[MOVIE REVIEW] Rang De Basanti
############## POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD !! ###############
Its hard to classify this movie as being one of the usual genres of movies churned out by Bollywood.
The movie begins with Sue McKinley (Alice Patten), reading her grandfather Col. McKinley's accounts about the hangings of the revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. She travels to India to film a documentary and tell the story about the revolution that ultimately failed. Reaching New Delhi, she befriends some students of the Institute of International Studies lead by DilJeet (Aamir Khan), and enlists them as the cast for her documentary.
Everything is fine, albeit with a few fights now and then, until Sonia's (Soha Ali Khan) boy-friend Lt. Ajay Rathore (Madhavan) is killed when his MiG-21 fighter jet crashes while on a routine sortie. Suspecting corruption in defence deals the group lead a peaceful demonstration at India gate, which is broken up using force by the police. Likening their treatment to the freedom struggle, the group plan and execute the daylight killing of the defence minister.
No particular character can be called the protagonist of this movie. Khan's portrayal of the college student interested only in bikes, partying and friends, is very convincing and makes one wonder whether he is really forty plus.
The movie is strewn with jokes throughout the first half, including one with an obscenity in Hindi mouthed by Patten. One of the most humorous scenes is when DJ boasts in Hindi/Punjabi about making Sue his wife and then realizes that she speaks Hindi.
However, the film tends to drag in the first half and the jokes don't do much to help. The second half get over-dramatic especially towards the end.
The trigger happy behaviour of the Indian security forces, and the portrayal of the change in a right wing organization's strategy before and after coming to power, have been correctly depicted.
The music is catchy and "listenable" by Bollywood standards. The song "Tu bin bataye ..." stands out.
Watching this movie, I got the impression that they were trying to glorify violence and anarchy by citing Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad et al. Alarmingly a lot of people have begun subscribing to the view that Gandhiji and his principles were wrong and that armed struggle should have led to our independence.
Has the world already forgotten Gandhiji, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Bishop Dom Ximenes Belo, Jose Ramos Horta, Ibrahim Rugova, ... ??
Don't we know all too well that a freedom fighter to some is a terrorist to others?
VERDICT:
Given that Indian audiences are easily swayed by sensationalisation, in the interests of law and order and public tranquility, the makers of this film would do well to voluntarily withdraw it.
Its hard to classify this movie as being one of the usual genres of movies churned out by Bollywood.
The movie begins with Sue McKinley (Alice Patten), reading her grandfather Col. McKinley's accounts about the hangings of the revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. She travels to India to film a documentary and tell the story about the revolution that ultimately failed. Reaching New Delhi, she befriends some students of the Institute of International Studies lead by DilJeet (Aamir Khan), and enlists them as the cast for her documentary.
Everything is fine, albeit with a few fights now and then, until Sonia's (Soha Ali Khan) boy-friend Lt. Ajay Rathore (Madhavan) is killed when his MiG-21 fighter jet crashes while on a routine sortie. Suspecting corruption in defence deals the group lead a peaceful demonstration at India gate, which is broken up using force by the police. Likening their treatment to the freedom struggle, the group plan and execute the daylight killing of the defence minister.
No particular character can be called the protagonist of this movie. Khan's portrayal of the college student interested only in bikes, partying and friends, is very convincing and makes one wonder whether he is really forty plus.
The movie is strewn with jokes throughout the first half, including one with an obscenity in Hindi mouthed by Patten. One of the most humorous scenes is when DJ boasts in Hindi/Punjabi about making Sue his wife and then realizes that she speaks Hindi.
However, the film tends to drag in the first half and the jokes don't do much to help. The second half get over-dramatic especially towards the end.
The trigger happy behaviour of the Indian security forces, and the portrayal of the change in a right wing organization's strategy before and after coming to power, have been correctly depicted.
The music is catchy and "listenable" by Bollywood standards. The song "Tu bin bataye ..." stands out.
Watching this movie, I got the impression that they were trying to glorify violence and anarchy by citing Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad et al. Alarmingly a lot of people have begun subscribing to the view that Gandhiji and his principles were wrong and that armed struggle should have led to our independence.
Has the world already forgotten Gandhiji, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Bishop Dom Ximenes Belo, Jose Ramos Horta, Ibrahim Rugova, ... ??
Don't we know all too well that a freedom fighter to some is a terrorist to others?
VERDICT:
Given that Indian audiences are easily swayed by sensationalisation, in the interests of law and order and public tranquility, the makers of this film would do well to voluntarily withdraw it.
posted by The ManU man at 10:38 AM
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