Rang De Basanti: A road movie to self-discovery

Rang De Basanti
(Hindi)
Cast: Aamir Khan, Siddharth, Sharman Joshi, Kunal Kapoor, Atul Kulkarni, R Madhavan, Alice Patten, Soha Ali Khan, Anupam Kher, Kiron Kher, Waheeda Rahman
Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi
Music: AR Rahman
Cinematography: Binod Pradhan
Story: Kamlesh Pandey
Dialogues: Prasoon Joshi, Rensil Di Silva
Script and direction: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Showing at theatres in Bahrain

Forget the forced idealism of Mani Ratnam’s “Yuva” and Farhan Akhtar’s “Lakshya.” Ignore the preachy, pompous patriotic fervour that lined Ashutosh Gowariker’s “Swades.” Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s “Rang De Basanti” is one of the finest films to roll out of contemporary Bollywood that understands and taps the mindset of India’s burgeoning urban youth.
In a way, “Rang De…” is a road movie into India’s past through the eyes of Generation Next. And Mehra does away with most platitudes and clichés, and brings in a rare wave of freshness that one seldom associates with the melodramatic kitsch that Bollywood has increasingly come to stand for. The protagonists of “Rang De…” are neither plastic nor do they wear the mask of cinematic idealism. They are young and vulnerable - their gullibility being the biggest selling point of the film.
Mehra seamlessly integrates the past with the present, and intelligently juxtaposes India’s fetters under the British rule with the corruption that characterises modern Indian governance - all through the eyes of the youth. Like many good story-lines, “Rang De…” had the possibility of degenerating into thoroughly predictable fare. The film doesn’t thanks to the tight control Mehra exerts on the script.
At three hours, “Range De…” looks a trifle too long. And incidentally, one film that “Range De…” brings to mind is Marco Tullio Giordano’s “The Best of Youth.” And that one is six-hours long. As they say, no good movie is too long.
Mehra’s blend of unabashed fun and yuppie cynicism in the protagonists - DJ (Aamir Khan), Karan (Siddarth), Sukhi (Sharman Joshi) and Aslam (Kunal Kapoor) - is thoroughly true to type. Walk into any Indian university and you will find a cross-section of these prototypes - there is a carefree DJ loitering outside the campus walls; a mellowed Aslam who loves colours and art; a troubled Karan, who finds the solace he doesn’t get at home from his friends; and a clownish Sukhi.
“Rang De…” is journey of self-exploration for not only these men but also for Sue (Alice Patten). She is a British documentary maker who wants to film the revolutionaries of the Indian Independence movement as seen through the eyes of her sympathetic grandfather. She finds her actors in the four men, who are at first unconvinced and then bemused. When Sue declares her intention to pit them as the actors all that DJ can say is: “By God, she speaks Hindi…”
At moments at like these (and there are many such), the camera by Binod Pradhan is so unobtrusive and the script thoroughly natural that the world of DJ and his friends becomes a (virtual) reality. Mehra, indeed, takes his sweet time in telling the story, and you can’t complain, what with Pradhan’s brilliant cinematography that shows India in unseen splendour.
“Rang De…” gives equal footing to the trials and tribulations of Sonia (Soha Ali Khan), whose fiancé, an Indian Air Force pilot Ajay Rathode (R Madhavan) dies in a MiG 21 crash, as well as to Laxman Pandey (Atul Kulkarni), a firebrand political activist who naively believes that his “saffron” party can indeed make a difference to India.
Even as the narrative thread of “Rang De…” shifts to contemporary India following the death of Rathode, it doesn’t break away from the past, and suddenly, the young protagonists find a greater relevance in their lives as well as in those of the countless youngsters who sacrificed their lives for a cause - an independent India.
The final twists in “Rang De…” precariously walk the line of empty platitude but Mehra rescues the film with an ingenious script. What could have been a moody, gloomy trip to hopelessness thus concludes on a note of cheer and hope.
“Rang De…” gives room for all actors to perform. While Aamir Khan exudes the confidence of a seasoned veteran with a loveable Punjabi diction to boot, actors like Siddharth, Kunal Kapoor and Sharman Joshi find their turf unchallenged and romp home with impressive performances. Atul Kulkarni is a natural; Soha Ali Khan finally gets a chance to prove her mettle; and Alice Patten stuns with her sheer grace. After Toby Stephens in “Mangal Pandey,” here is one actress who truly makes a successful “cross over” into Bollywood. Unforgettable, also, is Waheeda Rahman, who faces the death of her son Rathode with the stoicism of a war-widow; and Kiron Kher, as DJ’s mother.
AR Rahman’s music is the unseen, vibrant presence of the film. He enlivens the film with music that takes a life of its own.
“Range De…” in its making, had evoked shades of the path-breaking Hindi film, “Dil Chahta Hai.” Unlike many “DCH” clones that failed to impress, “Rang De…” walks true to its time, and is a proud showcase of Bollywood finally breaking the mould. Here is a must-watch.