[icernet] Coming to bat against empire Lagaan

[Arul Selvan MIC]

Satyajit Ray, a towering figure in the world history of cinema, was a
vocal critic of his country's film industry. In an article titled "What
is Wrong with Indian Films" written in 1948, Ray lamented the prevailing
conformism and escapism of Indian cinema. Today the situation has hardly
changed.

Most of the hundreds of films produced yearly by Bollywood are made out
of a handful of standard types. This is a shame. The rich history and
textures of India, the dignity and complexity of its peoples, the
explosive contradictions of its social life offer an abundance of
material that perhaps only a multimillion-dollar industry could manage
to sedate and defuse. Indian cinema, as a whole, is still not a pretty
picture.

In this context, Lagaan, a film that was nominated for Oscar for the
best foreign picture, can appear as a positively refreshing work.
Terribly long by Western, though not by Indian standards, Lagaan is a
rewarding experience for the viewer, and generally does not test his or
her patience.

Source:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/nov2002/film-n09.shtml