Twenty-five years after *Lagaan* first captured people's hearts, one question still lingers in Bollywood: Why hasn't there been another *Lagaan*?
Every few months, someone in the film industry laments the lack of fresh, original movies.
People often look back on the days when Hindi cinema dared to be different.Yet, even with all the praise and nostalgia, Bollywood hasn't really tried to create something like *Lagaan* again.And the reason might be because everyone wants another *Lagaan*, but not many are willing to take the big risks that *Lagaan* needed.
When *Lagaan* was released in 2001, it didn't look like a sure hit.
On paper, it seemed like an impossible sell.It was nearly four hours long, a period drama, focused on cricket, set in colonial India, with unknown international actors, a village-based cast instead of big stars, and songs that fit into a sports story.It was a film that broke every usual rule of the box office.
Today, many filmmakers would probably struggle to get such a project approved.
Ironically, Bollywood has more resources than ever before.
Budgets are bigger, technology is better, visual effects are top-notch, and marketing is more powerful than ever.Yet, truly original mainstream ideas are still rare.Instead, studios often stick to what's safe—old stories, remakes, and franchises that already have a built-in audience.
From a business point of view, that makes sense.
Films are getting more expensive, theaters are harder to sell out, and every decision is under the microscope.Risk management is just as important as storytelling now.
But cinema has always rewarded those who believe in their vision.
*Lagaan* wasn’t remembered because it was a period film or because it was about cricket.
It became unforgettable because it made people care about each character, each match, and every victory.Even people who didn’t know much about cricket found themselves cheering by the end because the emotions were universal.
OPINION: Everyone wants another *Lagaan*, but nobody wants to take *Lagaan*-sized risks
That’s probably the main lesson Bollywood sometimes misses.
Originality isn’t enough.People love stories that make them feel something.
Interestingly, some of the biggest hits in the industry came from films that seemed strange at first.
Many of the greatest films were once doubtful risks that changed how the industry saw things.
Risk doesn’t always mean spending billions.
Sometimes it just means supporting an idea that hasn’t been proven yet.
There’s also a belief that audiences only want big spectacle these days.
But history shows otherwise.Viewers keep supporting films that tell honest stories, have compelling plots, and strong characters.Scale helps, but it can’t replace soul.Veteran trade analyst Taran Adarsh said that filmmakers must keep trying to make films that are truly Indian.“Of course, not every film can be *Lagaan*, which can reach Oscar level,” he said.“That kind of success is very rare.But one must keep aspiring.The key to success and breaking into the international market is to make films that reflect our culture, not copy foreign ones.*Lagaan* was very Indian.It was Indian in every way.It didn’t try to copy any international or American film.”
He also explained that box office pressure often stops filmmakers from trying new ideas.
“The box office is playing a huge role these days, and we’ve forgotten how to make these kinds of films.Box office was always big but now it's multiplied by 10 or even 100.That's a big challenge for filmmakers.At some point, everything is focused on the money coming from different areas.It's important to balance art and commerce.Make the kind of films you want to make but also think about the box office and art.By art, I don’t mean arthouse cinema.I mean films that tell a new or different story within commercial limits,” he concluded.
That might be why *Lagaan* is still celebrated after 25 years.
It didn’t follow trends.It created them.
Bollywood often wonders where its next great classic will come from.
The answer might not be in making another *Lagaan*, but in rediscovering the bravery that made *Lagaan* possible in the first place.
Because great films rarely come from playing it safe.
