Spoilers ahead!
The film “Rang De Basanti”, even after 16 years of its release (2006), is remembered for so many things, by so many people. It was an inspiring entertainer with the right amount of drama, emotions, humour, music, patriotism, social commentary and some brilliant performances.
It was indeed a brave attempt by director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, for whom it was his only second film after Aks (2001). When I met him for his film “Mere Pyaare Prime Minister” (2018), I also talked to him about Rang De Basanti.
After our conversation, the one question that came to my mind was: will a film like Rang De Basanti be allowed to even release today? The answer I got was no.
Mehra’s Rang De Basanti was set against the backdrop of anti-establishment. It raised several questions on the way our country was governed, and the film was aimed at bringing social change. It breaks my heart as I find Rang De Basanti relevant till today. The only change is that today, you’re not even allowed to fight for your product.
Bans And Boycotts Have Become The Norm
Today, when dissent against the government is considered as treason or sedition, and trends like ‘ban XYZ film’ or ‘boycott XYZ’ take over the Internet within no time, I don’t think a film like Rang De Basanti in which people were shown going against the government, can be released without being censored or altered.
A few phone calls and you’re forced to apologise and to agree to censor such scenes. Many a times, filmmakers don’t even let these conflicts come out in the media and solve the problems mutually.
What’s worse is, some of the biggest and most powerful stars of the country like Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan etc. become helpless in such situations, too.
So far, the digital platforms were not under the censorship, but now with the rising outrage against some shows, there’s a tremendous demand to bring censorship in digital content as well. Now that’s disastrous!
Whenever I watch Rang De Basanti, all these things run in my mind, which again makes this film one of the most important and relevant films of all time, at least for me.
An Important Victory For Freedom Of Expression
Apart from the aforementioned factors, one more thing that makes this Aamir Khan starrer so special is the atmosphere at the time of its release. There was a tremendous controversy around the film regarding the use of MiG-21 fighter aircraft.
Madhavan’s character dies in the film as his plane (MiG-21) crashes because of the cheap materials used in manufacturing the planes, due to a corruption scandal involving a defense minister and a leading industrialist. Some people from the government were unhappy with these scenes.
The CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) had sought the views of Ministry of Defence regarding the same. The Defence ministry suggested 12 changes which Mehra politely rejected. But, after watching the movie, the then defense minister Pranab Mukherjee found no problem in the film.
Mukherjee said: “My job is to protect the country and not to censor films. It’s a nice film,” and he walked away. The army and navy chiefs, who were present at the screening, asked the chief of the air force to take the final decision as the film talked about planes.
The chief had a word with Mehra and then allowed UTV to release the film in the cinemas without any changes. The freedom of expression won this case.
“Ajay Believes That No Country Is Perfect”
DJ (Aamir Khan), Karan (Siddharth), Lakshman Pandey (Atul Kulkarni), Sukhi (Sharman Joshi), Aslam (Kunal Kapoor), Sonia (Soha Ali Khan), Ajay (Madhavan) and Sue (Alice Patten)—all these characters were very well written and relatable. Many of us did connect to at least one of them.
While DJ, Karan, Sukhi and Aslam are carefree, cynical about their future and had pessimistic views about the country, Lakshman, a right-wing activist, wanted to do something for the country and its culture, which he believed was being spoiled by people like DJ and his friends.
He also dislikes Aslam because of his religion. Ajay, a flight lieutenant for the Indian Air Force, is a patriotic youngster who believed in the theory that no country is perfect and that we need to put in the work to make it perfect.
In the film, with their internal issues unresolved, DJ’s gang and Pandey agree to work together on Sue’s project. Their bond grows over a period of time. After one heartbreaking incident, all of them come together to fight against injustice.
“Lakshman’s Transformation Is Extremely Rousing”
They decide to do things they never thought they’d ever do. Almost every character sees a transformation in the second half, but the transformation in Lakshman is something else.
The way he helps Aslam when the latter is being attacked by the police, the reality check he gets about how people like him are used and exploited by the powerful people for personal and political gains—that whole scene was so rousing and emotional to watch.
DJ’s conversation with Sonia, when they drop Aslam to his home, was so relatable and touching. I smiled and contemplated when DJ says: “College ke gate ke iss taraf hum life ko nachate hain, aur duji taraf life humko nachati hai (on this side of the college gate, we make life dance to our tunes; on the other side of the gate, life makes us dance).”
During the climax when Karan tells the team: “It’s done; ho gaya!” (via radio, he confesses to the world that he, along with his friends, killed the defense minister, and also tells the reason behind the same), the boys are all smiles and as are we, as the “Rubaroo” song plays in the background.
“Rahman’s Music Is The Soul Of The Film”
We also feel the feeling of victory, which soon turns into a heartbreak as all these guys are killed. A few minutes before they’re shot dead, DJ says a very pertinent line which kind of sums up Rang De Basanti for me. He says:
“Zindagi jeene ke do hi tarike hote hai. Ya to jo ho raha hai use hone do, bardasht karo, ya fir zimmedari uthao usse badalne ki (there are only two ways to live: either endure what’s happening or take responsibility to change things around).”
Friendship, love, patriotism and Hindu-Muslim unity—Rang De Basanti dealt with each topic so beautifully. AR Rahman’s music just added extra charm to the film; it was the icing on the cake! It wouldn’t be wrong if I say Rahman’s music was the soul of this film.
The film emerges a winner in all aspects. It breaks you, but makes you think. It leaves you with moist eyes and a feeling of having watched something amazing and extraordinary. It’s a film that you won’t be able to stop thinking about for years.
I wasn’t a film critic back then, but If I was, I’d have rated it five on five for sure. It’s a film that I’ll always cherish and love… One of the most important films I’ve ever seen. I can’t thank Mehra and his entire team enough for this gem!