and it definitely deserves that recognition. The scope, production budget and attention to detail were unprecedented for the time in which it was released. Apart from that, the natural performances given by the actors make the movie one to remember. The runtime of the movie is absolutely huge but surprisingly passes by in a breeze. The wonderful soundtrack composed by A.R. Rahman is one of the best ever and it complements the movie beautifully. Aamir Khan shows that he is one of the most talented actors in India and always chooses his movies wisely. I hope that other filmmakers take inspiration from this movie and try to make more such movies which show the real India. A must watch for all cinema-goers.