Rang De Basanti (2006)
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A British film student's journey to document the lives of Indian revolutionaries inspires a group of modern-day youths to confront their own reality.
The story
A British film student, Sue McKinley, travels to India to produce a documentary about five prominent freedom fighters of the Indian revolutionary movement. She discovers their story through her grandfather's diary and seeks to capture their spirit. She befriends and casts five local young men—Daljit, Karan, Sukhi, Aslam, and Lakshman—who are initially indifferent to the project. However, as they begin to portray the historical figures, the line between their roles and their reality begins to blur. The group, initially cynical about their futures, finds themselves increasingly inspired by the revolutionary ideals of the past as they prepare for the film.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Sue McKinley, a British film student, travels to India to film a documentary about five revolutionaries, inspired by her grandfather's diary. She casts five local men—Daljit, Karan, Sukhi, Aslam, and Lakshman—who are initially cynical and aimless. As they rehearse, they begin to internalize the revolutionary spirit of the figures they portray. The conflict escalates when a local pilot, Ajay Singh Rathod, dies in a crash caused by corrupt government officials. The group discovers that Karan's father was involved in the corruption. They organize a peaceful protest at India Gate, which is met with violent police action. Following the death of a woman during the protest, the group decides to adopt radical methods, assassinating the corrupt Defense Minister and Karan's father. They then occupy an All India Radio station to broadcast the truth of the government's corruption. During a final confrontation with the police, Sukhi, Aslam, and Lakshman are killed, and Daljit is critically wounded. They successfully broadcast their message, sparking national outrage and sparking a movement for change. The film ends with Sue reflecting on the transformation of the boys and the spirit of the fallen friends.
- First release year
- 2006
- Runtime (minutes)
- 167
- Production countries
- India
- Original languages
- Hindi
- Directors
- Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
- Writers
- Rensil D'Silva · screenplay; Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra · screenplay; Kamlesh Pandey · story; Prasoon Joshi · dialogues
- Cast and characters
- Aamir Khan · Daljit "DJ" Singh / Chandra Shekhar Azad; Siddharth · Karan Singhania / Bhagat Singh; Sharman Joshi · Sukhi Ram / Shivaram Rajguru; Kunal Kapoor · Aslam Khan / Ashfaqulla Khan; Soha Ali Khan · Sonia Chaudhary / Durgawati Devi; Atul Kulkarni · Lakshman Pandey / Ram Prasad Bismil; R. Madhavan · Flight Lt. Ajay Singh Rathod; Alice Patten · Sue McKinley
- Genres
- historical drama
- Themes
- patriotism; corruption; sacrifice; youth activism
- Tone and mood
- inspiring; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- political drama; biographical fiction; coming-of-age
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim and was praised for its ensemble cast, cinematography, and soundtrack. It was noted for its ability to convey a message of patriotism and social commentary without becoming overly preachy.
- Awards and nominations
- National Film Award · Best Popular Film · Won
- Production trivia
- The film's soundtrack was considered for an Academy Award nomination.; The production budget was approximately Rs. 250 million.; The film's marketing expenditure was unusually high at 40 percent of the total production budget.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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