The Spirit of Lagaan by Satyajit Bhatkal
Published in Paperback (2002)
By Popular Prakashan Pvt Ltd
ISBN 81 7991 003 2
243 pages

Reviewed by Lopa Patel
Rating: (4 flames)

Ironically, this book is even more interesting than the period Bollywood film of the title 'Lagaan'. Released in 2001, the almost 4-hour long movie, set during the time of the British Raj, is largely all about cricket. Not just any old cricket, but a crucial match between the colonial oppressors, the British, and the humble residents of Champaner, a fictitious Indian village. In this book, Satyajit Bhatkal has minutely detailed every aspect of the film: from the 'Eureka!' moment to the worldwide launch. The role of the diarist is sadly in decline - Bhatkal's book shows that the Indian spirit may yet give the genre a new lease of life.

As a close friend of Aamir Khan, Bollywood superstar and leading man in 'Lagaan', Bhatkal was ideally placed to gain real insight into the dynamics of the relationship between Aamir (Producer), Ashutosh Gowariker (Director) and Aamir's wife Reena Dutta (Executive Producer). Add to this Aamir Khan's fans, the Maharao of Kutch, celebrated music maestro A R Rahman, a contingent of non-Hindi speaking British actor-cricketers and a cast of thousands, and the reader quickly appreciates the scale of the project.

Indeed this book could have been all about Aamir Khan, his fame, his charm and his stellar qualities to open any door. To his credit, Bhatkal reins in much of the hero worship and resorts to facts and figures. The one place the team had hoped the use the '"Aamir Khan" name to their advantage - when negotiating with local Kutchi farmers - the villagers had to ask exactly who Aamir Khan was!

'Lagaan' set a great many new precedents and virtually broke all the rules of traditional Bollywood movie making. The film was the first to employ a First Assistant Director (AD), Hollywood-trained Apoorva Lakhia, and his team of assistant AD's whom he affectionately referred to as his "babes". The film was also shot over a period of six months, quite unlike the chaotic production schedules of contemporary Bollywood studios where stars can work on multiple films at any one time. The sound and action were recorded "in-sync", i.e. at the same time, and not dubbed afterwards as is the norm with Bollywood movies. Production programming schedules were drawn up, contracts were written, budgets prepared …… and all this before you consider the logistics factor! As a 'period drama' set in the 1800's the film makers could not make use of ready-made overseas locations like Switzerland or Scotland as is now the trend for modern day Bollywood.

Bhatkal, a lawyer by profession, is quickly persuaded by Aamir Khan to get involved. In his diary, Bhatkal notes that Aamir persuaded his own wife Reena to take up the reins of production, contrary to gossip that she did it to keep tabs on her husband's alleged roving eye. Even as a novice, Reena Dutta brought considerable practical knowledge and financial control to the film, despite the initial budget of 60 Crore rupees ballooning to over 200 Crore rupees. Gutsy financier, Jhamu Sughand appearing to be relatively unperturbed by the laxity.

Bhatkal's account is partly as a diarist and partly as an essayist, helping to place the magnitude of the 'Lagaan' project in context for an audience who might otherwise not have realised the effort it took. From constructing an entire village (Champaner) in the arid desert (Raan of Kutch) near Bhuj, the town later devastated by the Gujarat 2001 earthquake. Construction of the village involved building traditional huts (boongas), a virtually lost art among Kutchis given that it needs a copious quantity of fresh cow dung! Under the same desert conditions, Aamir Khan productions had to set up living quarters for the cast and crew ('Sahajand Towers'), an authentic cricket pitch and pavilion that involved depositing vast amounts of top soil over the Gujarati equivalent of prickly pear!

The team had to plan sanitation, rain, crowd management, changing rooms, make-up and wardrobe facilities and food for thousands! Even in Hollywood, such large-scale productions have not been seen since the days of Cecil B DeMille. And India is a country where readily transportable motor homes (Winnebago) vehicles are in short supply. Lagaan can easily be compared to the joint production effort of 'Titanic' and 'Gladiator', with the latter two skilfully utilising considerable digital movie-making techniques not used in Lagaan.

The cricket match sequences featuring nearly 20,000 spectators were planned to an operating equivalent of a military manoeuvre, and in the middle of the desert too! The population statistics of Kutch indicated that to gather together a fifth of the number would have been a feat. An advertisement in the local paper for film extras, even on a legendary Aamir Khan movie, produced only a couple of hundred responses. About 1% of those needed! The nearest analogy I envisaged is that it was like asking for 20,000 people spread throughout an area the size of Wales (without the use of modern amenities like mail, phone, TV or the internet) to show up at a specified time in Cardiff to star as an extra in a Hugh Grant movie!

Thankfully, real people were the foundation of this movie. The people of Kutch (an area of Gujarat) gave selflessly of their time, effort and even family heirlooms to used a props. The cast also valiantly carried on despite upset stomachs, heat exhaustion, slipped discs and in some cases severe illness. All throughout, director Ashutosh Gowariker stuck to his vision, and to his credit Aamir Khan backed this up with some unknown film making instinct. A vision that was not always shared by his wife Reena who at times had to wield a large budgetary baton that ultimately failed to work on the one person for whom it was intended - Aamir. With some extraordinary belief and courage he held out to ultimately produce a movie, the likes of which Bollywood had never seen.

I was saddened to read that Aamir Khan and his wife of 16 years, Reena Dutta, are to divorce (December 2002). Whilst this book reveals nothing of their life, what it does show is the tension that can exist when both partners are involved in a high-pressure, stressful venture like filmmaking. Conducting a marriage in such an environment would make event the strongest of marriages crumble. It is pity; more so, because I suspect that the combination of Aamir, Reena and Ashutosh could go on to create another spectacular success like 'Lagaan'.

BANANAS OVER BOLLYWOOD?

If you are simply "bananas" over bollywood, then you might like to read the following:

• Bollywood In Love - catch it while you can (ends January 2003)
• Bollywood Dreams - a digital homage (end January 2003)
• Bollywood Homes - Abu Jhani & Sandeep Khosla's interior design benediction. Sadly only the pictures remain now!
• Bombay Dreams - A R Rahman's theatrical tribute to the industry is a must see.
• The Rough Guide to Bollywood - DJ Ritu's musical guide to the Hindi Film Industry.
• Bollywood Books - our selection of some of the best books on the subject.
• Bollywood Boy - our review of Justine Hardy's pursuit of Bollywood heart-throb Hrithik Roshan.
• Bombay Time - Thrity Umrigar's simply brilliant book about the Mumbai Parsee community. Absolutely nothing to do with Bollywood...but a great novel about the city!
• Lagaan - surely you've seen the movie by now? Read our review and see if you agree.
• Devdas - Sanjay Bansali's remake of this classic 1917 tale.