80
Not only the best I've ever seen, but also the Indian film that'd be most accessible to a Western audience.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
80
Neither pure masala musical nor pure masala meller, Lagaan is an involving, easily digestible hunk of pure entertainment that could be the trigger for Bollywood's long-awaited crossover to non-ethnic markets.
100
San Francisco Chronicle by Edward Guthmann
Rippingly good, old-fashioned movie epic.
100
New York Daily News by Jami Bernard
The sunny, funny, toe-tapping Lagaan is the answer to those who ask why they don't make movies like they used to: They do, but in India.
63
New York Post by Jonathan Foreman
If you've never seen a "masala" musical, you may find Lagaan hilariously bad. Cartoony acting, dreadful dialogue, obvious dubbing, and meandering but ultrapredictable plots are simply part of the Bollywood package, along with six musical numbers and a bizarre mixture of romance, comedy and melodrama.
80
Gowariker's stunningly choreographed, four-hour spectacle (reportedly one of the most expensive films in the industry's history) is a fascinating mix of Hollywood genres and tropes.
80
Los Angeles Times by Kevin Thomas
Raises it to the level of an art film with fully drawn characters, a serious underlying theme, and a sophisticated style and point of view.
100
Austin Chronicle by Marjorie Baumgarten
A movie that amply delivers on the epic promise of its title, entertaining, enlightening, and emboldening viewers with its deceptively simple premise and execution.
91
Entertainment Weekly by Owen Gleiberman
The unlikeliest enthralling movie to be released so far this year.
80
New York Magazine (Vulture) by Peter Rainer
If you've never experienced a Bollywood musical before, seeing Lagaan will be like watching "Gone With the Wind" without ever having seen a Hollywood movie.