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Sunday, August 27

Rang de Basanti

by Mike on Sun 27 Aug 2006 11:04 PM EDT

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the film Rang de Basanti. I had read a little bit about it some time ago while I was researching the Indian freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. I had found a short description of the film basically indicated that it was something of a modern re-telling of the story of Bhagat Singh and his compatriots and while I was a bit intrigued, I didn’t exactly rush out to find a copy. A couple of weeks ago, my curiosity finally got the better part of me and I ordered a surprisingly inexpensive DVD of the film from eBay. While I was waiting for the film to arrive in the mail, I picked up a copy of the soundtrack at the local Indian market, as I had noticed that the soundtrack included a song by the incomparable Lata Mangeshkar. The song by Lata was quite lackluster compared to her earlier work, but I actually enjoy the CD’s title track by Daler Mehndi and Chitra despite the fact that I do not generally enjoy hip-hop and/or techno music (view an excerpt from the film featuring this song).

When the DVD finally arrived, I was a little surprised because its packaging and label looked a little substandard. It looked professional, mind you...but substandard, nevertheless. When I played the DVD for the first time, it didn’t take long to figure out the reason behind the shoddy packaging. It all started to add up... The film was not formatted to view on a television screen, so the images looked kind of stretched out. And the English subtitles featured poor punctuation and a littany of mispellings. So I eventually figured out that I had inadvertently picked up a less-than-legitimate copy of the film. Oh well. I can’t say that it really took away from the viewing experience all that much...Actually, it made things even more interesting in a way. Even the few times where the subtitles were completely omitted for several minutes at a time were not all that bad, even though I don’t understand Hindi.

I was recently discussing Rang de Basanti with one of the proprietors of the local Indian market. She proudly explained to me that she is from the state of Punjab, which was also home to many prominent Indian revolutionaries. She also told me that “Rang de Basanti” basically refers to the color yellow (or maybe saffron, as I have read online) which symbolizes a struggle or fight. As we talked, she excitedly waved a piece of yellow plastic sheeting that she had been using as packaging in a box of jewelry and she said, “When I wear this color, I am saying, ‘Today I am ready to go out and fight!’”

Bhagat Singh

Indeed, Rang de Basanti is all about struggle. Rang de Basanti’s chronicle of the Indian independence movement is a powerful sublot in the film, but the main story line is a riveting tale about today’s youth in India. There are some cheesy moments and hokey musical interludes near the beginning of the movie, but these things don’t really detract from the more serious aspects of the plot. As the characters learn more of the sacrifices of the leaders of the independence movement, they undergo a sobering conversion from alienated and indifferent youths to socially conscious quasi- revolutionaries. Along the way, the films characters struggle against the realities of today’s India, from police and government corruption to repression of civil liberties. In the end, they emerge as a catalysts for social change and mass action.

The film’s depiction of Bhagat Singh and other revolutionaries is included as a recurring flashback of sorts that is wonderfully woven through the film's broader tale of modern India. The filmmakers effectively depict the bravery of the Indian revolutionaries in the face of the brutal and repressive forces of the British occupation. Moments such as the Assembly Hall bomb-throwing scene are brief but incredibly well-staged. The image of Bhagat Singh, Batukeshwar Dutt and others shouting “Inquilab zindabad!” is incredibly compelling. It is, of course, possible to enjoy Rang de Basanti with little to no knowledge of the Indian independence movement, but some familiarity with the history and events surrounding the struggle for freedom in India greatly enhances the experience of watching the movie. Of course, a deeper appreciation of the history of the movement will also serve to elucidate the message behind the film. The works entitled “The Red Pamphlet” and “Statement of the Undefended Accused” are great starting points towards an appreciation of the story of India’s ongoing struggle for freedom.