The Unconventionality of "Lagaan"

Vishnu Varada
Mr. Niven
2/8/14
There are many ways to fight oppression, whether it is with gun and sword, or bat and
ball. This is shown in "Lagaan", the spellbinding sports and historical drama directed by
Ashutosh Gowariker and a 2001 Oscar Nominee for best Foreign Film. "Lagaan" combines a
great story and soundtrack to create a successful and door-opening work of art. By abandoning
the typical characteristics of Bollywood cinema, Ashutosh Gowariker formed "Lagaan" into an
unconventional Bollywood film in order to appeal to international audiences and to convey a
deeper message of fighting oppression

With the sheer amount of production, standards are low in the film industry of India.
Films tend to have shallow storylines, bad character development, and awful music. In order to
stand out in the expansive mass of Bollywood garbage and be successful, the film needs to break
convention. Popular films in Bollywood such as “Ram Leela,” “Om Shanti Om,” and “Krrish”
are successful because they leave behind the archetypal story of the guy can’t get the girl because
of her overbearing father, but he single-handedly beats up goons and earns the father’s respect
(Danielou). However, in order to be as successful as "Lagaan", a film needs an acclaimed
director such as Ashutosh Gowariker, and India’s finest composer, A.R Rahman, and a
somewhat decent cast for them to work with. Other films directed and composed by the duo,
Jodhaa Akbar and Swades, are some of Bollywood’s finest and most successful. All three films
have plots containing a social message, meaningful character development, and award winning
music. Jodhaa Akbar, belittling the obstacles of true love, even between a Rajput princess who is
forced to marry a Mughal emperor. Swades, conveying that one must always remember his home
and his roots, since they are what led to his success. "Lagaan", showing standing up for yourself
comes in many forms, such as a game of cricket (Blackwelder). All three have award winning
soundtracks that are not only entertaining, but also move the story forward. To top it all off, all
three have big name Bollywood stars: Hrithik Roshan in “Jodhaa Akbar,” Shah Rukh Khan in
“Swades,” and Aamir Khan in "Lagaan" who all received career boosts after these films
(Adarkar).

Foremost, "Lagaan" breaks Bollywood convention in its plot. Even though “Lagaan’s”
plot consists of fight scenes, romance, and triumph, the “fight” is in the form of a structured
cricket match, the romance has realistic elements and obstacles, and the triumph is not caused
solely by the protagonist, and does not only affect him. These differences help make "Lagaan"
much more relatable to audiences, and convey the message of standing up for yourself, even with
a bat and ball instead of a gun and sword (Ebert).

In "Lagaan", the only “fight” scenes, which are standard in Bollywood films, do not
actually contain any physical fights between the the protagonist Bhuvan, and the antagonist
Captain Russell. The “fight” is in the form of a cricket match, instead of the thrashing of goons
by the hero. In especially violent Bollywood films such as “Rakta Charitra, ” audiences are
sickened by the gore and unrealistic qualities of the fight scenes where a group of ten guys come
one by one to be single handedly killed by the hero (Axmaker). Having none of these effects,
"Lagaan" proves to be much more entertaining and effective by keeping audiences at the edge of
their seats during the intense cricket match, and showing that fighting for independence can be in
the form of a game.

The romantic aspect of "Lagaan" revolves with Bhuvan’s childhood sweetheart Gauri,
and the kind foreigner Elizabeth. Contrary to common Bollywood romance, the obstacle between
the hero and his love interest is actually another love interest. In the romantic movie
Magadheera, the hurdle between the hero and his romantic interest is the girl’s overbearing
father who does not believe that she should someone from the warrior caste. "Lagaan’s"
difference is that it is romantically much more realistic. In Bollywood films, when the hero has
to choose between two love interests, he ends up marrying both, but in real life that could never
happen. This allows audiences, especially in India, to relate much more easily to Bhuvan
choosing Gauri over Elizabeth because of social pressures, even though he may also love
Elizabeth. The romance in "Lagaan" is secondary to the main plot of winning the cricket match,
while in Magadheera, the main character spends most of his reborn life looking for his love who
was murdered.

The ending of "Lagaan" where Bhuvan and his team triumph over the British breaks
convention as well. Bollywood films tend to generally have only the hero and his heroine be
happy, with disregard to the rest of the supporting characters who actually made the story
bearable. In the superhero film Krrish, the main character Krishna rescues the city from the
villain and saves the day, with the ending being just him and his love living happy live. There is
no reiteration on any of the major supporting characters who brought some entertainment to the
badly filmed superhero movie In "Lagaan" however, Bhuvan and Gauri, along with the entire
village, are shown to be happy and prosperous. The ending focuses on everyone on the team and
in the village happy, along with a long awaited rainfall to symbolize that their hardship was
finally over.

With "Lagaan"’s story, lack of fight scenes, and ending all breaking Bollywood
convention, the film is much more meaningful and symbolic rather than the mindless rubbish of
Bollywood, allowing it to be introduced to international audiences and also bring meaning to the
idea that oppression can be fought in many ways.

"Lagaan" also breaks convention through its largely different style, and depth of
characterization. Instead of focusing mostly the protagonist and antagonist, "Lagaan" focuses on
the development of each team member and the village of Champaner as a whole. In Bollywood
film, the supporting characters tend to have little or no back story regarding their role in the film.
Entertainment aspects such as comedy are especially forced into every Bollywood movie, often
going to extreme lengths just to include a comedian, most likely, Brahmanandam. In the comedy
film “Bindaas,” there is no story to the supporting characters who often are more interesting than
the main character, and the movie usually ends without any closure about anyone else other than
the hero, Ajay (Gonzalez). This makes the film seem hollow and not very thought provoking.
Instead, "Lagaan" shows the change and growth of the team members and the village as a whole,
adding depth and relatability.
 Since the team members were just as important to winning the match as Bhuvan, there is
a transformation within each character where they finally understand what Bhuvan is trying to
achieve, and join him. The character Arjan joins Bhuvan because he is beaten by Captain Russell
who takes his anger out on him and beats him for no reason. Arjan has a change of heart, as he
initially opposes Bhuvan and thinks that he is hopeless. However, once he experiences the
atrocity of the British, he is determined to join the team and beat them.

Adding drama to the story, the character Lakha serves as a spy for Captain Russell, and
helps the British by playing badly in the match on purpose. He is in love with Gauri, and he
wants Bhuvan to lose the match so that he will look bad in front of her and the village. Lakha
also tells Captain Russell that Elizabeth is helping the villagers, and gets her confined in the
cantonment. Lakha has a feeling of inferiority to Bhuvan, which drives him to go against him
and the village.

Besides the team, the rest of the village can be viewed as a character. The entire village
experiences a realization that Bhuvan did the right thing in challenging the British, since it is
their only hope of being able to survive. When Bhuvan tries to have Kachra, the untouchable,
join the team, the village is angry and does not agree, but when Bhuvan explains that it is for the
best and will help them win, they understand their mistake, and let him join.

By adding another dimension to the supporting characters, Gowariker takes focus away
from the struggle between the flawless Bhuvan, and the cruel Captain Russell. The supporting
characters make the story more meaningful by adding depth further than normal Bollywood
characters. This is appealing to more audiences since they can relate to each character and the
changes and growth they undergo. The characterization also allows for the a closer look into the
struggle against oppression, showing that a revolution cannot be won with just person, but
requires the support of a team; the supporting characters who make the film more successful.

The soundtrack for "Lagaan" proves to be one of its most vital aspects. Providing the film
with joyful, jealous, and motivational songs, "Lagaan" breaks Bollywood convention. The
instruments, lyrics, and costumes used in each song fit within the time period of the story, adding
to the congruence of the film. In the popular soundtrack of the “Dhoom” series, the songs are
borderline American-esque pop with Hindi lyrics, and dance sequences that take place in random
locations with large choreographed groups who randomly appear and follow the steps of the hero
and heroine. Especially in the song “Dhoom Again” in the movie “Dhoom 2,” the main character
is randomly dancing in a garage with a group of people who just appeared. The song serves to
show off the dance moves of Hrithik Roshan, with no valid addition to the plot (Blackwelder).
The music is largely instrument based, with a variety of accompaniment, drawing attention away
from the singer. Avoiding this, all of "Lagaan"’s songs drive either the main plot or a subplot of
the story, and all songs are more oriented around the singer.

The songs in "Lagaan" are composed by renowned composer A.R Rahman. Rahman
avoids using any modern instruments and lyrics, sticking with characteristics contemporary to
the time period. He relies much more on the skill of the singers and less on the instruments,
forcing him to be very picky in which singer he chooses, depending on what mood he wants to
convey (Halter).

Starting off the soundtrack, “Ghanan Ghanan” sets a high standard. The joyful song is
about the excitement of the dark rainclouds that are approaching only to dishearten villagers as
they pass by without raining. The song shows the sorry fortune of the villagers and helps the
audience sympathize with them. A.R Rahman incorporates a bass drum whose beat falls in sync
with the syllables of the lyrics. The accompanying instruments consist of a santoor and dafli
which are light and help bring out the superb singers who top off the song, with the smooth voice
of Udit Narayan singing for Bhuvan, and the rest of the villagers sung for by ​Sukhwinder Singh,
Alka Yagnik, and Shankar Mahadevan. The dancing for this song stays right in the village of
Champaner with plain view of the farmland and huts. The background dancers are also villagers
instead of random people.

The song “Radha Kaise Na Jale” Gauri’s jealousy of Elizabeth since Bhuvan seems
infatuated with her. She says “He sometimes smiles, sometimes teases, sometimes talks. How
can Radha not be jealous?” with Gauri as Radha and Bhuvan as Krishna, two deities who are
known to love each other. “Radha Kaise Na Jale” is unlike the other songs, as it is in 3-4 time
while the other songs are in 4-4 time. Also, Rahman uses the voice of Asha Bhosle as the female
instead of Alka Yagnik, and sets the song in the playful raag Bhimpalasi instead of a serious raag
like other songs. Through this song’s difference, Rahman shows that it does not follow the main
storyline of the match, but instead follows the subplot of romance. The dance for this song is
centered in the village with a banter between Gauri, Bhuvan, and Elizabeth. There are no
background dancers for this song; the dance is only between the love triangle.

“Chale Chalo” serves as the motivational song that primes the villagers and audiences for
the upcoming match. Bhuvan says “Come let us move on, we have come together like a fist.”
Prominent instruments which are very noticeable and bring less attention to the singers are used,
such as a veena, cymbals, ghatam, bara santoor, and clapping. In order to bring a more rousing
feeling to the song, Rahman sang this song himself instead of using Udit Narayan’s smooth and
sweet voice. This song speeds up towards the end to show the anticipation of the upcoming
match. Breaking convention, there is no actual dance for this song, as it is a montage of the team
practicing and getting better.

The soundtrack in "Lagaan" breaks convention by using contemporary lyrics,

instruments, and dance scenes from that time period. This steered away from common
Bollywood musical embarrassments, allowing it to be entertaining enough for an international
audience while displaying the struggle . While the romantic songs were for entertainment
purposes, the motivational songs served to bring meaning to fighting oppression, as Bhuvan says
in the song “Come let us move on, we have come together as a fist.” It shows that the strength to
stand up for yourself lies in numbers passion (Dequina).

“Lagaan” proves to the world that Bollywood is no longer that much of a laughing stock
for producing the same exact films with slightly different actors (Blackwelder). With the right
elements, a film can deliver a message as well as entertain audiences from all backgrounds.
Breaking Bollywood stereotypes and convention, “Lagaan’s” plot, depth of characterization, and
soundtrack add to the film’s experience culturally and and as entertainment. The
unconventionality of “Lagaan” introduced new audiences to Bollywood, and has opened the door
for more films of the type. Through the story of a man and his village playing an improbable
game of cricket against the mighty British, Lagaan has changed the film industry.

Works Cited

Adarkar, Vivek. ""Lagaan": Once upon a Time in India." Rev. of ​"Lagaan"​. Dir Ashutosh

Gowariker. ​Magill's Cinema Annual 2003​. Ed Christine Tomassini. Farmington Hills, Michigan:

Gale Group Inc., 2003. 252-253.

Axmaker, Sean. "Bollywood has embraced the musical, and spunky '"Lagaan"' takes it to

the limit." Ev. Of ​"Lagaan"​. Dir. Ashutosh Gowariker. ​Seattle P-I​, 5 July 2002. Newsource. 6

April 2006. <​seattlepi.nwsource.com​>.

Blackwelder, Rob. "Hooray for Bollywood." ​Spliced Wire​. 10 Apr. 2006

<http://splicedwire.com/02reviews/"Lagaan".html>.
 Daniélou, Alain. ​A Brief History of India​. Paris: Inner Traditions, 2003.

Dequina, Michael. ""Lagaan": Once Upon a Time in India." ​Shagpro​. 4 Mar. 2003. 9

Apr. 2006 <http://shagpro.com/mrbrown/movierpt97.html>.

Ebert, Roger. ""Lagaan": Once upon a time in India." Rev. of "Lagaan"​ ​Dir Ashutosh

Gowariker. ​Chicago Sun Times​. 7 June 2002.​ ​Rogerebert.com​. 4 April 2006.

<​rogerebert.suntimes.com​>.

Gonzalez, Ed. ""Lagaan"." ​Slant Magazine​. 2002. 13 Apr. 2006

<http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/film_review.asp?ID=246>.

Guthmann, Edward. """Lagaan": Once Upon a Time in India"" ​SFGate​. 31 May 2002.

San Francisco Chronicle. 15 Apr. 2006

<​http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/05/31/DD209925.DTL&type=movies​>.

Halter, Ed. "Moulin Raj." ​The Village Voice​. 6 May 2002. Village Voice Media Inc. 16

Apr. 2006

<​http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0219,halter,34560,20.htmlhttp://www.villagevoice.com/film/

0219,halter,34560,20.html​>.
 Kehr, David. "The Cricketing of an Indian Village." Rev. of Lagaan. Dir Ashutosh

Gowariker. ​New York Times.​ 8 May 2002. nytimes. 17 Apr. 2006

<​http://movies2.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?_r=2&title1=&title2=Lagaan​>