Film Screening: Lagaan

15th August 2018
On the special occasion of Independence Day, we have watched the movie Lagaan(2001) directed by Ashutosh Gowariker.This film covers various topics like patriotism, postcolonialism, religion, subaltern and many more.

'Lagaan': Once upon a time in India is an Indian epic sports drama film directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar. The film is set in the Victorian period of India's colonial British Raj. The story revolves around a small village whose inhabitants, burdened by taxes, find themselves in an extraordinary situation as an arrogant officer challenges them to a game of Cricket as a wager to avoid the taxes. The narrative spins around this situation as the alien game and playing for a result that change their village's destiny.

So, this is an archetypal story similar to other movies. There are many archetypal symbols like the temple, Rain, Myth, love story, etc. But here we can try to understand or will interpret through the various literary theories, approaches and different perspective like:

Post Colonialism

Nationalism

Patriarchy

Cricket as metaphor

Subaltern

Rural India

Teamwork and Leadership

Teamwork and Leadership:   teamwork and leadership is the main aspects of this movie, we can say that this is a major factor in this film. Leadership is not an easy task, leadership is both a research area and a practical skill encompasses the ability of an individual or organization to lead or guide other individuals and teams. Similarly, Bhuvan also tries to buildup team for the betterment of the village so he tries everything to make unity in the team for the battlement.

• Teamwork and Leadership

teamwork and leadership were the main aspects of this movie, we can say that this is a major factor in this film.Be a leader is not an easy task you have to go through many problems. Nobody accepts your point of view to look at the things. The leader has always different view to look at the things. He has optimist way to see the things. So same things happen with Bhuvan ( Amir Khan ). Bhuvan looks things differently. He thinks that victory in the cricket match leads his village people towards a bright future. But nobody understands his point. He faced many problems and humiliation during making the Cricket team but he never takes his steps back. Leadership is not an easy task, leadership is both a research area and a practical skill encompasses the ability of an individual or organization to lead or guide other individuals and teams. Similarly, Bhuvan also tries to build up the team for the betterment of the village so he tries everything to make unity in the team for the battlement.

• Nationalism

  I don't think so that the movie is about nationalism or patriotism. It can be the different thinking of director to represent nationalism through regionalism. But, according to me, it is only about regionalism, Bhuvan's concerns only for his region or village do not stand for an entire country's sake. The movie is about the taxes(Laggan) imposed by Britisher on the farmers and farmers unable to pay so Villagers raise their voice for the sake of their farm and economical condition not for the betterment or freedom from British Raj. I think you see the movie as a patriotic but what is the outcome of the is? beyond the cricket game, there is a love triangle between the main characters Bhuvan, Elizabeth and Gauri that's it. 

If we look at film only from the upper layer, then we can find the patriotic idea, that is all the villagers are fighting for their nation, for the identity of the nation, they don't want to obey the Britishers for any reason. They don't want to pay taxes to them. They want freedom, from any type of strict or cruel rule. They can do anything for their pride of the nation. Bhuvan accepts the challenge given by Russell just to cancel the double taxation which was landed over the villagers by them.

• Indianness

Religious activities

Dance form

Food

Clothes

Game

Profession

Gender role

Caste system

• Patriarchy

In the film shows the patriarchal power.  In the whole film shows that only males can play the cricket. Females do not get any importance in the game. when Gauri wants to play the cricket her father told her to check that water is boiling or not. so she has no any freedom to play cricket. so Indian women have to do household works only. In the other side, Queen Elizabeth ruled over England. It shows that women power. In film also Elizabeth teaching all Males how to play the cricket. so with the help of Elizabeth, they can understand the Game. So in this way in some ways, Women empowerment shows in the film.

• Cricket as metaphor

This movie is very unique one than other patriotic movies. Generally, Patriotic movies use the atom bomb, Machinegun, sword, spears to fight with a national enemy, but here director uses Cricket as a metaphor because cricket is a Britisher's game and India also very powerful in this game in the 21st century. So, here very good used of this game to make critical thinking and also to make it entertaining. According to me that maybe director thought maybe was that we can not defeat Britisher with an atom or else things but we can do it with cricket because now we are master in cricket. So, It can be possible that the intention of the movie maker to use cricket as a metaphor.

• Subaltern

Here we can apply subaltern theory and we also can find hierarchy here. In this movie, India is under control of British rule so the first subaltern is India, and at first, the place comes king. Here King is also under the control of British rule and he can’t do anything against them. Then under the king comes villagers. They are helpless in front of the king, they have to obey the decision of the king. Then comes the women of the village, as they are controlled by a male. They live life like do what is said to do. At last comes untouchables. They meant to live away from all other villagers. In this movie, we have one character named Kachara, who is untouchable. He is so afraid of other people he constantly under fear of not touching anyone and not to make any mistake.

• Post Colonialism

As we all know that the game of cricket is belongs to the Britishers. So metaphorically cricket is imposed on us.  In the movie also we find Elizabeth as an instructor of cricket. In the movie, Lakha represents dishonesty whereas Elizabeth represents honesty. So again White remains on the positive side.so The only thing represents post-colonialism in this movie is game of cricket. We accept to play cricket because we want freedom from tax but now in free India why this game is more famous than any other game. It clearly shows that how still British people ruling our mind. This is the reason why cricket is more played and watched than our national game.