Champaner, India, 1893, . Waiting anxiously for the monsoon, the peasants of a small village are getting worried about the upcoming tax payment, lagaan, imposed by the British. When the villagers ask the officers for a delay, the arrogant and despicable British officer, Captain Russell, sees an occasion to humiliate the villagers even more and demands a double lagaan. Then the unthinkable happens, Russell challenges one of the young man of Champaner, Bhuvan, to a cricket match. In case they win, no taxes will be charged for 3 years but if they lose, the tax will triple. Russell is confidant, the villagers don’t know the rules of the game and it was impossible for them to build a team capable of beating the British in only three months.

Lagaan is a movie about courage, freedom, social inequity and love. At the end of the 19th century the relations between Indians and British are getting more strained. We can feel the thirst for freedom from those villagers and admire their resistance to the British occupation. The director doesn’t forget also the complex problem of the Indian castes and the power they have in their society. The difficult life of peasants who depend of the monsoon and the success of their harvest is still an actual problem.

Bhuvan (Aamir Khan) is the typical Indian hero: handsome, brave, intelligent with a good sense of humour. He is immediately seen as the leader of the team and each time a problem arises, everyone looks for him for a solution. He is impossible to resist especially during the scenes when he gently teases the beautiful young Gauri. The song O Roi Chori is one of our favourites and a clear example of the chemistry between the two actors.

Gauri (Gracie Singh) is a strong willed Indian girl with a golden heart. She’s been in love for Bhuvan all her life and is waiting for a proposal. When Elizabeth Russell arrives into their lives, she feels threatened…

Elizabeth (Rachel Shelley) is an extraordinary woman, she’s beautiful, generous and brave. She doesn’t hesitate to go against her brother, Captain Russell (Paul Blackthorne) when she thinks he is in the wrong. She is determined to help the villagers of Champaner in every possible way, teaching them the rules of the game but also the English language. Of course, there’s some odd scenes a bit over the top, but nothing that spoiled our enjoyment.

We certainly need to make a special note about Paul Blackthorne’s Captain Russell, an old school villain who was perfect in this story. He is everything we like to hate in a bad guy and he never forgets his duty to disgust us at the most high level.

The daily life in the village is also one of our favourite parts: the constant bickering, the rumours, the unbreakable friendship and those simple stories typical from every small community that always amuses us. Everyone in the village has a role on the team and the message is clear, to fight you need to stick together, despite the differences. Sadly the women stay a lot more in the background than we wished to…

The music is gorgeous and we end up humming many of the movie songs all day long without noticing it. A. R. Rhaman is a very talented musician. O Re Chori, O Mitwa, Radha Kaise Na Jale, O Palaanhare are simply unforgettable! The balance between the music and the story is perfect and not so often achieved in Bollywood movies.

Ashutosh Gowariker created 3h40 hours of pure entertainment with great performances, beautiful settings, eye catching costumes, incensing music and an energetic choreography. Seen several times and considered one of our favourite Indian movies, Lagaan is one of those movies who we always like to watch when in need something to cheer us up.

Highly recommended!

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0169102/

After watching Jodhaa Akbar I couldn’t help but find this Mughal-e-Azam about the tragic love story of Jodhaa and Akbar’s son Salim and where the two have a significant role. Mughal-e-Azam was originally filmed in1960 in black and white but with some scenes being shot in colour. In 2004 it was colourised in its entirety and that’s the version I watched. When it was first released it became the highest grossing movie in Indian films and if we add the numbers after being rereleased in 2004 and adjust it to inflation it still would be at the top of the list. It’s also the most expensive movie ever made in Indian history.

The story was based on an old legend, without historical evidence, but, with lots of passion and tragedy that make it the perfect subject for a movie script and thus had already been adapted to the screen several times. It’s the legend of Anarkali, a young maid in Akbar’s court, and Prince Salim, the Emperor’s heir who wants to marry her against his parents’ wishes. Can there be anything more romantic than the love of a Prince and a commoner? To defend his love and Anarkali’s life Prince Salim leads an armed revolt against his father but is defeated and Anarkali eventually gives her life to save his… or does she?

Anarkali and the Prince first see each other when she is posing as a statue. An astrologer predicted he shouldn’t see the statue before the next day but he just can’t resist… On the unveiling the next day, when the young woman is discovered the Emperor is so pleased that it is him who gives her the name Anarkali. She is the main dancer at one of the court’s celebrations and while all the other dancers run to catch the coins thrown by the Emperor she only moves when the Prince sends her is pearl necklace. From that moment on Anarkali dreams of the Prince. Her sister, the bubbly Sureya, will be the go between that will bring them together. While Anarkali doesn’t want the Prince to be seen with her so he won’t be shamed he is decided to spend time with her and make her dreams real. Their whole courtship has a dreamy quality which the beautiful dialogues only emphasise and while I would definitely consider the script one of the best things in the movie there also scenes with no dialogue that are equally powerful. The scene when Salim caresses Anarkali’s face with a feather in the garden is at the same time romantic and highly erotic. Or the scene where the emperor catches them together. When so much is implied without a word being spoken… To Akbar it is unacceptable that a simple maid may be the next queen of Hindustan. His love of the land takes precedence over his love of a father. Imprisoned by the Emperor, Anarkali apparently accepts to be separated from the Prince in exchange for her freedom. But Salim confronts her and she defiantly shows her love for him and is again sent to prison. I can’t get enough of this scene and Anarkali’s face both joyous, defiant and decided when she knows she has signed her prison order again. I did feel Salim could be a bit more active in his defence of her beloved but one can’t forget emotions were more restrained and the feelings shown with more rigidity. Salim always seems very much aware that he is the crown prince and so one step above the common mortals. But he does rescue Anarkali from prison and revolts against his father thus putting in motion the tragic events that will lead to the end. Defeated, imprisoned and condemned to death, it is Anarkali who saves him and makes a pact with the Emperor. Her life for his! Her only request is that she can spend one last night with him. How is that for a romantic gesture?

Director K. Asif spent more than 10 years trying to film this epic story and eventually had to recast the main roles but the end result is well worth it. No question though that the story of the making of the movie probably contributed to its success almost as much as the movie itself. A beautiful love story Mughal-e-Azam also has grand battle scenes, colourful court scenes and sober prison scenes besides a nasty villainess. Realism was a priority and besides filming in such lovely settings as the Sheesh Mahal (although the real one was built by Salim’s son) they took extra care with the costumes and weapons (even the chains used in several of the prison scenes were real). The dialogue is poetic and romantic and the musical scenes are lovely, the songs are expertly used to advance the story and once again I find that I can’t get them out of my head. Not only there was great care with the music, by Naushad, as it was definitely one of the factors that contributed to make it so expensive. Visually there is much to appreciate and enjoy and it seems clear that this movie must have set the standard for the more recent period dramas made in India.

After watching the movie in colour I am now quite curious to watch it in the original black and white. When a movie is colourised like it happened with this one, obeying by the way to one of the director’s wishes, the colours seem, at time, too enhanced, too vivid. I thought of this while watching and was proven correct after watching this scene which is one of the few shot in colour in the 1960’s movie. I’m sure that as some scenes gain with being in colour, others must work better in black and white.

Now the acting, all the actors were new to me. I had already read a few articles on Dilip Kumar and Madhubala who were big stars at the time and how their strained relationship, after they broke up, also affected the shooting of the movie. Madhubala was already seriously ill and she does look very frail in some of the scenes. However I think it is on her shoulders that the movie rests and she supports it very well. Her facial expressions are wonderful and fully convey first the dreamy nature of Anarkali and then her despair and acceptance of her fate. Beautiful! I will definitely look for more movies with her. Dilip Kumar does look regal and a bit distant and unapproachable. Prithviraj Kapoor’s over acting and thunderous looks does suit the older, powerful Akbar while Durga Khote as Jodhaa Bai provides the right type of anguish as the mother divided between supporting her son or her husband. A final word for Nigar Sultana as Bahar whose cold beauty fitted right in with her villainess part. They all concur to make watching this a wonderful experience.

This is a classic! I could easily continue to praise it and mentioning the scenes I liked best but instead I’ll just say I highly recommend it and wait for you to discover it for yourselves!

As I was unable to find a trailer I put up on the multimedia box a video of one of its most famous musics with english subtitles.

IMDB

Wikipedia

I already knew indian society’s castes are a powerful barrier between people but here the obstacles seem to come more from money and social standing. Devdas’ father is about to be knighted while Paro’s father is a poorer man whose wife was a former dancer. Not only Devdas’ mother mocks and humiliates Paro’s mother when she comes to talk about a future marriage between the two but also Devdas’ father is set against it due to their higher position in society and bigger fortune. Devdas always had a difficult relationship with his father and, now, an adult, keeps obeying him even when his orders are against what he wishes. Unable to face his father over Paro, Devdas chooses the easy way out and runs to the city where he meets the courtesan Chandramukhi and drowns his sorrows in alcohol. Paro, heartbroken over his actions, accepts an arranged marriage with an older man, even richer than Devdas’ family.

Devdas is a movie about love. The forbidden love between Devdas and Paro but also the unrequited love of Chandramukhi for Devdas. You can imagine how much drama and heartache they all go through due to social conventions and following the acceptable behaviour. When the movie begins and Devdas arrives wearing western clothes I was reminded of those “film noirs” with dark themes that seldom had happy endings. But that’s where the similarity ends as Devdas truly is an Indian movie, dealing with Indian traditions and customs and how they influence the life of the characters.

Devdas only seems to realise how much he loves Paro on the day of her marriage. Family honour is taken very seriously (especially after Devdas’ mother belittled Paro’s family) and there’s no question for Paro of not going through with the marriage. After this Devdas continues his path towards self destruction. While Chandramukhi reveals her love in caring for him, Devdas seems unable to return her feelings, possibly because he is unable to forget Paro but also because of who she is, a courtesan can have no claim on his heart even if she is a very nice and sympathetic character who, apparently, hasn’t chosen what she is and would probably be happier being something else. Her dialogue with Paro’s son in law right after the Dola Re Dola song (which I’ve been singing in my head for days now) is proof enough of how low a status such women had and how much the double standard exists between the women forced into it and the men who visit them. It was also one of highlights of the movie in my opinion.

Paro and Chandramuckhi’s friendship ends in embarrassment and in Paro’s being ordered to obey the Purdah. Once again because social status and appearances have to be kept. While Devdas continues on his downward spiral of alcohol and self-destruction, he chooses a painful and slow death. Without giving away the ending (although it should be mentioned that this is a tragedy want to mention that Paro’s final scenes running through the house are powerful and moving. In fact not only that final scene but the whole movie is beautifully filmed and the dance scenes are a perfect example of that. The movie was filmed with a big budget and it shows, a lot of work went into the costume’s design and each characters was dressed according to their position in the story and in life, check for instance the difference between Paro’s clothes before and after her marriage. Regarding the setting the action takes place predominantly in four places which are so differently decorated that we immediately identify them – besides the houses of Devdas and Paro’s parents there’s Chandramukhi’s brothel and Paro’s husband house. It’s like the emotions are closed in in these spaces and, because of that, sharper and more painful but the decor is certainly lovely to look at. The whole movie is like a colourful extravaganza.

This was the third film I watched with Aishwarya Rai and I must say I really liked seeing her in this and have realised she is also a wonderful dancer. However, who really blew me away was Madhuri Dixit, lovely woman, gifted dancer (she is a trained Kathak dancer) and the one whose performance surprised me the most, especially after I discovered she used a dress weighing 30 kg and another weighing 16 kg in some scenes and still managed to look natural. This was also my first introduction to Shahrukh Kahn, also known as Bollywood’s King Khan, which gives an idea of his influence in the industry. I found his performance to be a nice piece of overacting (I have yet to discover if it was just for this role or if he is always like this), not to mention that he looks a bit too old and cheesy for the part. However if you can get past the exaggeration you can see that it’s probably part of his charm and image. And maybe it is in fact the type of acting that best suits Devdas as the ultimate tragic hero. He is the one who gives up on his happiness with Paro and ultimately can’t even accept Chandramukhi’s love and get away from the misery and despair that fill his life.

A beautiful and very sad movie. Recommended!

Official Site

IMDB

Alex has already posted a wonderful review of this movie and it was in fact on her recommendation that I watched it. Now that I did, I can totally understand her and I can’t recommend it enough myself.

Just as I mentioned to her after watching it, the movie is an overdose for the senses, the colours, the photography, the music, everything is perfectly matched to make us feel emotionally involved and sometimes even a bit overwhelmed with emotion. In telling the story of Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar and his arranged marriage to Jodhaa Bai, Gowariker portrays the expansion of the Mughal Empire in Hindustan, the alliances with the Rajput, the costumes and traditions of both Islamic and Hindu communities in an interesting and colourful way that leaves us wanting more. Jalaluddin was the first emperor born in Hindustan and that certainly must have influenced his desire to unite the whole region under his reign. This was done mostly by military conquest but in the case of the Rajputs by a marriage alliance with a Hindu bride.

Jalaluddin seems to have been more tolerant than most and accepts the demands of his bride-to-be regarding her traditions and religion. He also respects her wish of not having the marriage consummated right away. For a while he doesn’t even see her clearly, as she always wears a veil. When he finally does, one can’t help but smile at his stunned, struck-by-a-lightning, look especially after she asks him for the sindoor and touches his feet. The movie presents several interesting moments where the traditions of both are put in evidence, take for instance the marriage ceremony or the significance of the Elder Mother making Jodhaa taste the food in front of a court full of men and then Akbar eating from the same dishes as a sign of his affection. I’m sure there are other scenes with interesting information and I’m just sorry that I am not knowledgeable enough to recognise all of them. A court intrigue separates them for a while and Jalaluddin is at his best while trying to win Joddha back. Other scenes are meant to show their relationship evolving like Jodhaa watching her husband in sword practice or the striking (and funny) sword fight scene that seems to signify a much more playful courtship.

The movie has been under attack regarding historical accuracy beginning with the name Jodhaa that some historians are not convinced was used to refer to Akbar’s wife. These different opinions are acknowledged by the director, before the movie begins, where he mentions this is a possible version of the events and that there may be others. Gowariker has also mentioned in some interviews that 70% of it came out of his head. Not surprising as there must not be that much information on the relationship of these two personalities of 16th century India not to mention that at the time their idea of romance and love was quite different from ours.

However, after watching the movie, you will probably be wishing it could have been so, just like I did, and there lies the true virtue of Jodhaa Akbar, that you are so involved that after 3h30 you are actually sad that it is over. There may be some weaknesses in the dialogues and how they are delivered, but the overall effect is truly beautiful. There’s an amazing chemistry between the Hrithik Roshan who portrays Akbar and Aishwarya Rai Bachcan as his wife Jodhaa and that certainly helps the final result. As a side note it should be mentioned that Aishwarya is using brown contact lenses as she and Hrithik both have green eyes and the director wanted to mark the difference in their origins. I have seen Aishwarya before in Bride and Prejudice and I think her ethereal beauty is perfect for this role. She is breathtaking even when she is standing still with her mouth closed. I had never seen anything with Hrithik but I did like him a lot in this role, he has a burning intensity that makes him seem to always be struggling with his emotions, which I found really nice, and makes him seem a bit awkward when dealing with Jodhaa which was endearing. His lovely eyes brimming with tears when he sends her away were such a perfect statement of his emotions. Akbar’s only fault is that he is too perfect, too forgiving, too tolerant for his time, he seems more adapted to modern audiences than Jodhaa who besides demanding his respect for her religion is kept much more in a secondary and domestic role (except maybe for the swordfight scene).

Along the same lines as my other favourite period dramas this movie also features two lovers who at the beginning seem hopelessly divided but that after some misunderstandings and heartache learn to value and love each other. While Jodhaa is the one who seems to sacrifice more in the beginning, this is actually Akbar’s journey, coming into his power and making his own choices. In the end, to win her heart and the heart of his people, not only does he aboslishes a tax on Hindu pilgrims (the movie shows a wonderful, colourful and well choreographed dance as a thank you that will make you want to join in) but he also becomes much more tolerant in terms of religion as the final scene shows.

One final word about the music. I loved the music, felt it was beautifully adjusted to the action and can’t help mentioning the song at the wedding where Akbar joins the dancers, the religious song Jodhaa is singing when he finally sees her in addition to the dance performed by the Hindus that I mentioned earlier. Something must be really right when I never was big on Indian music and now can’t get these out of my head. The soundtrack is just the perfect complement for this beautiful movie.

A beautiful, breathtaking epic movie! Highly recommended!

Official Site

IMDB

One of our New Year’s resolutions was to try to watch more (and review!) non-Anglophone period dramas. After some discussion, we decided to organize a special week about historical movies set in India. One of us was already a convert and the other two were ready to try new things and see how they liked them. We had already reviewed The Rising during our Toby Stephens week and that one was definitely a favourite.

The Indian cinema industry produces so many movies per year that we certainly felt we needed to give more attention to their historicals. We watched some of our favorite titles and tried a few other recommendations with a growing curiosity. We are happy to say we enjoyed ourselves very much and that we will continue to look for new movies to watch. Hopefully, we’ll be able to entice you with this world full of colors, drama and the ever present and mesmerizing music.

Our schedule for these two upcoming weeks:

11.08.09 – Jodhaa Akbar

13.08.09 – Devdas

15.08.09 – Mughal-e-Azam

17.08.09 – Lagaan

19.08.09 – Asoka

21.08.09 – Umrao Jaan

But before we start we have this little poll:

India, 1857. The country is ruled by the British East India Company. While fighting in Afghanistan, Indian soldier Mangal Pandey saves the life of a British officer, William Gordon. They immediately become inseparable friends not allowing status or race interfering with their loyalty for each other. The introduction of the Enfield riffle musket in the British Army provokes many tensions and conflicts. Some spread rumors about the using of animal fat especially from the cow and pig to grease its cartridges creates indignation and shock among Hindus and Muslims.

In this 2005 movie Toby Stephens plays the Scottish William Gordon, a British Officer of the Company on the eve of the 1857 uprising that is known to the Indians as the first War of Independence and that led to the end of the British East India Company ruling the country. Questionable as the portrayal of the historical facts may be, the movie excels at explaining what were the conditions of life in India, what were the economical and political preoccupations of the time and how, in the long run, things could never have stayed as they were. Mangal Pandey, an Indian sepoy whose death was the trigger for the revolt, is something of a national hero in India.

Aamir Khan is perfect as Mangal Pandey. He lives the character and the history and you actually become to believe he is Pandey.  He is honorable, loyal and fights for what he believes. Even when that means risking his life to save a young prostitute, Heera (Rani Mukerji), with whom he will have a relationship.  Khan is one of the most talented Indian actors (he is also a successful producer) and you can easily see why in this movie.

Toby Stephens gives a great performance here playing William Gordon, the officer trying to bring sense and justice to a lost cause, he even speaks Urdu and falls in love for a young Indian widow, Jwala, who he saves from committing sati. Even if we know already how talented he is, Stephens manages once again to amaze us. He is at ease in this role and it’s obvious he enjoyed every moment of it. The man can play anything, anywhere and still be perfect.

The chemistry between Stephens and Khan is one of the highlights of the movie. These two were in perfect harmony and in every scene they are together, they always create the most powerful moments of the movie. If both characters are honest and strong men, they are not less without faults and it’s also what makes them so attractive. Each one comes from different worlds but that didn’t stop them from becoming friends.

The director Ketan Mehta brings to discussion many controversial subjects as the destiny of Indian widows, the culture of opium, the castes, religious differences, corruption,… and while interesting, we felt it was sometimes a bit forced, like they were the extra ingredients that didn’t go well with the original recipe. It seems the Indian version has extra 20 minutes that might explain some questions left unanswered.

Despite some historical inaccuracies and sometimes simplistic characterization, the movie is still extraordinary piece of entertainment. Beautifully filmed, the colors and the music only enhance the message and keep us glued to the screen to see what is going to happen next.

Those who liked this movie will probably also enjoy another Indian production with Aamir Khan in the male leading role, Lagaan (another of Alex’s favorite Indian movies).

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Images: Mangal Pandey and IMP Awards

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0346457/

Official site: http://mangal-pandey.com/