When it comes to religion, we have different perspectives of what religion means. The movie, 'Lagaan' took place in the period of enlightenment. Indians started to feel a sense of nationalism within this time and conducted several rebellions against oppressive British control. Within the film, Indian villagers are led by Bhuvan who acts as the main character while leading the opposition against the British taxation system. A significant rift can be observed between the British and Indian cultures, which results in several conflicts. Across the film, the viewer gets an impression of Bhuvan's character through Elizabeth. One of the aspects of Bhuvan that we are able to view through Elizabeth is that as an Indian, he is equal to her, despite the cultural superiority that has been established. Despite being warned by her brother, Captain Russel, to stay away from the villagers, Elizabeth engages in the disruption of the social order. This is by challenging male dominance through ignorance of her brother's order and choosing to help Bhuvan and his team in their training ("Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) - IMDb", 2020). Through this defiance, she breaks through the cultural boundary based on the belief that the local people are equal to the white settlers.
Across the movie, there is a clear establishment of cross-cultural superiority with the British viewing their religion and culture as being greater than the Indians. This perception results in the view of Indians as being inferior to them. This can be seen repeatedly through instances of prejudice, such as the British referring to their servants as 'darkies' ("Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) - IMDb", 2020). Elizabeth, on the other hand, is friendly, helpful, just, and genuinely interested in native culture and religion. By offering to help the villagers around her, it is clear that she views Bhuvan as being treated unfairly. Due to this, she makes an attempt to assist them in learning the game of cricket for the rectification of the situation. She engages in considerable effort to learn their language and engage in the song, dance and religious ceremonies. This shows that she appreciates the religion and cultures of Bhuvan, and does not view him as inferior to her. Instead, it is clear that Elizabeth views Bhuvan as her equal. Through the acceptance of the local culture and traditions, Elizabeth does not take advantage of her position by trying to impose her own beliefs of Bhuvan.
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Bhuvan and Elizabeth come from highly distinct cultures, and this is reflected in how they handle similar situations. Lizabeth wears pale-coloured dresses while Bhuvan wears colourful traditional clothes ("Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) - IMDb", 2020). Bhuvan also dances with energy and personality while Elizabeth dances in a stiff and professional way. English culture has a higher degree of monotony as compared to the Indian culture in the 1800s ("Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) - IMDb", 2020). While Bhuvan and Elizabeth come from highly distinct cultures, they share traits of individuals that have slowly adapted to the age of enlightenment. When Elizabeth gets romantically interested in Bhuvan, it becomes clear to the audience, that she does not view him as an inferior, but also views his character worth romantic interest.
Through Elizabeth's behavior, we are presented with an image of Bhuvan as being an enigmatic leader of his people. By offering her assistance, she goes against the existing beliefs that her own culture is superior to that of the Indians. In this way, Bhuvan is identified as being equal to her. Elizabeth's character provides a unique perspective of Indian culture. Lagaan is a story of the conflict that existed between the Indian and White cultures in the 1800s. Through Elizabeth, we get the opposite view of this culture.
References
Clothey, F. W. (2007). On Wearing Good Lenses. In Religion in India (pp. 15-27). Routledge.
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) - IMDb . IMDb. (2020). Retrieved 15 June 2020, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0169102/.
