Rang De Basanti...

Rating: 9/10 (25 January 2006)

Every Aamir Khan movie is special. I was lucky enough to catch the premier show on 25th, the atmosphere was perfect and the buzz of anticipation could be felt in the theatre. As there are no reviews for the movie at that time, we had no idea how the movie would be.
I always thought Aamir Khan was a heavy risk taker. He proves me right again with RDB. He needs to be applauded for not over shadowing his co-stars. Also his enthusiasm to make movies that pack a message to the society needs special mention.
After all the hassles of RDB had from the defense ministry of India, IAF and Maneka Gandhi. RDB finally makes it without losing out on any impactful parts.
The movie starts with Sue (Alice Patton) reading her fathers diary. Her father being an office during the Independence struggle of India writes a dairy glorifying the Indian freedom fighters. Sue rekindled by the diary travels to Delhi to make a documentary. This is where the story starts to form a crux. The whole group comes together. The first 80mins of the movie are really hilarious with DJ (Aamir) one-liners as well as his passes at Sue. Sunil as Sarman Joshi needs special mention as he makes us laugh a lot.
The first half cruises as the documentary develops, so do the group of start thinking more about what they are and what their destinies are. The main part of the movie starts when Madhavan who plays a MIG pilot dies due to technical complications because cheap Russian parts were used in the flights by the defense ministry.
The story that follows after the death of Madhavan is a high-pitched drama. It absorbs us in RDB, the direction of Omprakash Mehra come to the fore. The whole movie runs on comparison to the freedom struggle where few bits of similar situation are shown in Sepia toning.
The movie ends quite dramatically and will be quite a surprise to everyone.
Few points that even the perfectionist Aamir missed are.
? The murder of the defense ministry had to be a bit more complicated than shooting some one on the road side ? The Pilots at Madhavans funeral looked like school kids. This really took the intensity of that scene away.
But saying the above are negative points would be wrong as it would be too critical in an otherwise good movie.
A R Rahman's background score keeps the movie at a fast pace; the songs are all well woven onto the movie.
Some outstanding phases of the movie
? Auditioning after Sue arrives in Delhi ? Auditioning the DJ gang ? DJ speaking in Hindi thinking Sue doesn't understand it ? Scenes between Atul Kulkarni and Kunal Kapoor ? Aamirs funny lines with Sarman Joshi ? Siddartha is ultra cool in the movie
Siddartha quoted in one of his interviews that without Aamir Khan there would be no Rang De Basanti. I would like to applaud Aamir, UTV and Omprakash for making such a wonderful movie. It might not be a complete entertainer but it definitely is undoubtedly one of the better movies. Go for it