23 Years Of ‘Lagaan’ And Why It Missed Out On An Oscar?
By: Admin | Posted On: 15 Jun 2023 | Category: Movies | Views : 1.4k
Aamir Khan’s epic sports drama Lagaan: Once Upon A Time In India released on 15 June 2001 is undoubtedly one of Indian cinema’s most iconic films ever to hit the silver screen. Touted as one of the most expensive Indian films ever made then and with Ashutosh Gowariker’s apt direction and ensemble cast and crew, the film not just went on to become a blockbuster but also became the Indian official entry for ‘The Best Foreign Language Film’ at the 2002 Oscars. While a lot of lobbying went into grabbing the attention of the jury members along with shows organized to screen the movie at different venues it lost the award to the Bosnian film No Man's Land breaking many Indians' hearts.
A lot was written and said about Lagaan that made headlines as to why it didn’t go on to win the coveted award. There could’ve been many reasons for the film missing out on the Oscar but only a few may have resorted to these 5 reasons that could’ve virtually contributed to No Man’s Land triumph.
5 Reasons Why Lagaan Failed To Win ‘The Best Foreign Language Film’ At The Oscars 2002:
1. The Length of the Film - 3hrs 45 mins (equal to the duration of two Hollywood flicks)
2. The Game of Cricket (Americans don’t follow it)
3. Songs (Hamper the narration)
4. White bashing (or at least that’s what they thought)
5. Acceptance for Indian Films (left many in disbelief about what we could make)
Nevertheless, we should be proud of Lagaan for being one of the best films ever made in Indian cinema that was liked and acknowledged by one and all, worldwide. As audiences and self-acclaimed critics, we have moved on since then and made the world take notice of our films which in itself is a huge achievement.
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