The highly popular film Lagaan: Once upon a time in India, completed 24 years on June 15, 2025. In many ways, it was a path-breaking movie which opened the doors for other filmmakers and showed them the possibilities that lay in the subject of sports as a theme for telling absorbing stories through the medium of cinema.
English films emerging from Hollywood had begun to exploit the drama involved in sports contests with films such as the Rocky series by Sylvester Stallone, Escape to Victory which was about Allied prisoners of War escaping from German custody (Stallone, Pele, and several other real-life footballers acted in this one), Bend It Like Beckham as well as many martial arts films featuring Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and others.
In recent years we have seen several Hindi films about sports and famous players hitting the screens. There have been biographical films such as Bhag Milkha Bhag about the career of the legendary Milkha Singh, Maidaan about Hyderabad’s football coach S.A. Rahim, as well as biographical films about M.S. Dhoni, Mitali Raj, and Saina Nehwal.
Then there was also the film 83 which was about India’s glorious victory in the 1983 cricket world cup known as the Prudential Cup. In 2022 a charming film was released titled Toolsidas Junior. It was about a little boy who wins a billiards tournament on behalf of his father played by Rajeev Kapoor. The boy’s idol and guru is Sanjay Dutt, a veteran player who teaches the child how to play.
But for many decades before this, Hindi film makers from Bollywood had failed to realise the potential that lay in the subject of sports. In 1992 there was a film named Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar which was centered around the sport of cycling. It had Amir Khan, Deepak Tijori, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Ayesha Jhulka, and others and gained considerable popularity and profits. But it failed to set a trend.
Old mindset changed
However, the advent of Lagaan changed the old mindset among Bollywood’s movers and shakers. The 2001 film directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and starring Aamir Khan, marked a pivotal moment in Indian cinema by blending sports with social and political themes.
Set in 1893, the film told the story of a group of villagers who challenge British officers to a cricket match to avoid oppressive taxes. This unique narrative approach not only captivated audiences but also set a new trend in Bollywood, influencing the production of sports-themed films in the years that followed.
Before Lagaan, sports were rarely the central theme for Bollywood films. In that respect Lagaan was groundbreaking in its integration of cricket into a narrative that also addressed colonialism, class struggle, and national identity of Indians.
The film’s success showed that India’s film fans were receptive to unconventional themes, especially about sports. Lagaan combined entertainment with a story that had a purpose. Aamir Khan recently described a dramatic scene in the film where he is hit on the head by the ball while batting. To get that shot right, a person had to throw the ball at his head. But sometimes the ball hit his shoulder and sometimes his neck. That shot had to be repeated many times and the actor took many blows before it came out right.
Started a new wave
Following Lagaan, Bollywood witnessed a surge in sports-themed films that explored various disciplines and stories of underdogs overcoming adversity. Films like Chak De! India, made in 2007 and starring Shah Rukh Khan became popular. This film focused on the women’s national hockey team and their journey to international success.
At the 53rd Filmfare Awards, it won five awards including Best Film (Critics Choice) and Best Actor for Shah Rukh Khan. Since then, Chak De! India has come to be regarded as one of SRK’s defining performances and a landmark in Indian sports cinema.
Dangal was hugely popular
Later, in 2016 came another huge hit. It was Dangal which was based on the true story of wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and his daughters. The film portrayed their struggle against social attitudes to achieve success in wrestling. It became one of the highest-grossing Indian films and highlighted the importance of female empowerment in sports.
Before the shooting commenced, the Indian women’s wrestling team coach Kripa Shankar Bishnoi was approached by Aamir Khan Productions to train the actors in the game. Bishnoi later said: “Very few Indians encourage women to enter wrestling. This film will change that perception. People will now want their daughters to take up wrestling as a sport.”
Two years later came Soorma which was about the life and career of India’s top hockey star Sandeep Singh. Singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh played the title role with Taapsee Pannu as the female lead. A sequel is being planned now.
These films, among others, now reflect the Bollywood film industry’s shift towards stories that have sports as a storyline. The success of Lagaan proved that sports films could resonate with audiences and critics alike, leading to more diverse and bold storytelling in Bollywood.
So Lagaan not only entertained but also inspired a generation of filmmakers to explore sports as a powerful narrative theme. Its legacy continues to influence Bollywood, encouraging the creation of films that combine sports with absorbing human interest stories. Lagaan has left an indelible mark on Indian cinema and proved that the spirit of sports can inspire all categories of people, even audiences who are not very interested in games.
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