Rang
De Basanti is definitely a patriotic film, but one, which is handled differently
and very well by the director.
Despite
its length and all the controversy it created with the defense forces
and the Animal Welfare Board, the film is definitely well worth
watching.
Rang De
starts with Sue (Alice Patten), whose father James McKinley was a military officer
in the army during the British Raj. Upon
reading her father聮s diary, Sue becomes interested with the revolutionaries,
their fearlessness, and their freedom struggle. She
decides to come to India to make a film.
After
weeks of casting, she encounters four young college going students,
for whom life is one big fun trip, of drinking, dancing and biking.
Convinced of their potential, Sue manages to cast them for her film, ably aided
all along by her friend, Sonia (Soha Ali Khan). The
four youths played by Aamir, Kunal Kapoor, Sharman and Siddharth are later joined
by Atul Kulkarni. As
the shooting for the film progresses, the characters who play Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekar
Azad etc, slowly get influenced by the thoughts and actions of the freedom fighters. They
all start thinking about doing something to change the nation by getting rid of
its dirt and grime. Against
this backdrop, a close friend of this gang and Sonia聮s fianc茅e Flight
Lieutenant Ajay Rahtore (Madhavan), dies while flying a fighter plane. Besides
being shell shocked, the allegations of the defense minister (Mohan Agashe), that
Ajay was a raw incompetent pilot enrages them. This
prompts them to start thinking and behaving like the revolutionaries they have
been playing in the film.
The result聴the friends take the law into their own hands and assassinate
the minister. They go on air and broadcast their crime to the nation which some
shocking consequences. The
screenplay, casting and performances are all excellent in this film.
The director successfully manages to bring out the camaraderie between the friends,
their total disregard for values of patriotism and their eventual transformation.
Unlike other films based on the revenge theme, in Rang De Basanti, the transformation
is totally believable.
The music by A.R.Rahman, mostly background and group songs, blends with the on
screen situations in the film.
The film ends with the firm belief that the youth of this country should not be
taken lightly and will rise time and again, when required, to save and improve
the nation. This
film is a must watch by every cinema goer. Reviewed
by Dr.P.V.Vaidyanathan
Guest
Reviewer | 
