The Return of the Anti-hero

'Rang De Basanti' is captivating. It has wit, it has style and it never loses a beat. Shot poetically like a rap song, it interjects, laughs and sings its way into your heart. It leaves one slightly stunned at just exactly what Generation X is about.

RDB is very real, so believable, so sad, so funny and ultimately a viewer friendly, slick rebuttal to older classics like ’New Delhi Times’ and even ’Main Azaad Hoon’. I am not sure whether the Art movie came of age beyond its gloom or the commercial movie grew out of its irrelevant blabbering, but this rendition of similar subject matter rocks. I’d go so far as to say that the last movie of this calibre was either the 'Apu Trilogy' or 'Salaam Bombay'.

'Rang De Basanti' exemplifies political conscience as the smouldering rage of fucked up and exploited civil society which the powerful use for their own selfish ends. The question in the sub-text of the movie is whether a powerful conscience exists within the upwardly mobile, materially enchanted and politically apathetic Indian youth?

Quite interestingly each of the characters in 'Rang De Basanti' is an anti-hero. The writer seems to think that the upwardly mobile yuppie generation running in the rat race and yearning to excel in the System cannot become freedom fighters. Instead the off-beat guys in the back row, the irreverant rebels who always tests limits and who just aren’t ambitious enough to go to USA are the ones with the balls to take on the system.

'Rang De Basanti' goes further than just exploring college culture. It is as much a philosophical movie as it is a political movie. Perhaps its shock value lies in the way it tests the definition of freedom fighter vs. terrorist. This question seems to be a favourite of directors this year (e.g., V For Vendetta).

The story line draws from the lives and struggles of the great freedom fighters for India’s liberation, people such as Chandresekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh and Ram Bismil who took huge personal risks to drive out the colonists. In keeping with India’s modern day disapproval of pacifism, it is noteworthy that the role models for a modern day freedom struggle are the fiery fighters rather than the politically correct pacifist who inspired the world, M.K Gandhi--who barely figures in the movie except as a disparaging comment.

(Thought for the Day: regardless of credit for India’s freedom, rebels are hated and ultimately killed--either by the invading army or by their own people. It is perhaps a moot point for a freedom figher, how would they rather perish, by the outsiders or by the insiders?)

As is the mood of the sub-continent, relations between Hindus and Muslims are shown very positively, wherein the newer generation just doesn’t have the baggage required to carry on the feud till eternity. Instead, the younger generation is recognizing a different struggle, the struggle for accountability and transparency in government.

The characters convincingly conclude that social acceptance is just not worth it—not at the cost of something more precious. And what is that precious thing? A friend. A friend’s honour must be upheld and a friend’s death must not be in vain.

'Rang De Basanti' sets the limits of its argument visavis freedom fighter wisely because it is very persuasive—a hero must act like a hero and not be afraid of death as well as answer the question, ‘why did you do it?’ without flinching.

Shakespeare said it this way;

To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them. To die: to sleep.

Our heroes sing and dance, laugh and tease us through this eternal dilemma opposing the sea of outrageous corruption.

All the while the director seems to be aware that he must sugar quote the political commentary with urban style and the upbeat college scene showcasing Indian urban sophistication. 'Rang De Basanti' also makes a loud statement about global India by showing a white girl from London as the heroine whose grandfather was on the other side of the freedom struggle. After all we are all on the same side now. Which ‘we’ makes more sense is a debatable question.

The movie provides a concrete storyline to show that the struggle for freedom is not about a piece of land, a passport, a religion and/or wealth, but for a vastly more difficult but much more desirable goal, justice.

The musical score by A.R. Rahman is delightful and sets the mood in many scenes successfully. The editing and camera work are excellent especially the transitions from history to the present day scenes.

This movie must NOT be missed at any cost.

Go back for seconds?
Yes.