"'Lagaan' Leaves Legacy
Involving Indian's Cricket Competition For Freedom!"
By Ramesh C. Reddy
Publisher
Theatrical Release Date: June 15, 2001
DVD Release Date: January 21, 2002
'Lagaan' (2001)
Source:
http://www.imdb.com.
The movie is rated PG for some
language and violence. The run time is 225 min.
Main Cast:
Aamir Khan - Bhuvan
Gracy Singh - Gauri
Rachel Shelley - Elizabeth Russell
Paul Blackthorne - Captain Andrew Russell
TRAILER FOR LAGAAN:
Movie trailer for
'Lagaan' will begin in a few seconds. Click right
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First Impressions: 'Lagaan' was a long movie but it had many
touching moments and is a movie that motivates you to catch your
dreams and make them a reality.
Punchline: Unless you try, how can
you know what you can accomplish. It is better to lose a dream
by aspiring for it in courage than being paralyzed in fear and
not even trying. There is more to lose without
trying when you have a fatalistic attitude.
Recommendation: 'Lagaan' receives
****
3.5/5
Plot Synopsis: ‘Lagaan’ is an interwoven love story with a sports
competition set in the days before India’s independence where the
Indians of the province of Champancer are challenged to a cricket
match by the British to escape triple taxation. It involves
Elizabeth, a beautiful British woman (played by Rachel
Shelly) who decides to teach Bhuvan (played by Amir
Khan) and other Indians how to play amidst protests from her
brother who is on the opposing team. The rest of the story is about
whether the Indians will pull of an upset or be shown mercy by the
British and what happens to Elizabeth’s love life.
Plot Review: ‘Lagaan’ is a well written script that was nominated
for an Oscar for best foreign film in 2002. It is also
considered an epic musical.
Content Review: ‘Lagaan’ is a touching story of having courage to hold
on to your dreams and fighting for them for the sake of the
community and understanding what true love looks like. It address
issues such as thankfulness, courage, non-compromise, determination, perseverance,
true love, betrayal, forgiveness, redemption, dreams, faith,
justice, jealousy, and racism.
What I liked
about the movie: SPOILER ALERT:
Spoiler Alert I:
I loved to see even though there was a famine in the land without
any rain, a family did not question God but understood that they
cannot understand God’s ways.
This reminded me of Isaiah 55:8-9
which says,
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and
my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Spoiler Alert II:
I loved how that family was thankful to God for the water they had
to drink even though there was a famine in the land which was
hurting their crops.
This reminded me of 1 Thess 5:16-18
which says, "Be joyful always; pray
continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's
will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Spoiler Alert III:
I loved how the hero was willing to have his entire village as his
enemy, if they did not see it his way, to reach out to one person
who was an untouchable, someone no one should be associated
with or even touch. I loved to see the untouchable's reaction and how the hero handled racism.
This made me think of John 4. In there
John 4:7-10 says,
“When a Samaritan woman came to draw water,
Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had
gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him,
"You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a
drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. Jesus answered
her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a
drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living
water."
Spoiler Alert IV:
I loved how the untouchable person was treated by the town after the
hero’s talk. He accepted those seen as outcasts, disabled, young,
foreigners, etc.
This made me think of Galatians 3:28,
which says, “There is neither Jew nor
Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in
Christ Jesus.”
Spoiler Alert V:
I loved how one woman gave up her love for another man when she
realized another woman was in love with him.
This reminded me of 1 Corinthians
13:4-8 which says,
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not
envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not
self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of
wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.”
Spoiler Alert VI:
I loved how one man fought for the life of another man when the
village tried to kill him for his betrayal. In the process
redemption and forgiveness was found. This shows Common Grace of our
Father for those who did not even know Him.
This reminded me of what Jesus Christ did for us when we betrayed
Jesus by our sins. Because of our sins, God had every right to kill
us and keep us away from Him but He sent Jesus Christ into this
world to save us by interceding on our behalf and give us a new
beginning when we turn our lives over to Him.
I like Hebrews 7:24-26
which says,
“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God
through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a
high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set
apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.”
This also reminds me of John 3:16-21
which says, “For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son
into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through
him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not
believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the
name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come
into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because
their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and
will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be
exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so
that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done
through God."
Spoiler Alert VII:
I loved how the town had faith even though the circumstances at hand
looked bleak but they held on to their dreams.
This reminded me of Hebrews 11:1
which says, “Now faith is being sure of
what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
Spoiler Alert VIII:
I loved how when a person betrayed his team and was given a second
chance, how his life turned around being grateful for the
forgiveness and second chance. Because he was forgiven much, he
loved much and it showed on the team.
This reminded me of Luke 7:47
which says, “But
he who has been forgiven little loves little."
Spoiler Alert IX:
I loved how the movie showed what jealousy can do to a person.
This reminded me of Genesis 4:6-7
which says,
“Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you
angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you
not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is
crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master
it."
Spoiler Alert X:
I loved how a woman was willing to turn against her own brother when
she knew he was doing injustice so she could help the poor and
downtrodden that he was doing injustice to.
I would never want to see families
separated because of religious and moral issues but sadly it happens
because allegiance to the Lord becomes a priority even over the
suffering of having to be far from loved ones :(
This reminded me of Micah 6:8
which says, “He has showed you, O man,
what is good and what does the LORD require of you? To act justly
and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Spoiler Alert XI:
I loved how forgiveness was shown in the movie in different
instances.
This reminded me of Colossians 3:13
which says, “Bear with each other and
forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Spoiler Alert XII: There are couple of scenes in the movie regarding temple
worship and how much devotion the Indians in the movie showed to
what they believed to be their gods. I loved recalling those scenes
because as Pastor Ed of Oakland International Fellowship reminded me
that the Apostle Paul used situations like that in Athens, Greece to
commend the faith followers who are devout in their worship but went
a step further. I am also reminded of my own mommy being such a
devout Hindu until Christ the Lord came into her heart.
Acts 17:22-34 was
also a turning point in my own mommy's life.
This is what I am reminded of in
Acts 17:22-34
which says, "Paul then stood up in the
meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in
every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked
carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with
this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as
something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. "The God who made
the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and
does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by
human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all
men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every
nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he
determined the times set for them and the exact places where they
should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps
reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one
of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of
your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' "Therefore since
we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is
like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and
skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he
commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when
he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He
has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them
sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this
subject." At that, Paul left the Council. A few men became followers
of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the
Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others."
Spoiler Alert XII:
I loved how their courage propelled the Indians against the British.
They did not give up amidst doubts and fears but had hope.
I know I can have hope and courage in the Lord Jesus because of what
Joshua 1:9
says, "Have I not commanded you? Be
strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged,
for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Spoiler Alert XIII:
I loved how the Raja of the province of Champancer did not
compromise his religious beliefs to save the village even if it
meant suffering for the people. His remarks were something to the
effect, 'You cannot expect me to go against my religion and eat
meat'
This reminded me of Daniel 1:8
which says, "But
Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine,
and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself
this way."
This also reminded me of Daniel 6 where
Daniel was in jeopardy of being thrown in the Lion's Den which did
happen because of what he did. Daniel
6:12b,13, and 16 says "Did you not publish a decree that during the
next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or man except to you, O
king, would be thrown into the lions' den?".....Then they said to
the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no
attention to you, O king, or to the decree you put in writing. He
still prays three times a day.....So
the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into
the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you
serve continually, rescue you!"
Questions to Ponder:
1. What character do you most identify
with in the movie, why or why not?
2. What was the most touching moment in
the movie for you, why or why not? How does it compare to a touching
event that you have experienced in your own life and how did that
make you feel?
3. How does the Bible verse,
“Without a vision, the people perish”
revealed in the movie? Cite the example.
4. When two women fall in love with the
same man and both women come and confide in you confidentially, what
advice would you give them?
5. What is the face of racism to you
and how have you handled racism against others and how is that
similar or different to how it was handled in the movie? How is it
similar or different to how Jesus handled it in John 4?
6. What is faith to you and how is it
revealed in the movie? How is it revealed in Hebrews 11?
7. What is courage to you and how is it
revealed in the movie? How is it similar or different to what Esther
did in the Book of Esther?
8. How does the Bible verse,
"For you have been brought here for such a
time as this" impact you? In what ways
does the movie move you to action if any, why or why not?
9. Why is it that when someone is
forgiven and given a second chance, they are that much more grateful
and turn their lives around? How do we specifically see that in the
movie? What are examples from your own life?
10. Who has interceded for you in your
life and how is it similar or different to what happened in the
movie? Do you believe Jesus wants to intercede in your life for you,
why or why not? What should your response be?
Source: