Rang De Basanti - Movie Review

Exuberant. Energetic. Full of life. Awakening. Memorable. These are few of the many words that come to mind when one thinks about Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Rang De Basanti. Before the film was released, the promos aired on TV were ordinary, not revealing much about the plot of the movie. This was probably good for the film for two reasons. Rang de Basanti was already a much anticipated film because of Aamir Khan’s presence in it. If the promos revealed even a little bit of the storyline, the movie would have been over-hyped hence lowering expectations of the viewers. Secondly, there are many issues handled in the film and if all these issues were depicted in the promos, the audience might have been confused.

With a tagline ‘A Generation Awakens,’ one would think that Rang De Basanti is a patriotic film, which it is. But there is a lot more than just patriotism in the film. Moreover, patriotism is presented in a very different way. It’s away from all the naara bazi, excessive killing, unrealistic situations. It’s more on the tracks of what could really happen if there was a group of six college students waking up to realize that something needs to be done.

The story starts with Sue (Alice Patten), a London based filmmaker, who decides to make a documentary in India. The inspiration for making this documentary comes from Sue’s grandfather’s diary, which describes the days of the freedom struggle in India. Sue sets off for India where she meets Sonia (Soha Ali Khan Pataudi) and her friends, DJ (Aamir Khan), Sukhi (Sharman Joshi), Aslam (Kunal Kapoor) and Karan (Siddharth). Soon after Sue meets them, she realizes that they would be perfect for the roles of the patriotic heroes in her film. But being the carefree college students that they are, they don’t care much about patriotism. They take Sue’s ideas, documentary and dialogues as a joke. But as the movie progresses, they agree to work in Sue’s film and later on, a new member is added to the cast, Laxman (Atul Kulkarni).

As the shooting for Sue’s film starts, there are switchovers from present to past in significant scenes. As the shooting goes on, they find out that Sonia’s fiancé, Ajay (R Madhavan) has been killed in an air crash. This is when a spark of awakening ignites in their hearts.

It would be safe to say that there are a number of issues handled simultaneously in the film. Most of the times, a multiple issue doesn’t work as there is some sort of confusion involved, but that’s not true for Rang De Basanti. The movie shows a pinch of past, a dash of present and a taste of future.

For one, there is the documentary issue. Sue’s documentary shows the viewers a lot of what has happened in the past and what that has done for the country. Secondly, the MIG issue. Showing how the ministers are corrupt in sending the pilots into the face of death just to make more money for themselves. There’s also an issue of sparking an awakening in the hearts today’s youngsters. All these issues have been handled very well. Despite there being multiple subjects, nothing in the film seems to be confusing. Rather, everything ties together and connects well leading to the climax.

Another trait that is applaudable in the film is the humor. Natural and vivacious. There is something or the other in almost every scene (barring the more serious scenes) that will make you laugh.

The performances are simply mind blowing. There is the perfectionist Khan who has proven, yet again, that he is better than the best. He gives a strong performance throughout the film, be it in a comic scene or in a revolutionary scene. Sharman Joshi surprises the viewers with a stunning performance with his unusual comic style and the noticeable Haryanvi accent. Kunal Kapoor seems to be at ease on the screen. He’s comfortable and confident about what he’s doing and that shows in his remarkable performance. Atul Kulkarni is as powerful as ever, giving the right expressions, blending in with the ‘youngsters’. Siddharth is admirable for his splendid performance. Soha Ali Khan Pataudi’s performance was exceptional especially in the second half of the film. Alice Patten’s hard work shows through her acting and Hindi speaking skills. Apart from the main cast, Kirron Kher, Waheeda Rehman, Om Puri and Anupam Kher leave a mark with impressive performances. R Madhavan is charming.

Some memorable parts:

· In the beginning when Sue arrives in India a guy asks her, “Which country, Madam?” She replies, “India, I hope.” Got many laughs.

· When Sue says, “Pai Laagoo Maaji” to Kirron Kher, DJ’s expressions were priceless.

· When all the friends are eating together and discussing the serious issue of ‘Indian corruption,’ DJ says, “Ye Hindi bolti hai, yaar…”

· Sue’s reaction after the fight between DJ and Laxman.

· DJ’s dialogue delivery practice with chotu.

· The climax when DJ and Karan are in the room.

Not-so-good things:

· Sue says to Sonia that she doesn’t have the money to make a film in India, as she doesn’t have any producers or finances with her. Then how does she afford all the costumes and materials?

·Aamir’s accent was a little shaky.

Binod Pradhan has done a superb job in the cinematography. The camera angles are awesome. A. R. Rahman’s music is also impressive and adds to the feel of the story.

On a whole, Rang De Basanti is a memorable movie. Once you watch it, you want to watch it again and again until you get each and every detail of the movie right. It leaves a mark on your heart and forces you to think about the issues it raises. It’s a perfect package of humor, patriotism, excellent performances and the best of all, entertainment.