23 years of Lagaan! Reflecting on India's Oscar impact over the years
Reflecting on India's Oscar heritage through Mother India, Lagaan and RRR.
Jun 15, 2024
23 years of Lagaan
At the Academy Awards, an Indian film remembers a legendary journey as Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India marks its 23rd year since its premiere. Indian cinema has a long history of excellence, with revolutionary features like 1957's Mother India and more recent works like 1988's Salaam Bombay! and 2022's RRR captivating audiences around the world and winning critical praise at the Oscars. Not only do these films display India's cultural diversity, but they also demonstrate the country's growing cinematic talent, which is constantly inventing new forms of storytelling and breaking new ground.
23 years of Lagaan!
Mother India (ShemarooMe [OTTplay Premium]; Eros Now])
Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar, and Raaj Kumar featured in Mehboob Khan's 1957 epic play Mother India. Adapted from Khan's earlier film Aurat (1940), it follows Nargis as Radha, a poor country woman who, without her husband, must raise their sons while surviving a series of hardships, including a crafty moneylender.
Mother India has become an indisputable cultural classic, ranking among the finest Indian cinema films and being one of three Hindi-language features on the 1001 Films You Must See Before You Die list. It was the first Indian film to ever be nominated for an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
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Radha and Shamu's (Nargis and Rajendra Kumar, respectively) wedding is almost here, but the loan they took out to fund the ceremony ultimately brings them to their knees. They end up giving over three-quarters of their harvest to the moneylenders because interest rates are skyrocketing. Shamu tries to help his family out of poverty by working in the fields, but an accidental rock smashes his arm, leaving him unable to work and distraught about his unexpected incapacity to support his family.
Salaam Bombay (YouTube)
The 1988 drama film Salaam Bombay! was co-written, co-produced, and directed by Mira Nair. Sooni Taraporevala, who worked with her on creative projects, was the screenwriter. Nair directed this film, which was her debut feature. The film depicts Bombay (now Mumbai), the largest city in India, as a place where children live in slums. Anita Kanwar, Hansa Vithal, Raghuvir Yadav, Shafiq Syed, and Nana Patekar are among the stars.
The gritty story Salaam Bombay! follows the lives of prostitutes, drug pushers, street kids, and pimps in Bombay's red light district. It chronicles the adventures of little Krishna, who moves to the city in search of a better life, dreams of returning to his mother one day, and earns Rs. 500.
This was the second Indian film to receive an Oscar nomination for Best International Feature at the 61st annual ceremony. Following its premiere at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival on May 11, 1988, Salaam Bombay! garnered considerable praise from critics. This film took home two trophies at the Cannes Film Festival: the Caméra d'Or and the Audience Award.
Lagaan (Netflix)
Written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India is a grand period musical sports drama film from 2001. The film featured debutante Gracy Singh, British actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne, and Aamir Khan himself. Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars three times—after Mother India (1957) and Salaam Bombay! (1988)—it will remain the only Indian film to do so until 2024.
During the late Victorian era of British colonial authority in India, an ostentatious officer from the British Indian Army challenged the villagers of a Central Indian village to a cricket match in 1893. The villagers are struggling under the weight of heavy taxes and a number of years of drought. The officer's goal is to distract them from their tax obligations. The villagers must overcome the formidable challenge of mastering an unfamiliar game in order to claim victory.
Last Film Show (Netflix)
Pan Nalin directs the 2021 Gujarati coming-of-age drama Last Film Show also known as Chhello Show. Paresh Mehta, Dipen Raval, Richa Meena, Bhavin Rabari, and Bhavesh Shrimali are the stars. The movie made its debut at the 20th Tribeca Film Festival on June 10, 2021, and on October 14, 2022, it hit Indian theaters. The 95th Academy Awards selected the film to represent India in the Best International Feature Picture category, and it subsequently received a shortlist for the same award.
A little boy named Samay (Bhavin Rabari) from the Indian village of Chalala spends the whole summer bribing the projectionist, Fazal (Bhavesh Shrimali), so he can view films at a dilapidated cinema theatre. Because he is utterly enamoured with movies and the production process, he makes the tragic decision to pursue a career in filmmaking.
RRR (Netflix; Disney+ Hotstar; ZEE5 [OTTplay Premium])
The epic period action drama RRR was directed by S. S. Rajamouli, and V. Vijayendra Prasad co-wrote it. The film features an ensemble cast that includes N. T. Rama Rao Jr. Ram Charan, Shriya Saran, Samuthirakani, Alia Bhatt, Ray Stevenson, Alison Doody, and Olivia Morris in supporting roles. The historical drama follows the camaraderie and resistance to British rule by two Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Rama Rao).
At the 95th Academy Awards, the song Naatu Naatu achieved history by being the first original song from an Asian film and the first song from an Indian film to win the Oscar for Best Original Song. As a result, RRR became the first Indian film to ever win an Oscar, regardless of its production company.
ALSO READ: Lagaan: Aamir Khan, Ashutosh Gowariker celebrates 21 years of the period sports drama with its team
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