Lagaan is a 2001 Bollywood sports film written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. Aamir Khan, who was also the film's producer, stars with Gracy Singh in the lead roles; British actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne play the supporting roles. Made on a budget of ₹25 crore (US$3.1 million), the film was shot in an ancient village near Bhuj, India. The film is set in the Victorian period of the British Raj and revolves around the peasants from a barren village who are oppressed by the high taxes imposed by their rulers. They attempt to persuade the British officers to reduce the taxes because of poor agricultural produce. Instead, a wager is offered. If their village team beats a British team in a game of cricket, their taxes for three years would be cancelled. After accepting this wager, the villagers face the arduous task of learning an alien game and playing for a result that will change their village's destiny. The film received critical acclaim and awards at various international film festivals, as well as many Indian film awards. It also became the third Hindi-language film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2010, the film was ranked #55 in Empire magazines "The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema". In 2011, the film was listed in Time Magazine's special "The All-TIME 25 Best Sports Movies".

• ... that in the 2008 Bollywood film Krazzy 4, actor Hrithik Roshan (pictured) performed an " item number" for the first time?
• ... that Kaash was the last Hindi film in which Kishore Kumar did playback singing?
• ... that the 1955 Hindi film Vachan marked composer Ravi's debut as a film music director?

Vidya Balan (born 1 January 1979) is an Indian film actress, who appears in Hindi, Bengali and Malayalam language films. At age sixteen, Balan landed her first acting role in the sitcom Hum Paanch (1995). After making several unsuccessful attempts to start a career in film, she acted in television commercials and music videos. In 2003, she made her feature film debut with the independent Bengali drama Bhalo Theko. In 2005, Balan garnered praise for her first Hindi film, Parineeta, and followed it with a leading role in the blockbuster Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006). Her subsequent portrayal of glamorous characters in the films Heyy Babyy (2007) and Kismat Konnection (2008) met with negative comments from film critics. 2009, however, marked the beginning of the most successful period in Balan's career as she portrayed five consecutive roles to wide critical acclaim in Paa (2009), Ishqiya (2010), No One Killed Jessica (2011), The Dirty Picture (2011), and Kahaani (2012). These roles have fetched her the tag of a "female hero" and established her as a leading contemporary actress of Hindi cinema. Balan has received one National Film Award, five Filmfare Awards and five Screen Awards. She is a social activist and supports the cause of women empowerment. She initially drew criticism for her weight and dressing sense, but was later credited in the media for retaining her individuality and breaking stereotypes of a Hindi film heroine. She is married to film producer Siddharth Roy Kapur.

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