Back in the date of 15 June 2001. Many modern-day film goers, who gravitated to the theatres for first-day shows back then, remember that date fondly. Anil Sharma’s period drama Gadar: Ek Prem Katha hit the marquee, along with Ashutosh Gowariker’s period drama Lagaan: Once Upon A Time in India. Many were hopeful that both films would serve generous helpings of entertainment.
Adored by critics, nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 74th Academy Awards and winner of eight awards at the 49th National Film Awards, Lagaan is a well-scripted, well-executed offering. Set in the fictional Central Indian village of Champaner, the film revolves around the poor villagers, who must beat their British masters in a game of cricket to avoid paying land taxes for the next two years. The climax will surprise nobody, but the ambitious film has many merits. Headlined by Aamir Khan, Lagaan received a lot of appreciation for its direction, story (Gowariker), cinematography (Anil Mehta), costume design (Bhanu Athaiya), music (AR Rahman) – and several unforgettable characters. The film was an important profitable success, but it attracted half as many viewers as compared to Gadar.
Gadar, to put it simply is the film, which takes us back to the Partition of India, hinges on the love story of its protagonists Tara Singh (Sunny Deol) and Sakina Ali (Ameesha Patel). The film’s melodious songs (Uttam Singh), earth-shatteringly loud dialogues said by the hero, action, and, above all, the love story provided an desirable big-screen experience to the average filmgoer in 2001.