Lagaan

Lagaan (), released internationally as Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language musical sports film written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, and produced by and starring Aamir Khan, along with debutant Gracy Singh and British actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne in supporting roles.

The film is set in 1893, during the late Victorian period of India's colonial British Raj. The story takes place in a small village in Central India, whose settlers, overloaded by high taxes, and several years of drought, find themselves in an bizarre situation as an arrogant British army officer challenges them to a game of cricket, as a wager to avoid paying the taxes they owe. The narrative spins around this situation as the villagers face the extremely difficult task of learning a game that is strange and new to them and playing for a result that will change their village's destiny.

Lagaan released on 15 June 2001, clashing with Gadar: Ek Prem Katha starring Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel. Lagaan received worldwide critical acclaim and awards at international film festivals, and many Indian film awards and it became a blockbuster. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Made on a very expensive of  (), the movie was a humongous project from Aamir Khan Productions and was filmed in villages near Bhuj.

 Cast 
 Aamir Khan as Bhuvan Latha
 Gracy Singh as Gauri
 Rachel Shelley as Elizabeth Russell
 Paul Blackthorne as Captain Andrew Russell
 Suhasini Mulay as Yashoda Maa, Bhuvan's mother
 Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Raja Puran Singh
 Rajendra Gupta as Mukhiya Ji
 Raghubir Yadav as Bhura (fielder)
 Rajesh Vivek as Guran (seamer)
 Raj Zutshi as Ismail (batsman)
 Pradeep Rawat as Deva Singh Sodhi (all-rounder)
 Akhilendra Mishra as Arjan (batsman), the blacksmith.
 Daya Shankar Pandey as Goli (seamer), the man with the largest piece of land.
 Shrivallabh Vyas as Ishwar (wicket-keeper), the vaidya (doctor) in the village and Gauri's father.
 Yashpal Sharma as Lakha (batsman), the woodcutter.
 Amin Hajee as Bagha (batsman), the mute drummer.
 Aditya Lakhia as Kachra (spinner), the untouchable.
 Javed Khan as Ram Singh, Indian who works with British and helps Elizabeth in translating villagers language.
 A. K. Hangal as Shambu Kaka
 Amin Gazi as Tipu
 John Rowe as Colonel Boyer
 David Gant as Major Warren
 Thor Halland as Captain Roberts
 Jeremy Child as Major Cotton

 References