Rang De Basanti - the dilemma of the youth

RDB was the sequel to Dil Chahta Hai, with generous dollops of the Yuva brand. Very well shot, quite slick, good acting by most of the cast, but an unrealistic ending.

It is a made for metro kind of movie. Dont know how much appeal it would find amongst the smaller towns. But I suspect, that the metropolitan and smalltown tastes are converging these days, slowly but surely. Nevertheless, its a relief that films can be made and can be a commercial success without necessarily catering to all segments of the audience.

The theme touches first base with the audience very easily. We can easily identify with the youths here who believe the "system" cannot be changed, its far too corrupt to be changed. But their lives go on as they are not directly affected and they can go alongwith the system. But only until the muck hits home. What happens after that and how they react forms the climax of the movie.

I liked Atul Kulkarni's acting in particular. His acting and dialogue-delivery infused warmth into the script. His passionate rendition of RamPrasad Bismil's immortal lines "Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna..." was touching. Soha Ali Khan seems to be a decent actress too. Aamir has added a Punjabi twang to his repertoire of 'Tapori' performances. Kunal Kapoor has also essayed his character well.

The parallels drawn to the real life Minister and the saffron party are too difficult to miss. I heard that a scene where the minister travels in a MIG aircraft to prove its air-worthiness was censored. Perhaps George would have sued for libel otherwise and the blatantness of it all would have been difficult to defend. In any case it is too far-fetched to assume that any popularly-elected minister would dare to villify the memory of a martyr or a soldier who died in the line of duty. He would never get re-elected or reappointed. Thank Goodness, Indian democracy isnt as immature as the director here feels. And I might feel the ending is not how it should have been, but of course its the director's cinematic license. Its his canvas to paint. But the reaction of the these youths in the movie, is the ultimate act of cynicism which the characters emphatically seek to deny through their dialogues when they go 'on air'. This apparent contradiction and need for defending the ending, which the director perhaps felt, mars the climax of an otherwise eminently watchable movie.