What we really need is some brand new clichés.
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The Cannes festival just got over. A couple of bravely new-age movies came up (Black and Naina). Another Indian actress made it to the Cannes festival (Nandita Das). And a second Indian movie almost made it to the Oscars (Shwaas). It seems to be a very happy time for Bollywood patrons. Finally, the Indian film industry is “coming of age”. It is becoming mature. It is getting international acclaim. It is slowly beginning to have a comparable standard with Hollywood movies. Isn’t that something to be proud about?
Not really!
Why must our movies be the kind that you find in Hollywood? Why must the English or the Americans take any cognizance of our movies? It is good if they do. But why is it an index to our success or maturity? Why do our movies have to be like American movies? Is that “coming of age”? Is that maturity? Is the “good art”?
Not really!
That is blind imitation- aping the West. That is all. Why can’t Bollywood have powerful stylists of its own? Why can’t Indian movies have an extraordinarily unique mark? Why can’t we be incorrigibly and unmistakably Indian?
Take pride in being Indian!
We love music. It is a part of our culture. Why think a movie with no songs is “bold” or “mature”? What difference does it make? Why should an Indian movie not exaggeratedly glorify its hero? Why should we think that most of “Bollywood” is cliché and a lot of “Hollywood” is fresh?
You scoff at a movie where the hero braves the worst in the world to save the “heroine”. You say that is “typical Bollywood”. But did you know, there is a typical “Hollywood” formula in which a dad braves everything to save his son? If the hero-heroine thing is cliché, then so is son-dad!
So if we are seeking originality, we shouldn’t be making movies that resemble in style and story the Hollywood movies! That’s only jumping from a cliché of one sort to a cliché of another sort!
We need brand new clichés!
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~~ The Review~~
I know I am extraordinarily late in watching Lagaan. Retrospectively speaking, I’m extraordinarily stupid to have been so late. I have been following the general trend of movies coming out in India over the past few months. Black was loudly “I am not like any other Indian movie”. Naina looks something like that as well. Some movies look “I am not like any movie worth watching” so we won’t bother about them. What is more? Three fourths of the movies coming out seem to be based in places outside the country! Why? Got bored of India? Mumbai sucks, is it? That is another story…
Lagaan was refreshingly Indian for me in this riot of “crossover” or “make-over” or “cum-over” movies… I don’t care what it’s called. For someone who’s just had a dose of patriotism from several quarters, it was an elixir of his life! Are you sick of this didactic introduction? Sorry…
~~ Plot ~~
The villagers of Champaner have suddenly come face to face with an ugly prospect. Drought had made itself comfortable in the skies of Champaner. No crops to harvest, nothing to hope for. And suddenly, you’ve got to pay double the annual tax! Dugna lagaan! Uh-oh!
An angry young man from the village Bhuvan persuades his compatriots to challenge that tax. The English officer is displeased. But his nose is held up high with ego! What does he say? He says, “Defeat us in the game of cricket and we’ll waive off three-years worth of tax! Loose to us in the match, and pay thrice the usual tax this year!”
And the inspired Bhuvan accepts the condition then and there… Will Bhuvan be able to inspire courage and determination in his cowardly fellow villagers? Will the Champaner team come to existence in the first place? Will they learn the game well enough? And if all that happens, will they stand a chance in the game itself?
Well, they had help. An English lady named Elizabeth, sister to the Englishman, Captain Andrew Russell, promises to teach them the game. Does that inspire confidence in the bewildered villager?
Watch the movie to find out…
~~ Cast Performance ~~
BHUVAN is played by the amazingly versatile Amir Khan. He has an uncanny resemblance to those well-bred rural rustics charged with emotion and patriotism- a splendid mixture of rustic innocence and inspired nationalism. Splendid work Amir!
GAURI, the inevitable lady-love of the lead role, is played by Gracie Singh in her debut (right, am I?). She is a brilliant talent- natural, engaging, involved. She fits her role aptly and delivers fully. Good job, lassie!
ELIZABETH Russell, the kind Englishwoman is played by Rachel Shelly. For once, an English actor in an Indian movie who has something more than the “good looks of a tailor’s dummy” as P. G. Woodhouse puts it. Being English makes a difference- the English have very English habits, after all and only the English can depict them properly. Apt performance, Shelly!
ANDREW Russell, the high-nosed Captain of the English army is played by Paul Blackthrone. He has the perfect face for his job- the arrogant, egoist and very-very pompous look of a “superior” English army officer. Amazing, Blackthrone!
~~ Screenplay and Music ~~
You can’t have a movie set on the Indian background of pre-1947 India and not have songs in it! Music composed by AR Rehman, Lagaan has the most extraordinary music! If you’ve noticed, most Indian film-music has a peculiarity- every song is composed in the same raga and beat. That’s not the case with Lagaan! Every song has an original rendition. Each song is as engaging, enjoyable, hum-able and haunting as the rest!
~~ Random Rambling ~~
Lagaan has a lot of realism built into it, even though the story might not have been entirely real. The villagers’ innocence, ignorance, backwardness and hopeless poverty have been shown to great effect. Thankfully we’ve been spared of unnecessary melodrama there. Of course, the movie has many “climatic moments” when some character suddenly pledges inspired support to the village’s cause or something like that.
But the entire realism is brought down when they keep showing the English lady falling in love with Bhuvan. I’m not saying that it won’t happen. But primarily, it’s not extremely likely, or was not extremely likely back in 1893 (when the movie is set). And secondly, even if it does happen, why was it just brushed away as a “side story” in the main story? That gave it a very strange impression.
~~ The Verdict ~~
Do you want entertainment? Well, Lagaan has a cricket match in it that’s got its own share of rustic clowns swinging the bat and ball stupidly. Do you want good music? You have AR Rehman giving out one of his best ever job. Do you want good acting? Keep your eyes stuck to Amir Khan and Gracie Singh and Rachel Shelly. In short, watch the entire movie, then!
Well done, director Mr. Ashutosh Govartiker!
