Rang De: Masand's verdict Rajeev Masand
CNN-IBN
http://www.ibnlive.com/article.php?id=4473§ion_id=8&single=true
RANG DE BASANTI
Starring: Aamir Khan, R Madhavan, Atul Kulkarni, Kunal Kapoor, Sharman Joshi,
Sidharth and Soha Ali Khan
Director: Rakeysh Mehra
Every once in a while comes a film that makes you question your indifference
towards everything that's going on around you. That makes you feel almost
ashamed for being unconcerned about the state of affairs in your nation. A film
that inspires you to wake up and react. To raise your voice, or to put your
foot down.
You don't see such films in India very often. To be honest, you don't see too
many films that stay with you half an hour after you've left the movie hall.
And that's why when a film like Rang De Basanti comes along, you stand up and
cheer.
Rang De Basanti is the story of a group of young friends in Delhi, who spend
the most part of their lives laughing and joking, drinking beer and chilling
out.
When they're urged by a British documentary filmmaker to act in her film
about the Indian revolutionaries, their lives change forever.
What they may have until then regarded as outdated, stuffy, text-book values
eventually begin to assume greater relevance in their lives.
In the end, the line between past and present blurs as our protagonists
become one in spirit with the revolutionaries that they set out portraying.
Right away what appeals to you about director Rakeysh Mehra's new film is the
fact that it so accurately captures the spirit and mood of the current
generation.
The jokes are not forced, the emotions aren't cheated. This is the real
stuff.
On a story level alone, Rang De Basanti is courageous and brave and dares to
dream. Even if the screenplay goes horribly wrong in the film's second half,
you cannot for a moment deny that it's a path-breaking concept that's
imaginatively executed.
In fact, it's fair to say that at most times it's a cleverly disguised
history lesson that touches almost all the right notes.
It is post intermission really that the film begins to spiral downwards. The
director takes too many creative liberties and creates too many situations that
seem far-fetched.
It's highly unlikely that a Defence Minister would go on national television
and blame a recently deceased fighter pilot of rash flying, just so that Mr
Minister can get off the hook in the larger scam.
It also seems a tad unbelievable that the police would resort to lathi charge
on a perfectly peaceful gathering, and beat up everyone including the elderly
mother of the late fighter pilot whose death the crowd is grieving.
And the icing on the cake really is the climax where the police opens fire on
a bunch of unarmed students who have made it more than clear that they will not
resort to violence.
Now this might seem like nitpicking on my part, but in a film that starts off
as astonishingly well as Rang De Basanti, even tiny holes appear four times
their size.
It breaks your heart to see the film lose its grip in the second half, as
Mehra resorts to melodrama, and gets too carried away with his special effects.
Quite like his previous film Aks, this time too, Mehra shifts the focus from
the story at hand to too much symbolism. But on the upside, A R Rahman's score
complements the narrative perfectly, enthusing life and spirit into the scenes.
In number, the songs may be many, but they're really an integral part of the
screenplay structure.
What really takes Rang De Basanti to another level completely, is the
ensemble acting. Aamir Khan, spontaneity being his biggest strength, is so good
that you're even willing to overlook the fact that he appears too old to be
playing this character.
Atul Kulkarni is a natural who conveys as much with his eyes and his
expressions as he does with words.
Even the younger actors - Kunal Kapoor, Sharman Joshi, Sidharth and Soha Ali
Khan inhabit their characters so effortlessly that your heart goes out to them.
The actors play off each other remarkably, making their scenes together such
a pleasure to watch.
All said and considered, Rang De Basanti is a magnificent effort, and one
that deserves to be applauded for its sheer vision.
It's a clever film that credits its audience with some intelligence, and
therefore it makes for an undoubtedly subtle but ultimately rewarding
experience.
It's compelling, moving and quite unlike anything else you're likely to see
this year.
It's also sad, stirring and scintillating - and despite its flaws, it's a
touching film that's something of a mini masterpiece.
Rating: (Very Good)
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