Rang De Basanti:
You subtract A R Rahman from this project and this movie would be worth much less.
You take out the brilliance of camera and it would be a mediocre movie.
You take out screenplay writers and it would make NO difference.
With this let me put up the experience that this movie may provide.
To a 'normal' human being this movie should give a few moments of goosebumps, a couple of instances to have watery eyes, lots and lots of moments to laugh one's heart out and above all a moment of quick retrospection. If you do not feel all these, either you were too critical of the movie or you left your emotions home.
Rang De Basani ()
Language: Hindi
Genre: Issue-based Drama
Released: 26th Jan 2006
Approx Running Length: 2hrs. 40 mins
Director: Rakesh Omprakash Mehra
Starring: Aamir Khan, Siddharth (starred in Tamil movie 'Boys'), Kunal Kapoor (seen in 'Meenaxi-tale of three cities'), Sharman Joshi (seen in 'Style' and 'Excuse Me'), Atul Kulkarni (played Dr Ansari in 'Khakee'), Madhavan, Soha Ali Khan, Waheeda Rahman, Kirone Kher, Anupam Kher, Om Puri, Alice Patten, Cyrus Sahukar (MTV VJ)
( Exceptional, Brilliant, Good, Average, * Avoidable)
Rang De Basanti is doing eight shows a day at most multiplexes and is still managing a packed-house for all shows.
First half and hour of the movie brings smile to your lips and glitter in your eyes but then it fades into a routine for next half an hour or so. The real story begins post interval and one need not be an expert to say that this story could have been told in a shorter duration of time.
Director Rakesh Mehra deserves a standing-ovation for making this technologically advanced movie that is sure to set a new benchmark in the Indian film industry. He has done a tremendous job as a director and not-so-great job as a co-screenply-writer.
In short: Go watch! Paint it Yellow!
The Highlights
- Direction. Rakesh Mehra has used metaphors with elan. The timeline gets blurred as the freedom fighters from the past keep juxtaposing with the characters in the present. Though it gets repetitive after a point but has a great impact as it serves to show the gradual transition of the mentality and the spirit.
The sparks of brilliance that Rakesh showed in 'Aks' has come out as fire with 'Rang De Basanti'.
Background Score and Music. Hats off to A R Rahman. He has created an outstanding background score and an exceptional soundtrack. The music complements the movie scene by scene, frame by frame.
Crisp Editing. Don't remember the editor's name.
Great Cinematography. Binod Pradhan deserve special mention for understanding the director's vision and presenting the movie on the thermoplast brilliantly.
Very good Acting Performances: Aamir is the best followed by Siddharth. Rest are all competent. Sharman Joshi and Soha Ali Khan are revelations of sort.
Kirone Kher is outstanding and Alice is likeable in a perfect potrayal of a phirang film-maker who swears in Hindi as well as anyone in India.
The Let-downs
1 and only. Screenplay. Renzil D'Silva and Rakesh Mehra share the miscredit for writing a stagnant screenplay; and the partner in crime is story-writer Kamlesh Yadav who wrote such a weak climax for an otherwise powerful movie.
As discussed earlier, the story refuses to move for about 20 minutes towards the later part of the first half. This is no let-down if you compare it with the end of the movie which is sure to disappoint and guaranteed to dilute the impact of this powerful movie.
The plot:
As always, I am not going to reveal the story itself but just the basic plot. A young girl from London comes to India to make a documentary on the extremist freedom fighters of India. She finds her perfect cast in Daljeet (DJ) and his friends. Five friends belong to different strata of society but have one thing in common - no purpose of existence. They finally get a reason to exist and then they take it unto themselves to give their lives a meaning and to enlighten others in the process.
For the technically inclined
The movie has many wonderful moments.
Let us start with the direction. Rakesh uses metaphors well. He did it in 'Aks' where he wanted to show that everyone of us has two sides - good and the evil. The antagonist was a symbolic representation of the evil and later in the movie we see the protagonist's body supporting the evil's soul. The only problem with Rakesh is that his movies are a bit ahead of their times.
Rang De Basanti has the potential to be a box-office phenomenon as it caters to a large group of audience. It has punjabi and gurjrati accent in dialogues, it has swearing in Hindi by a foreigner (which sounds cute), it has good music and a nice entertainment quotient.
This movie is entertaining and if someone says otherwise, it is high time he was told to shut-up. Entertainment has been merged well with the message in the movie. The songs have been used appropriately and do not hamper the continuity of the story.
Rakesh has an eye for detail. Watch out for these scenes -
-Aamir Khan breaking down in front of Alice. He puts morsel in his mouth and chews on it while crying. Excellent scene. Aamir wins hands on.
>> notice the dirty nails; Aamir's coughing in trying to swallow while crying.
-Aamir trying to hide embarrasement when it is known to Alice that he was hitting on her.
>> look for reaction on everyone's face. you would relate to Aamir's situation if you have ever been embarrased
-The scene where Soha says 'Maar Dalo Usey'.
>> watch out for the juxtaposition and merging of scenes in sepia/ black and white with the colored ones.
-Siddharth's last meeting with his Dad played by Anupam Kher.
>> listen to the dialogues carefully.
-Kunal Kapoor and Atul Kulkarni's meeting at the former's house.
>> look for the metaphorical meaning
-DJ's friends' outburst on the statement made by a minister on TV.
>> notice their gestures and mannerism. you can relate to it yet again.
Special mention about the role played by Alice and her grandfather in the revolution in two different eras. Try to gather what they end up doing in their own circumstances and you will see a nice parallel being drawn at all levels in the entire story.
review continued in Comments section...
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