Rang De Basanti - An Open Letter To Rakeysh Mehra

Manan, thanks for sharing your views about the movie. I have yet to watch the movie and have stayed away from the reviews of the movie and I'm glad yours was spoiler free :)

I pretty excited about Arya as its available on netflix. The storyline seems quite interesting.

Great movie, and your own films are pretty good - esp. Flavors

Rang de basanti -- The rise of the fashion revolutionary.

Josh me hosh na kho ke baethi dekhne wala.

The first thing the Goverment of India should do is make this movie TAX-FREE.

Having solved all of India's problem, this should be the priority of GoI ! If people like it they are free to watch 'n' times or even donate to Mr. Amir Khan, but not with my tax rupees!

err Manan, Dont you think you went a little overboard?

Overboard can barely describe it. The melodrama in this post is falling off my screen and all over my desk.

Ditto Ambar LOL :)

What would a Hindi movie be without melodrama, or mellow drama?

Aaman, jokes apart, I was talking about the melodrama in this post. Its a wonder to me how a post talking about RDB can be so full of melodrama, when the movie was largely devoid of it.

Since this article is not under "satire" category, we have a vague doubt if the author of this piece (himself a film maker of some sorts), wanted to impress on the makers of Rang De ... by singing such paens.

Or maybe he really really liked the film

Cynical Nerd, thats an interesting angle. If not the RDB makers, probably the Saas-Bahu serial makers can hire him as a script-writer. :D

if you liked the movie so much why dont u get ur sorry ass down here to india and help to make this country better (comment edited)

Thanks for sharing your views on this. I am also equally touched, moved and inspired by this movie. It was indeed a thought provoking movie and am sure most people would think atleast once about how they can contribute to the country.

Personal attacks will not be tolerated

I have yet to see the movie but it seems to be the talk of the town and since it is in big demand amongst the Indians I have not been able to lay my hands on it despite checking in the Indian store after every two days...

Hmmm..exactly what I was worried about!

Comment deleted- inflammatory in nature

Background score? Manan, are you okay?
I didn't know you made Flavors man. I thought it was Dk and Raj.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0361625/

Direction and writing credits are Krishna D.K. and Raj Nidimoru. Manan is one of the cast.

Agree totally Manan...it's a bold new India!! I just read about a workshop in India that teaches men to be 'better' lovers!!! www.betterloverseminar.com (considering it is the land of the Kamasutra, hardly surprising)
-k

Aaman: how could you allow this {Edited} Manan Singh to write for you? I'm sure that for a lot of regular Desicritics readers this is like a lump of fresh dogshit on a nice cake.

JD, whatever the merits or demerits of the post, is name calling necessary?

JD, everyone's opinion is welcome here and if you don't like the post then you can object to it in a civilized fashion.


Comments that suggest or call for outright violence against anyone on this site or call them abusive words as you seem to be doing on this thread will not tolerated.

FLAVORS
-------
CAST - Ramana Dasarakothapalli
CREW - First Assistant Director

Check out the movie, its really kewl.
Thanks everyone for your heart-warming, thought-provoking, introspective replies :)

I am glad a single post can evoke such a response :)

JAI HIND ~

my apologies. will be more polite next time.

Manan, Im stunned!! How can ne1 come up such a positive review for Rang De Basanti??? I was so depressed and bored after watchin RDB...All that historical and political shit in that movie bored me like hell..Not that I don't appreciate those things but u know wat, the way it was potrayed in RDB, it neither moved me nor hit me hard...I agree that the performances were brilliant (each one of em) and the comedy was NICE but all in all the movie is a dud!!! I still haven't figured out the reason as to why I was depressed after watchin RDB...The only thing that elevated me was "Salaam Namaste" that I happen to watch on cable the same day I watched RDB..

GOD BLESS SAIF, PREITY, ARSHAD AND JAVED FOR TAKING ME OUT OF THE RDB TRAUMA!!

basically the director takes an average story, goes down south, watches mani movies uses the style and makes a movie. and u as a respected film maker cal it gr8.

what utter nonense. the movie is average. thats it. typically hindi attitude. dont watch any movie except bollywood and call bollywood indian cinema. the movie according to me was pretty bad

Wow i like the 'comment chain' that this post has created.

but somehow i personally dont like statements such as

"the movie according to me was pretty bad"


which is made without any justification as to WHY the movie is bad. Aaman, am I making a personal attack here?

Also I consider the following statement a border line between a biased unjustified opinion and an attack

typically hindi attitude. dont watch any movie except bollywood and call bollywood indian cinema.


I have seen many EDUCATED Indians from the north open to watching Indian movies of the south. Many of the educated and learned women and men from the northern states of India look at the message of the movie and not which language the movie has been shot.

Being a Konkan brought up in Kerala I know exactly how much it means to be branded as a 'South Indian' or a guy having a 'hindi attitude'.

Coming back to the movie... here is my opinion
1) This movie has lit up the spirit of atleast 50% of the ppl i know who have seen the movie. It proves (to me atleast) that how many ppl are desperate enough to see something positive. It shows the EDUCATED, LITERATE and LEARNED India is desperate for a change. All we miss among such a group is a set of Individual who DO something rather than crib and comment (like me :-) ). This movie shows it happening.

2) I think the message of the movie was to set a towering example of integrity towards principles. It did succeed in that. I guess if the story really happened then these charectors would be worshipped in India as equals of the Great Bhagat Singh. The only thing that I dont like in the movie was that it set the wrong ideals of revolution and violence. I think India needs reforms and not revolution. Also a revolution is mostly possible in a homongenous country where people are homogenous. We are the exact opposites of homogenity, because of centuries of irrational casteism and 100s of languages(which btw is used to divide and rule by the politicians just like our british masters did) So a revolution is not possible. We have to ACT and not REACT. We have to attack layer by layer. That would take a long path of struggle, and probably would make a long story spanning decades.

3) This movie(especially during the last sections) shows our political masters of today as equal to our british masters of the past. Both are fucked up(pardon me for the language but i have to use it and i MEAN it) and both have fucked up and plundered the country to the state it exists. BUT at 'pre independence' the Great Bhagat Singh and the likes decided to do something about the fucked up masters and he did it. He send waves among the people. According to me Bhagat Singh was a very learned man, having a towering integrity. For example check out THIS ARTICLE by Bhagat Singh on why he chose to be an atheist.
What we need right now is to identify that we are still not free. We have the same fate if our fucked up british masters had continued ruling us or our fucked up political masters continue to rule us. I do not blame the political masters or the british masters completely for this. For its Us the people that are TOLERATING this nonsense and we react by refusing to act against nonsense.

Gandhi used Tolerance as a virtue, and now we see it being used against us by our political masters. The more we tolerate here the more we get fucked, period. And we see tolerance everywhere. A govt. officer asks for a bribe, we tolerate and give in and say 'chalo bhai, 300 ruppaye mein kya hai? De do'. Someone breaks the Red Light Signal, we say 'chalo bhai, usko koi urgent Kaam Rahega, usse jaane do!!!'. A Politician rapes someone's child and the news spreads, we say 'Thank God, Meri Beti nahi hai. Woh politician hai, hum uske against kuch bhi nahi kar sakenge'. The more we show the other chin the more slaps we get. And they will slap us till we are doomed. Which is the state of contemporary India.

Tolerance is an ethical attribute of a philosophy. Tolerance is an action which presupposes a situation and a set of principles to act on. If u have integrity u shall never tolerate something against it. Say for example bribing is against ur principles, U shall never tolerate the offer of a bribe nor shall u tolerate the demand for a bribe. Perpetuating tolerance as a virtue to be held true at all times is suicidal idealism, and it does more harm than good. There can be no perfect example than India.

Bhagat Singh realized this and decided NOT to tolerate. That is what we ought to do. And thats why RDB is a GREAT movie. It contains the message of Intolerance. It contains the message of WHAT to tolerate and WHAT NOT to tolerate.

I am surprised that so many ppl miss out the richness of the movie.
I am also saddened that most ppl need movies like RDB and Swades to think about India. Shows how much we tolerate!!!!

LK, no personal attacks there - very reasoned commentary - just the ticket for DC "Comment of the Day"

great post LK... bravo!

Blah! Blah! Blah!

What is the conclusion!!

Guys! wanna traumatize and chronically depress urself?? Go and watch RDB!! If you ask me, flying a kite or feeding ur chickens is a better idea...

to each his own...
or to be politically correct
'to each his/her own'...

i agree with LK, this movie has lit up the spirit of most indians and NRI's...

hats off to rakeysh mehra, UTV, cast and crew...

and for those 'whining' posts...
can you explain why this movie is such a huge global HIT at the boxoffice?

PEACE - manan

and for those 'whining' posts...
can you explain why this movie is such a huge global HIT at the boxoffice?

Since when did box office success say anything about the quality of a movie?

The following is a piece I had written on my blog dated 3rd feb.One has been inundated with reviews and comments on RDB.It has undoubtedly captured the imagination of the masses.

Just my .002$

Generation awakens?
Went to the movies and saw'Rang De Basanti'..The byline screamed 'a generation awakens'.That really set me thinking. Till the flick was a non pretentious Indian Movie, with a 40+ superstar playing a college student, and 'willing suspension of disbelief urging me to resign myself at watching the tamasha with fervour, all was going fine.The moment the seriousness of a message creeped in , where a generation recoiling at the 'system' and their impotence at getting things 'right' resorted to violence and bloodshed as the only alternative, it got my (imaginary) goatee!!The makers further rationalised and logicalised their reasoning by equating the gang with the likes of our freedom fighters of yore, Bismil, Bhagatsingh and Azad..This to me was a trite outrageous..Why do we Indians tend to get overdramatic? It has always been a question that has perplexed me .The answer ofcourse lies in the 'box office' collections and catering to the lowest common denominator, while at the same time endeavouring to keep a semblance of serious cinema, as the motive. This itself is fallacious. Box office and 'quality' in India are at opposite ends of the specrtum. You cannot appease both together. One will have to be sacrificed. Without question therefore that 'commerce' rules 'art' . It will truly be a' generation ' before this 'awakening' takes the shape of reality. Till then it will remain a pipe dream , like the rest of those dreams which never see the light of the day, because of the lack of 'takers'. Creativity is abundant..Connoisseurs are rare. Success coupled with creativity, rarer.

Ambar, we seem to be on the same wavelength!!

Kaveetaa
www.sachiniti.blogspot.com

If you'd like to write for Desicritics, see here

let me rephrase

and for those 'whining' posts...
can you explain why this movie is such a huge global HIT at the boxoffice?
why evert critic has loved it?
why people are watching it again and again?
why is it breaking box office records everywhere?
why it hasn't got a single bad review from a legit critic?

- manan


...

join http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/manansinghkatohora/
6400+ members; 52,000+ readers; 300,000+ south asians reach
WORLDS LARGEST SOUTH ASIAN CREATIVE ONLINE GROUP

"and for those 'whining' posts...
can you explain why this movie is such a huge global HIT at the boxoffice?"

BEATS ME!!! Did I miss sumthin in the movie wen I was happily dozing in the theatre or the audience has gone bananas!!

Guess, I'll have to go and watch the movie again...Manan, u have definately succeded in convincin me to watch the movie again but bel ieve me buddy, If I get traumatized again, I am gonna attack this blog with a venegance!! ;-)

So beware!!!!

Go for it - and attack as a Desicritic, if you like - become one.

Folks, please make URLs links as < a href>...< /a>

Guys,

I am (the late) Flt Lt Abhijit's elder brother. My mom got out of the IAF and the GoI (an apology and better maintenance leading to way-way lesser MiG-21 crashes and not one pilot dead in the last 12 months over the last 3 years) without killing anyone, minister or otherwise. She's the real heroine.

RDB's just a movie, people. It's a story: either it is well told or it is not. This is subjective and frankly, I don't give a damn, since even if it is a really good film (and I am sure it would be, though I am yet to watch it), it is NOT REAL LIFE. Let us stop discussing it as if it really matters, eh?

Regards.

Kedar, I'm sorry for your loss, but movies matter.

They change lives. In however little way, every movie adds a little more to you, negative or positive. Just like any other experience.

That's why when good ones come along, we like to discuss them.

Manan, nice post, though it does seem like you've gone overboard. Which I can relate to, there's movies that have done the same thing to me. Just not sooo much this one.

Okay, there are a loooot of comments. Didn't read all of them, but here's my line... RDB was interesting in the first half, the build-up to Madhavan's death and its immediate consequences was really good. But thereafter, the film slides into oblivion. Really. The climax was quite dull and unrealistic. A big disappointment.

I've trashed RDB on my blog, won't do it again. I'll just say this kind of "oooooh its so gooood, redeeming Indian cinema" review is really going overboard. Reedeming Indian cinema? Come on, Black did much more to redeem Indian cinema than RDB. Really, I didn't expect this kind of a review from a film-maker.

Chaitanya,I think u are missing out many issues here.

Have u considered what values the movie stands for?

The first thing in a critic's mind would be : They support revolution, They support violence, They support things like suicide bombings.

I urge u to look at it deeper. It has a deeper message.

I reiterate again.... violence is not the path and so is not revolution... thats the only point that i dislike in the movie.

i agree with Kedar that Kavithaji is the real heroine.

The products of a revolution can be achieved through reforms too, all u need is a change in the mindset of the people. It is this change in mindset that is portrayed in the movie. I liked it a lot, and i view the entire movie in that light. Only sad part is that it takes us through a path of violence.Which was bad.

Chaitanya,
black was a good movie
but it wasnt original
RDB is original

- manan

"I urge u to look at it deeper. It has a deeper message."

Lakshmikanth,
That's the standard response I get these days whenever I criticize RDB. Can you tell me exactly what the message is? 'Cause that message seems to be varying with every other person. RDB got so mixed up between sending a message, awakening Indians and romanticizing its heroes...its message, if any, got very diluted, to say the least. Moreover, I watch a movie for its entertainment value, not its message sending value - and as for as that goes, just when the movie got really interesting... it turned into a dud...

Manan,
yes, RDB is original, Black is not. But does being original mean it redeems Indian cinema?

chaitanya,
i think i have explained it in my previous comment and in my blog.
that is all what i have to say.

cheers

Chaitanya,
u dont have to justify or defend urself, and neither should anyone elese

someone's trash is someone's treasure...

too bad a movie which touched millions of hearts, did nothing for you...

life goes on :)

yup you are right Manan, life goes on... I've had enough of this RDB debate, don't think I'll say anymore about it.

People need to look beyond the second half. The message of the movie was not violence for violence, it was about the awakening of a generation, the need for the youth of today to get up and do something about the social, political, economic problems that exist in India today, rather than sit and cry and whine about them. Yes, Mr. Mehra showed an extreme point, but I think the purpose of his showing that was to tell us that we need a bold action to bring some change.