In a time when everything in India seems to be influenced by Western culture, this movie takes you back to roots - in a unique way!

Rating: 9/10 (23 June 2006)

I will not discuss the story here - you should watch it :-), but will discuss some things that I really liked about the movie.
The portrayal of characters is very well thought of. Even a superstar like Aamir Khan is not given any special "footage". He, and his friends represents the youth of India - who is struggling to build a future for himself, is frustrated by the system, and the inability to do anything about it. The director's idea - though dramatic -is executed so well that you believe that this is easily possible in real life.
The portrayal of Indian culture - the visit to Punjab and the Golden Temple are simply done in a classy manner. The whole serenity, majesty and elegance of the culture is visible without being loud.
One of the things that really impressed me was that the movie depicted our great freedom fighters as figures of inspiration. And this is done without showing a slightest hint of jingoism or any slur or deprecating statement to any foreign country! The message is clear - the fault in the system is our joint responsibility - and we have enough super heroes in our history to look up to.
The direction is great and editing is of highest quality. One of the real strengths of the movie is the *impact* it tends to leave on you by the time you are done watching it.
BUY THIS MOVIE AND MAKE IT A PART OF YOUR COLLECTION!