CHAKDE INDIA

Chak De India (Hindi: चक दे इंडिया, Urdu: چک دے انڈیا, English: "Go For It, India!"^[1]) is a fictional 2007 Hindi sports film about the Indian women's field hockey team, directed by Shimit Amin, produced by Yash Raj Films, and Sports Action by Rob Miller of ReelSports. It stars Shahrukh Khan and the Chak De Girls.

Earning over Rs 639 million, Chak De India became the third highest grossing movie of 2007 in India,^[2] and was critically acclaimed.^[3] It has won numerous awards including eight for Best Film. It also received the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie.

On August 30, 2007, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences requested a copy of the Chak De India script for a place in the Margaret Herrick library.^[4]

Plot

Chak De India is a film which uses field hockey in India and the Indian women's national field hockey team as metaphors to explore larger themes relating to sexism, ethnic and regional prejudice, and religious prejudice under the larger umbrella of Indian nationalism. It also refers to the legacy of partition. As noted by the Times of India, the central task of the team's coach is to win the fictional competition, The World Championship, which is:

an impossible feat. Because, in the first place, there is no team, just a bunch of girls who have come together with a baggage of class, region and interpersonal rivalries. The small town girls hate the uber snobs; the city-slickers think Chhattisgarh is a jungle, the seniors can't handle the juniors stealing the limelight and petty camps create a virtual gang-war which even builds into a mutiny against the disciplinarian coach. The only thing that brings them together is gender bias—something they all have faced.^[5]

The film opens with the final minutes of the Hockey World Cup between the Pakistan men's national field hockey team and the India men's national field hockey team, with Pakistan leading, 1-0. When Indian team captain and hockey superstar, Kabir Khan (Shahrukh Khan) is fouled, he elects to take the penalty stroke himself. However, his strike flies just above the goal, and India suffers a crushing defeat. Soon after, the media begins to circulate a photograph of him accepting a handshake from the head of the Pakistani team, speculating that Khan (who is a Muslim) might have "thrown" the game as an act of sympathy towards Pakistan. The speculation and prejudice exhibited towards Khan forces him and his mother out of their ancestral home and into exile.

Seven years later, Indian sport officials are surprised to learn that Khan wants to coach the Indian woman's field hockey team, a job no one else wants (as, an official indicates, the only long term role for women is to "cook and clean"). Although the Indian team consists of 16 women, none fulfill the role of protagonist.^[6] Instead, the film focuses on several subplots regarding the tension and friction which develops surrounding gender, region, and ethnicity among the players and their families: Komal Chautala (Chitrashi Rawat) from a village in Haryana conflicts with Preeti Sabarwal (Sagarika Ghatge) from Chandigarh whom she refers to as "memsaab"; tough girl Balbir Kaur (Tanya Abrol) from the Punjab has an extremely short temper and frequently loses it, especially during games, which causes the team to play one woman short. She also bullies Rani Dispotta (Seema Azmi) and Soimoi Kerketa (Nisha Nair), both from jungle villages in Jharkhand; and Mary Lalte (Kimi Laldawla) from Mizoram and Molly Zimik (Masochon "Chon Chon" Zimik) from Manipur (in North-East India) are both treated as "foreign" by virtually everyone they meet. In addition, the players must also contend with sexism not only from strangers but from family members as well: Mary and Molly face repeated sexual harassment; Komal's parents worry that her interest in hockey will destroy all hope of a good marriage; team captain Vidya Sharma (Vidya Malvade) is forced to choose between hockey and the wishes of her husband's family; and Preeti's boyfriend, the (fictional) vice captain of the India national cricket team, Abimanyu Singh (Vivan Bhatena), mocks her involvement with the team, telling her that her only important role is being his wife.

Sensitive to issues of prejudice, Khan chastises players who introduce themselves by state and praises those who instead identify themselves with their country, India. His message is clear: if the girls want to play, they must sacrifice existing prejudices and alliances to state in lieu of commitment to their team and country. Thus during the first few days, he benches a number of players who refuse to conform to his rules, including the most experienced player, Bindia Naik (Shilpa Shukla). In response, she repeatedly attempts to encourage the players to revolt against Khan. Bindia finally succeeds and in anger, Khan resigns. As a sign of good will, however, he invites the staff and team to a going away lunch at McDonald's.

The lunch begins with the same anger and tension towards Khan as none of the girls will sit with him or his staff. This changes, however, when some neighboring boys make a pass at Mary and Molly. In response, Balbir attacks the boys, an act which encourages the other girls to do so as well. It is the first instance of the girls working together as a team. Khan recognizes this and repeatedly prevents the staff from intervening. His only action is to intervene when a man attempts to strike one of the women with a cricket bat from behind. Khan tells the young man, "hamare hockey me chhakke nahi hote" (or "there are no sixers in hockey"; "sixer" is a slang term which could translate as "wuss" or "coward"). It is a turning point for the team and in shame the girls beg Khan to stay as their coach. The girls have now bonded as a group, learning to overcome their previous differences. Under the able and determined coach, the team begins to practise again, but this time with new vigor.

The team's preparation receives a temporary setback, however, when hockey officials suddenly decide not to send the women's team to Australia for The World Championship. Rather than concede to what he deems an unjust request, Khan demands a challenge match against men's national team. If his team wins, Khan argues, they get to go to The World Championship. The officials agree, albeit reluctantly. Although the girls play a hard game during this challenge match, they ultimately lose 2-3 to the men's team. Their vigor and spirit proved so inspirational, however, that the men's team, in appreciation, raise their hockey sticks as a salute to them (an act which was reciprocated). Thus, despite their loss, the officials agree to send the women's team to Australia.

As the games begin, India loses its first match 0-7 against the host team from Australia. During this match, Bindiya Naik's behavior, which Khan felt was destructive to the team, leads Khan to bench her. As the games progress, the team grows to work as a single unit, eventually leading the girls to victory against England's team, New Zealand's team and South Africa's team. Despite the move towards unity, the two forwards, Komal and Preeti, are still not on talking terms with each other and refuse to pass ball to each other. Despite this, the team manages to win matches due to individual performances and Vidya's fantastic goal-saving ability.

Against the aggressive Argentinian team, Aliya Bose (Anaitha Nair) and Soimoi are injured. Khan finally grants Balbir permission to display her natural aggression and in doing so, India wins and joins the semi-finals against South Korea's team. This team, which is known for its use of the man-to-man marking technique, worries Khan. In response, he asks Bindiya to rejoin the team, telling her that she is the only one experienced enough to overcome this strategy. Bindiya, agrees and penetrates the strong Korean defense repeatedly with the help of another experienced player, Gunjun Lakhani (Shubhi Mehta), eventually scoring a lone goal. Having won the semi-final, India once again faces Australia in the final. The night before the final match, Khan forces Komal and Preeti to meet and resolve their differences. He tells them that it is their duty to play for team and not for their own individual interests. Although they agree, Preeti warns Komal privately that she will make the most goal scores as she has something to prove to a certain man (who is none other than her boyfriend Abhimanyu).

The next day, before the match Khan advices his team to just play their best hockey for the next 70 minutes (the duration of match). As soon as match starts, India scores. In the second half, the Australians attack with more intensity, which results in two goals. As India is on the verge of losing the match, a superb move from defenders and the decision of Komal and Preeti to finally work together allows the team to even the score at the dying moments of the game. The match is tied 2-2. As no team is able to score in extra time, the result would be decided by a penalty shootout.India begins with a poor start as Nethra Reddy and Aliya Bose miss their goals. Australia, however, converts their chances and the score is 2-0. However, in the next two strokes, Komal and Mary score and Vidya makes two saves. The score is now 2-2. Bindiya Naik also scores for India. When Vidya saves the final stroke, India becomes the World Champion.

This unexpected and thrilling victory leads the restoration of Khan’s good name. It also destroys the prejudices which once separated the girls and proves to their families and country the merit of women's athletics.

Production

Inspiration

The screenwriter Jaideep Sahni was inspired to create a film about the Indian Women's Hockey Team after reading a short article about the winning of the Gold by the women's team at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.^[7] Director Shamit Amin noted the lack of coverage of the women's team by the media and that "there are a lot of odds these players are up against." ^[6]

Hockey player Mir Ranjan Negi (who was accused of throwing the match against Pakistan during the 1982 Asian Games) has often been compared with the character of Kabir Khan in the media.^{[8][9][9][10][11]} On this connection Negi himself commented that "this movie is not a documentary of Mir Ranjan Negi's life."^[12] Sahani stated that he was unaware of Negi's tribulations while writing the script, and the resemblance with Negi's life was coincidental.^[13][14] However, Negi joined the production team after his name was suggested by the national coach of the women's team Maharaj Krishan Kaushik, who was with the team when it won the Commonwealth Games’ gold in 2002. Sahni further noted that, "the story of Chak De was deeply inspired by the real life story of ex Chief National Coach Maharaj Krishan Kaushik and his Indian Women's hockey team's real feat of winning the Commonwealth and many other championships."^[15]

Development

Both Kaushik and Negi influenced the development of the film after being approached by Sahini. Sahini first met with Kaushik and later recalled that, "M K Kaushik and his girls taught us all we knew about hockey. Then he recommended Negi to us, because when we finished writing and finished casting, we needed someone to train the girls. Negi assembled a team of hockey players to train the girls."^[14] Kaushik also states in the same interview that, "I taught him everything about the game, starting from how the camp is conducted, how the girls come from different backgrounds and cultures, the psychological factors involved. Also how the coach faces pressure to select girls from different states and teams."^[14]

Sahini also contacted Negi and asked him to coach the actors portraying the hockey team. While not initially enthusiastic about being involved in the film, Negi changed his mind after reading the screenplay. He acted as the coach and trainer for the cast stating, "I trained the girls for six months. Waking up at 4, traveling from Kandivili to Churchgate. We would retire around 11 in the night. It was tiring. But we were on a mission [...] They couldn’t run; couldn’t hold the hockey sticks. I ensured none of them [would have to] cut their nails or eye-brows (as the players do). The girls have worked very hard. I salute them."^[16] Some of the actors however, such as Chitrashi, Sandia, and Raynia were cast because they are actual hockey players. ^[17] ReelSports, under the direction of Sport Action Director Rob Miller,^[18][19] also worked with Negi to train the girls and Shahrukh Khan for the film. Of working with Khan, Negi recalled that everything was planned, "including the penalty stroke that SRK missed. That shot alone took us nearly 20 hours as I was keen that it should be very realistic. I took the help of a lot of my former teammates. But more importantly, it was so easy working with SRK. He is unbelievably modest and was willing to do as many re-takes as we wanted."^[20]

Comparison with real life

Kaushik noted that scenes in the film reflected incidents that had actually happened within the women's team:

Many of the incidents shown in the movie are true. How the coach actually throws a girl out when she is not listening, and then goes out himself and there are three to four other girls also standing there because they disobeyed his instructions. This happened with Pritam Siwach [...] The scene where they start fighting, happened to us when we were returning from a game in Bangalore, and some boys started passing comments [...] The actual game-situations we had to actually challenge another team after being disallowed from participating in an international tournament's qualifiers, and give it in writing, that we will qualify [...] And lastly the coach's portrayal, he goes to the match on a scooter. The team wins, but he still returns on a scooter. So the Coach's stature and status, you know, is always here." ^[14]

Locations

Chak De India was filmed in India and Australia. The Australian portions were filmed in Sydney and Melbourne and used 90 hockey players cast by ReelSports Solutions and 9000 extras. ^[21]

Cast: Chak De Girls

1. Aliya Bose (Anaitha Nair), #7, Right Out, senior player, West Bengal. Boy - crazy Aliya likes fashion and fun.
2. Balbir Kaur (Tanya Abrol), #3, Left Defender, Punjab. Tough as nails, Balbir must learn to overcome her quick temper.
3. Bindia Naik (Shilpa Shukla), #5, Center Half, senior player, Maharashtra. As the most experienced member of the team, Bindia feels herself above everyone. Angry that she is not given more power equal to her experience, she frequently attempts to overthrow the coach.
4. Gul Iqbal (Arya Menon), #10, Left In, Uttar Pradesh. She is the granddaughter of star hockey player Mohammad Iqbal and feels compelled to uphold the family legacy.
5. Gunjun Lakhani (Shubhi Mehta), #4, Right Half, senior player, Andhra Pradesh
6. Komal Chautala (Chitrashi Rawat), #8, Right In, Haryana. Tomboy Komal, referred to as Chhokra in her village, has only one regret: that she wasn't born a boy. Komal's character is based on Mamta Kharab, the current captain of the Indian Women's Hockey Team.^[22]
7. Mary Ralte (Kimi Laldawla) , #15, Substitute and Penalty Stroke specialist, Mizoram.
8. Molly Zimik (Masochon "Chon Chon" Zimik), #6, Left Half, Manipur. Mary and Molly are from North-East India and are initially treated as "foreign" by their teammates. They are always together.
9. Nethra Reddy (Sandia Furtado), #11, Left Out, Andhra Pradesh. A Ground-Man's daughter, Nethra plays to make her father proud.
10. Nichola Sequeira (Nichola Sequeira), #12, Maharashtra.
11. Preeti Sabarwal (Sagarika Ghatge), #9 Center Forward, Chandigarh. Rich-girl Preeti went to the best schools, was the team captain in Chandigarh, and is referred to derisively by Komal as "Memsaab." She is dating the (fictional) vice captain of the India national cricket team, Abimanyu Singh (Vivan Bhatena), who doesn't take her commitment to field hockey very seriously.
12. Rachna Prasad (Kimberly Miranda), #14, Bihar.
13. Rani Dispotta (Seema Azmi), #2, Right Defender, Jharkhand. Rani moved from a jungle village to Ranchi and learned how to survive among her urban-born classmates.
14. Raynia Fernandes (Raynia Mascerhanas), #16
15. Soimoi Kerketa (Nisha Nair), #17, Substitute, Jharkhand. Also from a jungle village, Soimoi struggles with language and fitting in.
16. Vidya Sharma (Vidya Malvade), #18, Goalie and Captain, Madhya Pradesh. Former goalkeeper for The Railways. Recently married, Vidya's husband attempts to force her to choose between hockey and family.

[edit] Release

[edit] Box office

Chak De India was released worldwide on August 10, 2007, and earned Rs 203 million in its first week at the Indian box-office. The film eventually became the third top grossing movie of 2007 in India, with revenues of Rs 639 million domestically,^[2] and was declared a "Blockbuster" after three weeks.^[2] In the U.S, it opened at number 20, in the UK charts at number 11, and in Australia at number 12.^[23] In the U.K., Chak De India debuted at number ten on the charts, earning £0.13m.^[24] It earned a total Rs 35 million in the United Kingdom, Rs 47.5 million in North America, and Rs 35 million for the rest of the overseas proceeds.^[25]

[edit] Critical reception

Chak De India was critically acclaimed in India and abroad. India Today describes Chak De India as, "the most feisty girl power movie to have come out of Bollywood ever. The girls, from the truculent Haryanvi Komal to the angry Bindiya, from the Punjabi Balbir to the very proper Punjabi, Chandigarh ki kudi Preeti, may be drawn from stereotypes but they shatter them with aggressive performances, staring Khan in the eye, almost defeating the Indian men’s hockey team, assaulting a gang of boys and showing the six-time Australian team a thing or two about how to win." ^[26] Sudhish Kamath of The Hindu asks "when did we last make a solid ensemble film about sports — one that’s not about a few players saving the day but about the triumph of teamwork? ‘Chak De’ is that rare film where the hero watches from the stands and lets a bunch of ‘what’s-her-name-again’ girls do all the winning [...] At another level, ‘Chak De’ is about women’s liberation. It is one of the best feminist films of our times. Next, the girls themselves are the closest we’ve seen to a representation of India in any sports movie we’ve seen. They are not 16 pretty young things. The casting is first-rate. The rawness in the performances actually makes you forget these are actors. Though we begin by warming up to the ethnic/race differences among the players, soon enough, Amin skirts their inter-racial conflicts behind the uniform, the great leveller."^[27] Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India gave the film 4 out of 4 stars and argues that it has "great performances by a bunch of unknowns, a gritty pace and a marvellous restraint make Chakde India an unbridled ode to patriotism without any hysterical chest-beating. And yes, for all you SRK fans and bashers, this time the verdict gotta be unanimous: Chakde Shah Rukh! Can you better this?" Jyoti Parasara of AOL India stated, "Shimit Amin has come up with a film where he has tried to take care of every minute detail, be it field position of audio visuals in the stadium where the championship in being played."

Apart from critics, Chak De India tied with Taare Zameen Par for best film of 2007 according to various Bollywood movie directors such as Madhur Bhandarkar, David Dhawan, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Anurag Basu, and Sriram Raghavan

Furthermore, Jaspreet Pandohar of The BBC gave it 4 out of 5 stars stating that, "while the tale of the sporting underdog is hardly new, Jaideep Sahni's screenplay offers a rare look at a popular Indian sport often overshadowed by cricket. But it's not the type of bat and ball, or the number of practice sessions that are at issue here. Instead, the gender and personal prejudices of the players underpin the story." Andy Webster of The New York Times argues that the film gave a fresh look to the conventional underdog sports film and compared the premise to the win at the FIFA Women's World Cup. Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter argues that the film is "definitely Bollywood, ashamed of neither sentimentality nor predictability. Yet its sharp-eyed view of Indian society makes for a world of difference from old-style, sugar-coated Bollywood films." Derek Elley of Variety describes the film as "a patriotic heartwarmer that scores some old-fashioned entertainment goals" and that it "is almost an anthem for India's new-found economic clout and its recent 60th-anniversary celebrations of independence from U.K. rule -- and it gets a stirring title song from composing team Salim-Sulaiman and lyricist Jaideep Sahni (who also scripted). Thus, it's hardly a surprise when the team of 16 girls from all over India finally get it together to beat the bejeezus out of their international opponents."

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave Chak De India a rating of 80%, based upon 5 reviews (4 fresh and 1 rotten).

Awards

Chak De India has won numerous awards including eight for Best Film from: The Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild, The Australian Indian Film Festival, The Billie Awards, The International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA), The Star Screen Awards, The UNFPA-Laadli Media Awards, The V. Shantaram Awards, and The Zee Cine Awards. It also received the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie.

Social impact

Chak De India was referenced as influential when the Indian Hockey Federation was suspended in April, 2008. India Today used the film to label the event in two articles titled, "Operation Chak De impact: Jothikumaran resigns" "Operation Chak de impact: Furore in Lok Sabha."The Indiatimes, in an article titled, "Five wise men set for a 'Chak De' act" also argued, "It looks like Indian hockey has done a real 'Chak de' this time around." addition, Former hockey player, Aslam Sher Khan, who was appointed by the Indian Olympic Association to head a committee which will replace the IHF, pointed to the film as a model to work towards. He stated in an interview, "We have to make a Team India as you have seen in bollywood blockbuster Chak De India. There are players from several parts of the country. We have to unite them to make a powerful force." In another interview, he emphasized that he wants "to create a Chak De effect" on hockey in India.

Lagaan (Bhojpuri/Hindi: लगान; Urdu: لگان; translation: Land tax), also known as Lagaan: Once upon a time in India, is a Bollywood feature film made in India. It became the third Hindi language film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (after Mother India in 1957 and Salaam Bombay! in 1989). The film, based on an original story by Ashutosh Gowarikar, was also directed by him. It starred Aamir Khan and Gracy Singh in the lead pair with Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne and A. K. Hangal 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 them to cancel their taxes for three years if their village team beats them at cricket. After accepting this 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 several international film festivals, as well as many Bollywood awards. Released on June 15, 2001 it became one of the biggest hits of the summer while its DVD sales is the highest ever for a Bollywood movie.

Lagaan is set in late 19th century India. Captain Andrew Russell (Paul Blackthorne), the commanding officer of a British cantonment, oppresses the people of Champaner with high taxes (lagaan). The local ruler, Rajah Pooran Singh Kulbhushan Kharbanda, asks that taxes be lowered to ease the suffering of the drought-stricken villagers. Captain Russell humiliates the Rajah by asking him to eat meat if he wishes the taxes to be lowered. The Rajah, a vegetarian by religion, says that he must keep the rules of his religion and his caste; he cannot eat meat. Captain Russell then doubles the taxes.

The peasants, who are already suffering from a prolonged drought, are devastated by this news. The monsoon is late; they will be unable to pay regular taxes, much less double taxes. They beg the Rajah to help them, but he says he cannot persuade the British to mercy.

The villagers, returning from their fruitless audience with the rajah, stop to watch the British officers playing cricket. Captain Russell notices them and sees the young, impetuous Bhuvan (Aamir Khan), who has previously angered him. The captain offers to cancel the taxes of the whole province for three years if the villagers can beat his men at cricket. If they lose, they will owe triple tax. To the horror of the other villagers, Bhuvan accepts this wager on their behalf. Later, he explains that as they can pay neither double nor triple taxes, they should grab the chance for a tax remission.

Bhuvan (Aamir Khan) raises his voice against the oppressive taxation.

Nonetheless, the villagers of Champaner, and of all the neighboring villages, are furious with Bhuvan. No one has ever played cricket. How can complete novices beat the British?

Upon learning of Captain Russell’s wager, his superiors in the British Army admonish him for his arrogant and irresponsible behavior. They tell him that if he loses the match, he will have to reimburse all the taxes from his own pocket and moreover suffer a transfer to East Africa.

Led by the courageous Bhuvan and helped by Russell’s good-hearted sister Elizabeth (Rachel Shelley), a few villagers begin to learn cricket. As time progresses, more and more villagers are convinced to join Bhuvan's team. The villagers have eccentric self-styled techniques - Goli swings his arms many times before releasing the ball, while Bhura, the chicken farmer, organises fielding training for the other villagers by having them attempt to catch his hens.

As they spend time together, Elizabeth falls in love with Bhuvan, who is himself attached to a charming local girl, Gauri (Gracy Singh). Though Bhuvan feels nothing but respect for Elizabeth and Elizabeth never expresses her feelings, Gauri sees how matters stand and is anxious until Bhuvan declares his love. This infuriates the woodcutter Lakha, who had hoped to win Gauri himself.

Bhuvan (Aamir Khan) with an eclectic mix of the village-folk forming their cricket team.

Lakha decides to humble Bhuvan by forcing him to lose the match. Lakha joins the team, but secretly meets with Captain Russell, informing him of everything that is happening. The captain tries to prevent his sister from helping the villagers, but she defies him.

In the end, Bhuvan has only ten players, one less than the eleven needed for a cricket team. Bhuvan finds his final player by chance, after the village cripple and untouchable Kachra inadvertently demonstrates his ability to bowl leg spin while returning the ball to the players. However, the village head and other members of the team threaten to quit the team, refusing to play with an untouchable. Bhuvan responds with an impassioned speech in front of the village, chastising everyone for their discrimination, after which they agree to allow Kachra to take his place in the team.

On the first day of the match, large numbers of villagers, many from outlying areas, have come to watch the eagerly awaited match. Members of the British leadership in India are also present, and the match is umpired by two Britons based in Kanpur (spelled Cawnpore before 1948).

Captain Russell wins the toss and elects to bat. The British officers make a strong start, and put on more than fifty runs before Lieutenant Smith, Captain Russell's deputy, is run out by Bhura after a mix-up. Goli then quickly follows up by bowling out one of the British officers, who are unable to pick up his multiple swing bowling action and repeatedly miss the ball. Captain Russell then attempts to convince the umpires to ban Goli's bowling because of the multiple swinging of the arm, but Elizabeth runs onto the field and points out there is nothing in the laws of cricket that prohibits this, much to her brother's chagrin. However, Captain Russell detects that Goli grunts immediately before releasing the ball, allowing the officers to detect his deliveries. After that, Russell and his partner easily dispatch his bowling.

Bhuvan brings on his trump card, Kachra, who has been spinning his leg break significantly during practice. However, Kachra's spin deserts him and he concedes a lot of runs. During the first day, Lakha, the Indians' best fielder, deliberately drops many catches and at the end of play, the British batsmen are in a strong position. That night, Elizabeth sees Lakha travelling to the British camp to meet her brother and she informs Bhuvan. The villagers attempt to kill Lakha on the spot but Bhuvan offers Lakha one last chance.

The next day, the British continue to play with ease against the Indians, and are only three wickets with almost 300 runs, at the lunch break, with Russell confidently predicting to his superiors that they will reach 600. However, Lakha takes a diving one-handed catch which sparks the British batting collapse. Kachra is brought back to bowl, and rediscovers his ability to spin the ball and takes a hat trick, bowling one of the officers around his legs with a leg break that spun more than a meter. Captain Russell reaches his century before being dismissed by Bhuvan, who gives him a send-off. The eccentric village mystic, Guran, gets in on the act. After one batsman repeatedly charges many meters out of the crease to hit his balls, he deliberately bowls a full toss way over the batsman's head, with the wicket keeper Ishwar (who is Gauri's father) stumping the batsman. The officers are bowled out after losing their last seven wickets for less than fifty runs.

The Indians start the run chase strongly, with Bhuvan and Deva Singh Sodhi, a former Sikh sepoy, opening the batting and put on seventy-odd runs. However, a straight drive from Bhuvan deflects off the hands of Lieutenant Smith, the bowler, onto the stumps, with Deva backing up too far and being run out. The Indians then lose a sequence of quick wickets. When Lakha comes into bat, Russell orders his fastest bowler Yardley to knock Lakha's head off. Yardley then bowls a beamer which hits Lakha directly in the temple. Lakha is concussed and falls onto the stumps and is given out hit wicket anyway. Guran briefly launches a counter-attack which his unusual repertoire of shots, while engaging in sledging against the bowlers. Eventually he is dismissed and the team suffers another injury when Ishmail is forced to retire hurt after being struck on the foot by a yorker. At the end of the day's play, more than half the team is out and the team has scored less than half of the required runs.

The final day starts well for the Indians, with Bhuvan and the wicket keeper Ishwar batting steadily. However, not-so-young Ishwar begins to tire, and is run out after trying to run for an extra run. Bhuvan blames himself for pushing Ishwar's fitness too hard. Ismail returns to the crease after the umpires allow the village boy Tipu to act as a runner. Bhuvan passes his century and Ismail his fifty as the Indians seize control of the match. However, Smith has another trick up his sleeve and as he is about to bowl to Bhuvan, he stops. The unsuspecting Tipu continues walking out of his crease and is run out.

As a result, the match turns again, with runs still needed, and the last batsman to enter the crease is Kachra, whose disability means he cannot hold the bat properly. However, the English bowlers repeatedly miss the stumps while Bhuvan continues to score. The match comes down to the last over. Bhuvan is struck on the head with a bouncer and eventually, Kachra needs to strike a six out of playing arena from the last ball of the match. With his disability, he can only knock the ball a short distance and the Indians manage only a single. Bhuvan and the Indian camp are distraught, while the British are jubilant. Nobody however, has heard the umpire signal no ball. Thus, Yardley has bowl the last ball again. Bhuvan swings extremely hard with a pull shot, that goes very high up into the air off a top edge. Captain Russell backpedals at long on, and the ball finally descends into his hands after an eternity and Bhuvan is caught. He then turns around to the British officials sitting under the marquee, and roars in celebration, while the whole stadium is still silent, yet to comprehend what has happened. The British contingent are unimpressed by Russell's antics, and when he looks down at his feet, he finally realises that he has backpedalled too far and was beyond the boundary of the playing area when he caught the ball. Bhuvan's shot has scored six runs, securing a one wicket win for the Indians. The crowd then spontaneously erupts and invades the field, chairing Bhuvan off the field. Suddenly, dark clouds form out of a hitherto cloudless sky, and the drought breaks.

After the match, the British high command orders that the cantonment at Champaner be disbanded in humiliation at losing to the Indians. The narrator closes the story by reporting that Russell is transferred to East Africa and Elizabeth returns back to London, and remains unmarried for the rest of her life, remembering Bhuvan, who marries Gauri.

Location, language and costumes

Ashutosh Gowarikar panning the camera for a good angle in the barren landscape of Champaner.

The film was primarily shot in an ancient village near Bhuj, located in Gujarat's Kutch district. The script demanded a dry location; an agricultural village where it had not rained in several years. To depict the 1890s era, the crew also required a village which lacked electricity, communication and automobiles.^[18] Kutch faced the same problems at that time and hence the village of Kanuria, located a few miles away from Bhuj, was chosen. During the filming of Lagaan in this region, it did not rain at all during the entire shoot. However, a week after the shoot finished, it rained heavily bringing relief to Bhuj, which had a lean monsoon in the previous year.^[5] This typical old Kutch hamlet was built by the local people four months before the arrival of the crew. They erected 56 small houses, many of them ghumbas (round-shaped huts), that were common in ancient Kutch. A village mukhiya (head), a blacksmith and other such people occupied these houses. A temple was specially built on a hill, with Lord Krishna as its deity.^[8] At the end, all the female members of the crew and cast were presented with beautiful pieces of Kutchi embroidery made by the friendly womenfolk of Bhuj.^[5] The 2001 Gujarat earthquake devastated this region and displaced many locals. The crew, including the Englishmen, contributed monetarily to their cause by donating Rs. 2.5 million with further contributions during the year.^[21]

Avadhi, which is a dialect of Hindi, is primarily from a region in Uttar Pradesh. This was chosen to give the feel of the language spoken during that era. However, the language was diluted so that the common man could understand it.^[6] The dialogues, which were a combination of three different dialects: Avadhi, Bhojpuri and Brajbhasha were penned by noted Hindi writer, K. P. Saxena.^[5]

Bhanu Athaiya, an Oscar winner for Gandhi, was the costume designer for the film. With a large number of extras used in the film, it was a challenge for the designer to make enough costumes. She spent a lot of time researching to lend authenticity to the characters of the film.^[5]

[edit] Production

After pre-planning for a year, including ten months for production issues and two months for his character, Aamir was a tired man. A first-time producer, he managed a crew of about 300 people for six months. With a good hotel lacking in Bhuj, they hired a newly constructed apartment and furnished it completely for the crew. Security was set up and a special housekeeping team was brought to take care of the crew's needs.^[19]

Most of the ancient tools and equipment depicted in the movie were lent to the crew by the local villagers. Initially, they did not want to part with their equipment, but after much coaxing, they gave in. However, they traveled to different parts of the country to collect the musical instruments used in that day and era.^[19]

During the shooting, Ashutosh suffered from a slipped disc and had to rest for 15 days. However during this period, he had his bed next to the monitor and continued with his work.^[22]

The filming schedule was spread across the winter and summer seasons commencing early January and finishing in mid-June. This was physically challenging to many with the temperatures ranging from 0 - 50 degrees Celsius.^[11][15] Throughout the shoot, the actors had to hydrate themselves and sit in the shade.^[10][12] The schedule was strict. The day began at 6 A.M., getting dressed up and getting into the actors' bus, which took them to the sets in Kanuria. All the actors, including Aamir, travelled on that bus. If anyone missed the bus, it was up to them to reach the sets. One day, Aamir was late and missed the actors' bus that took them to the sets. That day, his wife Reena, the executive producer, reprimanded him for being late. She told him he had to set an example for the rest of the crew. "If he started coming late, how could she tell the others to come on time?"^[12] While on the sets, the actors were given call sheets with the day's timetable such as breakfast, hair styling, make-up, costumes, etc.^[23]

[edit] Release and reception

Much before its worldwide release, Aamir Khan had screened the film for the locals of Bhuj, as promised.^[24]

[edit] Screenings at film festivals

In 2001, Lagaan had a world premiere at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) weekend in Sun City, South Africa.^[25] The Locarno International Film Festival authorities published the rules of cricket before the film was screened to an crowd which was reported to be dancing to its soundtrack in the aisles.^[26] Lagaan was shown four times due to public demand as against the usual norm of showcasing films once at the festival.^[27] It subsequently won the Prix du Public award at the festival.^[28] After the film's publicity in Locarno, the director, Ashutosh Gowarikar said that distributors from Switzerland, Italy, France, Netherlands, North Africa, Finland and Germany were wanting to purchase the distribution rights.^[27] Special screenings were held in Russia, where people were keen on watching the film after its Oscar nomination.^[29]

It shared the Best Film prize at the Portland International Film Festival,^[30] won the Audience Award at the Leeds International Film Festival^[31] and the The Norwegian Film Institute's award at the Bergen International Film Festival.^[32] Apart from these screenings, it was also screened at the Sundance Film Festival,^[33] Cairo International Film Festival,^[34] Stockholm International Film Festival,^[35] Helsinki International Film Festival^[36] and the Toronto Film Festival.^[37]

[edit] Commercial release

The film made it to the U. K. Top 10 after its commercial release.^[38] The film, which was the first Indian film to have a nationwide release in China,,^[39] had its dubbed version released in Italy.^[27] With favorable reviews from the French press, the movie premiered in Paris on June 26, 2002 and continued to have an unprecedented nine weeks of screening with over 45,000 people watching the movie.^[40] It also released in United States, France, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Africa and the Middle East with respective vernacular subtitles.^[27][41]

The film garnered a cumulative of $2.5 million at the international box-office^[1][42] and Rs. 38 crores at the domestic box-office.^[43]

[edit] Reviews

Derek Elley of Variety said that the film "could be the trigger for Bollywood's long-awaited crossover to non-ethnic markets".^[44] About the story, he says that it "never drags, thanks almost entirely to its warm, very human feel and -- in Bollywood terms -- believable characters."^[44] About cricket which was not native to United States, he said that "the device of having a local explain the game to the assembled Indian audience cleverly gets round the problem of elucidating the mysteries of cricket for territories where it isn't played."^[44] About the film, The New York Times said that it was "a carnivalesque genre packed with romance, swordplay and improbable song-and-dance routines"^[45] Roger Ebert wrote in his review of the film:

Lagaan is an enormously entertaining movie, like nothing we've ever seen before, and yet completely familiar. This film is like nothing they've seen before, with its startling landscapes, architecture and locations, its exuberant colors, its sudden and joyous musical numbers right in the middle of dramatic scenes, and its melodramatic acting (teeth gnash, tears well, lips tremble, bosoms heave, fists clench). At the same time, it's a memory of the films we all grew up on, with clearly defined villains and heroes, a romantic triangle, and even a comic character who saves the day. Lagaan is a well-crafted, hugely entertaining epic that has the spice of a foreign culture.^[46]

A review from The Guardian said that "Lagaan is a lavish epic, a gorgeous love story, and a rollicking adventure yarn. Larger than life and outrageously enjoyable, it's got a dash of spaghetti western, a hint of Kurosawa, with a bracing shot of Kipling."^[47] About the film, The BBC said "Lagaan is anything but standard Bollywood fodder, and is the first must-see of the Indian summer. A movie that will have you laughing and crying, but leaving with a smile."^[48] The review also added that the "director Ashutosh Gowariker captures the beauty and simplicity of rural life in India at the turn of the century."^[48] Los Angeles Times wrote that the film was "an affectionate homage to a popular genre that raises it to the level of an art film with fully drawn characters, a serious underlying theme, and a sophisticated style and point of view."^[49] The review added by saying that "Lagaan masterfully integrates song and drama into a sophisticated but lengthy tale of injustice."^[49]

A medley of many such reviews on Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a approval rating of 95%.^[50]

A review from The Hindu wrote that "the movie is not just a story. It is an experience. An experience of watching something that puts life into you, that puts a cheer on your face, however depressed you might be."^[51] The Times of India wrote that "Lagaan has all the attractions of big-sounding A. R. Rehman songs, excellent performances by Aamir Khan [..] and a successful debut for pretty Gracy Singh. In addition, there is the celebrated David vs Goliath cricket match, which has audiences screaming and clapping."^[52] An Indian entertainment portal in its review said that "the film has many brownie points. A R Rahman's music, Anil Mehta's cinematography (even though some obtrusions to the eyes exist in the many jerky pans), Bhanu Athaiya's costumes and Nakul Kamte's sound."^[53] About the performances, it said that "though as an artiste, Gracy could do well with less of her eager facial contortions and hone her admittedly good enunciation and emoting to perfection."^[53] About the rest of the cast, "Raghuveer Yadav as Bura, the poultry owner, and Yashpal Sharma as the village baddie, stand out."^[53] It, however, attributed the film with a poor script by saying "what is one to say about a film which exhausts its plot in the first two hours and 40 minutes, and devotes an hour to a cricket match?"^[53]

Ashutosh Gowarikar (in white) posing with directors of the other nominated foreign films at the 74th Academy Awards.

[edit] Awards

Main article: Awards and nominations for Lagaan

Apart from winning several awards at the film festivals, Lagaan won several Bollywood awards.

In 2002, it won Filmfare Awards for the music director, lyricist, male singer (Udit Narayan for Mitwa), female singer (Alka Yagnik for O Rey Chhori), story, lead actor, director and for the film.^[54] In the same year's IIFA Awards, it won the best music director, best female singer (Asha Bhosle for Radha Kaise Na Jale), best actor, best director and the best film awards in the ceremony held in Malaysia.^[55] It won the National Film Awards for art direction, costume design, audiography, lyrics, male singer (Udit Narayan for Mitwa), music director and the film for providing wholesome entertainment^[56] Apart from these major awards, it also won awards in the Star Screen Awards and Zee Cine Awards ceremonies.

Apart from being a nominee at the 74th Academy Awards, it was also a nominee for the Screen International Award at the 2002 European Film Awards.^[57] Besides these, it was also nominated for several Bollywood awards.

[edit] The Oscar nomination

Aamir Khan and Ashutosh Gowariker, went to Los Angeles to generate publicity for the Academy Awards. Khan said, "We just started showing it to whoever we could, even the hotel staff."^[58] About India's official entry to the 2002 Oscars, British daily, The Telegraph said, "A Bollywood film that portrays the British in India as ruthless sadists and Mafia-style crooks has been chosen as Delhi's official entry to the Academy Awards in America."^[59] It, however, added saying that the film was expected to win the nomination.^[59]

On February 12, 2002, Lagaan was nominated for the best foreign language film at the Academy Award nominations ceremony.^[60] After the nomination, Khan reacted by saying, "To see the name of the film and actually hear it being nominated was very satisfying".^[61]

Post-nomination reactions poured in from several parts of the world. USA Today said "Hooray for Bollywood, and India's Lagaan".^[58] With Sony Pictures Classics distributing the film and Baz Luhrmann, director of award-winning Moulin Rouge!, raving about Lagaan, it gave Lagaan a chance to win.^[58][62] The BBC said, the nomination raises Bollywood hopes that Indian films will become more popular in the US.^[63] While in India, the nomination was celebrated with news reports about a win bringing in "a great boost for the Indian film industry"^[64] and "a Bharat Ratna for Aamir Khan and the status of a ‘national film’ for Lagaan".^[65]

After No Man's Land won the Academy Award for the best foreign language film,^[66] there was widespread disappointment in India. Aamir Khan said, "Certainly we were disappointed. But the thing that really kept us in our spirits was that the entire country was behind us".^[67]

There was criticism about the Oscars after the ceremony. One film maker, Mahesh Bhatt said that the "American film industry was insular and the foreign category awards were given just for the sake of it."^[67] Gowarikar added by saying, "Americans must learn to like our films".^[68]

Lagaan began as a dream, a nebulous dream dreamt for the first time as far back as 1996 by a man called Ashutosh Gowariker. Over the last 3 years I, and the entire cast and crew of Lagaan, have tried to help and support the man leading us to realize his dreams.

The journey has led us all to become a part of this dream.

And very soon my friend, you too will be a part of it.

May the force be with you!

THE POP'S TOILET

Excellent actors achieve a perfect description of how people live, work and feel in the Uruguayan towns bordering Brazil. They need very few quick words to tell you everything about the characters they represent.

In spite of all their problems it still sends a very positive message about the efforts of this family to stay together. They are really concerned about the future of their daughter. Both parents go to extremes for the well being of their small family.

The expressions of the silent face of the daughter tell you everything in her mind.

It is a very sad subject but very well treated with delicate touches of humor.

A bit too slow for today's viewer accustomed to fast action but, still an excellent movie.

Maybe not as good as "Whisky" but in the same league of the several Uruguayan movies we have seen lately. Quite different but as good as "El viaje hacia el Mar".

It is a film that leaves the viewer looking for hidden and not so hidden messages from its creators.

It shows very clearly and graphically the contrast between the opulence of the trip of the Pope and his multiple assistants and the local poverty.

The close-ups of the pope mobile stress the two different worlds; the Pope's and the people's.

Is that a message to the church asking for a modernization of their public relations strategy?

The TV reporter has no problem broadcasting news he has not confirmed. He talks about a long line of buses waiting to cross the borderline from Brazil, filled with visitors raising the expectations of the viewers.

The many interviews with people who are planning to profit from the Pope's visit feed the hopes of many others without any real basis.

Is that a message to the media, asking for more ethical reporting?