Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India

Set in 1893 during British colonial rule in India, the film centres on the village of Champaner, where a prolonged drought has already left the residents struggling. When the British garrison commander, Captain Andrew Russell, raises or doubles the lagaan, the grain tax owed by the community, the villagers ask for relief. Russell instead proposes a wager: a cricket match between the villagers and his men, with the tax forgiven for a period if the Indians win and tripled if they lose. Bhuvan, a young farmer, accepts despite having no knowledge of the game, and must assemble a team and learn cricket within a few months. Russell's sister Elizabeth, troubled by her brother's conduct, helps Bhuvan understand the sport.

Ashutosh Gowariker directed and co-wrote the film, the first in the chronological list of his directing work that also includes Swades and Jodhaa Akbar. Aamir Khan stars as Bhuvan and produced alongside Mansoor Khan, with Gracy Singh as Gauri, Rachel Shelley as Elizabeth Russell and Paul Blackthorne as Captain Russell among a credited cast of forty. Made for about 6 million USD, the film runs 233 minutes and blends adventure, drama, history and romance.

Its critical rating stands at 8.2/10 from 64 reviews, above the 8.1/10 on IMDb drawn from around 129,000 votes and the 7.3/10 on TMDB from a much smaller number of votes.