25th Anniversary screening – Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India

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A lavish epic set in colonial times, Academy Award-nominated Lagaan is one of Hindi cinema’s greatest underdog tales.

  • Director

    Ashutosh Gowariker

  • With

    Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne

  • India 2001. 224min

  • Digital 4K

  • Hindi and English with English subtitles

Set in a small village in 1890s British Raj India, where tyrannical Captain Russell has imposed an unprecedented land tax on its citizens, Gowariker’s Oscar-nominated drama details how rebellious farmer Bhuvan rallies villagers to publicly oppose the tax. Russell offers a novel way to settle the dispute: he challenges Bhuvan and his men to a game of cricket, a sport completely foreign to India. Little does he know the impact his decision will have. This screening celebrates the 25th anniversary of this classic film.

See more films from the 2026 London Indian Film Festival at BFI Southbank.