Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India(लगान)

Film Threat by

Not only the best I've ever seen, but also the Indian film that'd be most accessible to a Western audience.

Variety by Derek Elley

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.

San Francisco Chronicle by Edward Guthmann

Rippingly good, old-fashioned movie epic.

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.

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.

TV Guide Magazine by Ken Fox

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.

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.

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.

Entertainment Weekly by Owen Gleiberman

The unlikeliest enthralling movie to be released so far this year.

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.