I am an Indian. Till yesterday I seriously used to think that India is all about excess population, corruption and another thousand problems which are overshadowed by petty things like cricket and an-all-time favorite excuse viz. culture. Yesterday, I realized that’s not India. There is more to India than all the above things… There is a strong ‘WE’ in India that is on its way to become hundreds and thousands of scattered, disjoint I’s.
Thank you Mr. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra to have given me the best Republic Day gift of all times. RANG DE BASANTI is the only other film to have tug my heartstrings in such a way after my another all time favorite SWADES.
I have seen people laugh in a film, I have seen people cry while watching a film but never in the 21 yrs of my life have I seen such a mad riot of emotions surging in my own heart as I applauded and ceeteed exuberantly sitting in a hall of people who were alien to the concept of an Aamir Khan film with less Aamir Khan and more film.
RANG DE BASANTI is essentially the story of Sue (Alice Patton) who comes to India to shoot a documentary about the freedom fighters Chandrashekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh and others based on her Grandfather’s diary. The narrative shifts swiftly between her Grandfather’s husk baritone backing the brilliantly photographed sepia overtones capturing just the right flavor of history and Alice’s as she struggles to find actors for her film with the help of Sonya (Soha Ali Khan).
This search of her leads her to a group of four carefree friends who are away from the world doing their thing and enjoying it like hell. DJ (Aamir Khan), Sukhi (Sharman Joshi), Karan (Siddharth), Aslam (Kunal Kapoor) are passed out students of the Delhi University who are not willing to leave the campus simply because they enjoy every bit of their college life and are not very much in the mood to enjoy the harsh realities of life. As the documentary progresses the four begin to realize the role played by Bhagat Singh and company in India’s freedom struggle. As their foe and student politician Laxman (Atul Kulkarni) joins the cast of Sue’s documentary, things take a new turn. Life is fun and film for all of them till the day the unexpected happens…
RANG DE BASANTI is an exquisitely crafted film that made me actually doubt my own screenwriting and filmmaking skills to the extent that I actually thought that maybe I should assist Mr. Mehra for 10 years before I make my own film. Not once in its 170 minutes running times does the film bore you. It never looks preachy, It is never slow and It always keeps you guessing right till the climax which according to me is a brilliant culmination to the point. The way in which the writer has combined Bhagat Singh’s story with the story of these five is commendable. A taut screenplay and crisp dialogues (Kamlesh Pandey, Rakeysh Mehra) is one of the many feathers in the cap of RDB. Add to it a brilliant musical score (A. R. Rehman) and truly awe inspiring cinematography (Binod Pradhan) and RANG DE BASANTI becomes one of the best Hindi films of all times.
RDB is an Aamir Khan film but the other members of the ensemble cast actually manage to snatch the film away from the Khan during several well executed and enacted sequences of the film. Atul Kulkarni provides just the right amount of intensity. Kunal Kapoor impresses with a honest portrayal of Aslam the artist. Siddharth makes a brilliant debut with RDB with an absolutely rocking performance. And for those who thought that Sharman Joshi can only do a style, watch this film. He is easily the best thing in RDB with a powerhouse performance. Soha Ali Khan is a revelation and comes up trumps with a great performance. Alice Patton excels in an author backed role and her Hindi diction is sure to win many hearts. Watch out for her very first scene when she abuses a colleague in her office in Hindi. But at the end of the day, RDB belongs to Aamir Khan who comes out aces with a knockout performance. He convincingly plays a character 10 years younger than him and makes us laugh with that infectious giggle of his right till the very end.
Watch this film in a theatre people. It is an outstanding piece of cinema. I can’t wait to watch it again. Simply Superb
My Rating: * * * * *
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14 comments:
Nikhil
Good to get in touch with another movie buff, although I am occupied with managing people, movies make me think.
may be our roads will cross sometime in the future, good luck with RGV, one suggestion though, please include fresh actors in your movies, kinda getting bored looking at the same RGV inhouse actors, they are great but its becoming like a television serial on underworld.
Best
I like the new look of your blog. I certainly hope RDB review is not hyped up. Every film does slip some place and its your job to take note of that Mr. Reviewer!
Ur worst critic!
RGDB rocks !!! If u r Gandhi follower, don't even think of watching the movie !! Finally movie makers have realised the fact "AGE OLD AHINSA" will take us no where.
Photography is simply superb! -> Sepia and b/w sepia effects with b/w noise "night shot" style bike and car chase is gr8 !
About actors ->
Aamir is "THE PERFECT" as usual and Soha Ali Khan Pataudi - TOO CUTE, I LOVE YOU !!
gr8 review but Aamir is portraying a role of 15 yrs younger to him.. also u ay heck out my review, a sort of
a view of a budding director, a perspective of a man in the field, an insight of a person who has been there, done that sure gave me a feeling i ought to watch this movie....looks like a good film in a prteey loonnnnnngggggg time, i think i'll watch it.
Your review sure propelled me to watch the movie and I am so glad I did !
Got the link to your blog from rediff.com.... brilliantly written. So you write films eh? By the way your review has pushed me into watching this film. I am from Mumbai and I study architecture from JJ. mail me at priaa23@yahoo.com... maybe we can be friends!
Nice review dude! One of the best I have read for RDB till date! Keep it up...
Gr8 review. Very apt. Though i thought the end was nt really nice.
Amazing ease with words. Trust me, you are going to go places.
Brilliant film man. I totally agree. Got the link to your blog from rediff.com. Luvd it. Maybe i should come here more often
I didnt like RDB
hey nikhil...
u write better reviews than that man...but yeah i do agee,rdb is a very good movie.i absolutely love the screenplay.the end is perfect although the freeze shot with amir n sidharth is lifted frm a hollywood movie...except that,a pretty original flick;i mean..it was movie which made me think.it made me think abt the subject n also the movie itself.
i felt that there were certain flaws in the story.but grt narrative,superb music,seems like an amazing crew of techies worked on it in all depts: art,cinematography...
what i really liked was that the director kept it simple.n it's the most difficult thing to do with a subject n narrative like that of rdb's.
the flaws,acc. to me...tell me,which defense minister talks like this abt an air force pilot 'woh hosh main nahi,josh main chalate hain'?
And in the climax...
Hey nik,u know what...i don wana give out the story to those who haven't watched it,not a very good thing to do...let's talk abt this on yahoo..
see u thr.
Heluva muv.. superb actin.. fantastic songs.. n well not so believable endin.... but v r humans after all..
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