Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India

"Once upon a time in India"

2001 3h 53m HI

👍

7.3

SOLID

🔥

95%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

8.1

IMDB

★7.3TMDB · 673🍅95%Rotten Tomatoes●84Metacritic★8.1IMDB · 126,682

AdventureDramaHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The year is 1893 and India is under British occupation. In a small village, the tyrannical Captain Russell has imposed an unprecedented land tax on its citizens. Outraged, Bhuvan, a rebellious farmer, rallies the villagers to publicly oppose the tax. Russell offers a novel way to settle the dispute: he challenges Bhuvan and his men to a game of cricket, a sport completely foreign to India. If Bhuvan and his men can defeat Russell's team, the tax will be repealed.

“Once upon a time in India”

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Cast

Aamir Khan
Bhuvan
Gracy Singh
Gauri
Rachel Shelley
Elizabeth Russell
Paul Blackthorne
Captain Andrew Russell
Suhasini Mulay
Yashoda
Kulbhushan Kharbanda
Raja Puran Singh Chawla
Raghubir Yadav
Bhura
Rajesh Vivek
Guran

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Writers: Kumar Dave, Ashutosh Gowariker, Ashutosh Gowariker
Languages: Hindi, English
Countries: India

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

At 233 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

25 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Hindi, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, shot by Anil Mehta. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by A.R. Rahman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ballu Saluja shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Aamir Khan and Gracy Singh and Rachel Shelley carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Once upon a time in India".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ashutosh Gowariker directs. Anil Mehta behind the camera. A.R. Rahman scores. Ballu Saluja cuts. A long sit — settle in. Profitable at the box office. Produced in India. Dialogue in Hindi, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1At 233 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.
225 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Hindi, English.
4Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, shot by Anil Mehta. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by A.R. Rahman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Ballu Saluja shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Aamir Khan and Gracy Singh and Rachel Shelley carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Once upon a time in India".
9IMDB entry: tt0169102 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 21 themes, including "countryside", "sports", "patriotism", "village".
11Released under 24 different titles around the world.