20 years but still relevant – Here are 7 lessons Lagaan taught us!

Twenty years ago, came a turning point in Hindi cinema when the stupendous success of Lagaan shook up the industry stagnating with conventional family dramas and formula rom-coms. Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, this gem proved that geographical boundaries were insignificant in great story-telling and was the first film produced by Aamir Khan Productions, a banner that today boasts of a 100% success ratio.

Apart from ushering in new cinema trends like in sync sound and becoming the first film to be shot entirely in a single schedule, Lagaan taught us lessons that remain relevant to this day:

1. The triumph of the human spirit – The film highlighted the indelible and undying human spirit and that there’s always hope despite despair, much like the times we live in.
2. Every problem has an opportunity – Building a dream team amid chaos and obstacles was no easy feat, but Lagaan taught us that it can be done by recognizing an opportunity in every problem.
3. There is no replacement for hard work – Practice makes perfect and the film reiterated that there’s no shortcut to success but plain and simple hard work.
4. It’s not ‘you’ or ‘me’ it’s us – Bhuvan (Aamir Khan) couldn’t have done it alone if it wasn’t for his team comprising the extremely talented Raghubir Yadav, Rajesh Vivek, Raj Zutshi, Pradeep Rawat, Akhilendra Mishra, Daya Shankar Pandey, Shri Vallabh Vyas, Yashpal Sharma, Amin Hajee and Aditya Lakhia. Lagaan strongly emphasized the importance of teamwork and working in unison, whether it’s at home, the office or the playing field.
5. We are equal – Lagaan was one of the first few films of its time that ushered the theme of equality in terms of gender, caste and race. While #equalrights #blacklivesmatter #loveislove are current trending hashtags, the film was among the first to question stereotypes.
6. No place for ego – Whether it was putting together a culturally diverse team or learning an unfamiliar game from an English lady (Rachel Shelley), Lagaan taught us it’s ok to reach out, seek help and be open while keeping our egos aside.
7. Honesty and courage win – A group of simpletons believed they could do it when they said, ‘Sach aur sahas hai jiske man mein, jeet usi ki hogi’ and that lesson holds true even today.

With dollops of universal wisdom hidden in the unconventional blockbuster, it’s no surprise that Lagaan was the 3rd Indian film in the history of cinema to be nominated at the Oscars and is still fondly remembered by people across the globe.