Rang De Basanti | Movie Review
Rang De Basanti | Movie Review
Date: October 20, 2023.
"सरफ़रोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में हैदेखना है ज़ोर कितना बाज़ू-ए-क़ातिल में"- Ramprasad Bismil
"अब भी जिसका खून न खौला खून नही वो पानी हैजो देश के काम न आए वो बेकार जवानी है ।"- Chandrasekhar Azad
After completing our last presentation session today, Prof. Vipul Dabhi Sir showed us the Rang De Basanti movie for academic purpose.
"Rang De Basanti" is a 2006 Indian drama film directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. The movie is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged narrative that explores themes of patriotism, youth activism, and the power of cinema to bring about social change.
The film is primarily set in two time periods - the present day (around 2006) and the pre-independence era (1930s and 1940s). The modern-day scenes take place in Delhi, while the historical sequences depict the freedom struggle against British colonial rule.
Starring/Cast:
• Aamir Khan as Daljit "DJ" Singh / Chandra Shekhar Azad (dual role)
• Siddharth as Karan Singhania / Bhagat Singh (dual role)
• R. Madhavan as Flight Lt. Ajay Singh Rathod
• Sharman Joshi as Sukhi Ram / Shivaram Rajguru (dual role)
• Atul Kulkarni as Lakshman Pandey / Ram Prasad Bismil (dual role)
• Kunal Kapoor as Aslam Khan / Ashfaqullah Khan (dual role)
• Soha Ali Khan as Sonia Chaudhary / Durgawati Devi (dual role)
• Alice Patten as Sue McKinley
Plot: You can visit Wikipedia page: Click Here
Through this movie, we learn that if we want to contribute to the development of the country, it is not necessary that we have to join the army. We can contribute significantly to the country's development even from where we are.
• Patriotism:
The movie showcases a love for one's country. It tells us that young people can be inspired to bring about positive change in their nation.
• Youth Activism:
It emphasizes that young people have the power to make a difference. The film encourages them to be socially aware and take action for a better society.
We should always be ready to give ourselves in service to others. Can we be willing to sacrifice our lives and families to do so?
Inferior Weapons:
The students' transformation into passionate patriots is further triggered when a close friend, Ajay (Madhavan), is killed in a MiG-21 crash due to corruption and negligence within the Indian government.
Our soldiers are martyred in our country not by the bullets of the enemy, but because of our own faulty weapons, which are manufactured by some crony capitalists. In reality, there have been many reports on this over the years.
In 2012, the Chief General of the Indian Army, V.K. Singh, wrote to PM Manmohan Singh and said that the Army's tank fleet was in dire need of critical ammunition.
Source: DNA Indian Click Here
In 2015, retired Lieutenant Colonel Deepak Malhotra filed a PIL in the Delhi High Court, with the accusation that due to bureaucratic hurdles, our soldiers have to use weapons of poor quality, which puts their lives at risk. In this PIL, an interview of an injured soldier was mentioned, in which he talked about how due to defective INSAS a massacre took place in Chhattisgarh.
Source: The Quint Click Here
In 2017, a CAG report mentioned that 40% of the Indian Army's ammunition is at such low levels that if a war breaks out, they will not last more than 10 days.
Source: Scroll.in Click Here
In 2018, the Indian Army rejected Made in India rifles for the second time. Because these Made in India rifles failed badly during trials.
Source: The Economic Times Click Here
These reports are not yet over.
In 2020, an internal army assessment flagged that due to such bad weapons, In the last 6 years, 403 accidents have taken place and 27 soldiers have been martyred at a loss of 9.6 billion rupees. These weapons were supplied by the Ordnance Factory Board.
Source: Hindustan Times Click Here
After this, in September 2022, last year's Bloomberg report states that because of PM Modi's Make-In-India push, our defence forces are not able to import some critical weapons systems. Because of this, India is quite vulnerable to threats coming from China and Pakistan.
Source: Bloomberg Click Here
In the last 5 years, around 55 soldiers have lost their lives in more than 50 aircraft and helicopter accidents.
Source: The Times of India Click Here
In a bigger time frame, there was a report in 2022, which stated that more than 400 MiG-21s crashed in the last 60 years. Due to this 200 pilots and 60 civilians lost their lives. This issue was also raised in the film.
Source: India Today Click Here
Throughout the entire film, it becomes evident that there is no gap between the British and the Indian government, as both have resorted to violence against those who are protesting against them.
Through this film, we ultimately learn that we should always choose the path of peace because violence often leads to downfall.
"Rang De Basanti" is a compelling narrative that blends historical and contemporary storytelling to convey a powerful message about youth activism and the importance of questioning the system. The film masterfully juxtaposes the past with the present, delivering a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant tale that has made it a landmark in Indian cinema.
