An account of the making of the Lagaan, by director Satyajit Bhatkal, who served as a production assistant on the film. Synopsis by IMDb
Lagaan is the story of a battle without bloodshed fought by a group of unlikely heroes led by Bhuvan (Aamir Khan), an enigmatic young farmer with courage born of conviction and a dream in his heart. He is helped by Elizabeth (Rachel Shelley), the beautiful English girl who came to India and lost her heart, and Bhuvan's pillar of strength, Gauri (Gracy Singh), the young and perky village girl who dreams only of a home with the man she loves.
> Lagaan is the story of a battle without bloodshed fought by a group of unlikely heroes led by Bhuvan (Aamir Khan), an enigmatic young farmer with courage born of conviction and a dream in his heart. He is helped by Elizabeth (Rachel Shelley), the beautiful English girl who came to India and lost her heart, and Bhuvan's pillar of strength, Gauri (Gracy Singh), the young and perky village girl who dreams only of a home with the man she loves.
  
A story of extraordinary circumstances thrust upon ordinary people. Adversity faced with fortitude and injustice with dignity. There is slowly awakening pride, the grit and determination of a people who have everything to lose. Faith and courage come face to face with arrogance and ruthlessness. And the human spirit triumphs.
Satyajit Bhatkal, the director of this documentary, has recorded every single moment of the making of the movie from which he has edited and sequenced the most interesting and vital moments into a 120 minute documentary, which runs at a pace faster than the actual movie. It is all about the cumbersome process of transforming Ashutosh Gowariker’s creative genius from paper to screen and the practical problems they faced for it. It tells a real story that is more gripping and fascinating than the actual movie. The documentary takes us in a long journey right from the moment when the seed of Lagaan was sowed in the minds of Ashutosh till the movie getting an Oscar nomination. |
