Actor and producer Aamir Khan will attend a special Melbourne screening of “Lagaan” on July 9 to mark the film’s 25th anniversary, kicking off the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne‘s (IFFM) 17th edition a month ahead of the festival’s main dates.
The 17th edition of IFFM will run from Aug. 13-23. The curtain raiser will be held at ACMI cinema in Melbourne, where Khan will officially launch this year’s festival celebrations alongside the anniversary screening.
“Lagaan” was the third Indian film to receive an Academy Award nomination in the category then known as Best Foreign Language Film and remains one of the most influential titles in Indian cinema history. The film’s 25th anniversary is being marked elsewhere this year as well: at the London Indian Film Festival’s 17th edition in July, Khan is making a separate appearance tied to the “Lagaan” milestone.
Released in 2001 and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, “Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India” is set in a drought-stricken village in colonial India, where farmers facing a punishing land tax challenge the occupying British officers to a cricket match, with the outcome determining whether the tax is doubled or scrapped entirely. The film starred Khan alongside Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne.
