India, Aug. 5 -- There are films which keep you entertained for a few hours. There are films which stay with you forever. Lagaan is one such movie. Released in 2001, Ashutosh Gowariker's audacious period sports drama combined elements of cricket, patriotism, emotion, and hope into a narrative that still echoes 25 years later. Set in the fictitious village of Champaner under British colonial rule, the movie tells the story of a group of commoners who take on the seemingly impossible task of beating the British in a cricket match to avoid taxes.

It turned out to be a defining movie for Indian cinema. It received universal acclaim and became the third Indian film ever to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Mos...