Rang De Basanti Movie Review (warning ... spoilers)

I approached this movie somewhat tentatively considering all the hype surrounding it. I usually shy away from mindless movies that obsess over "desh-bhakti" (translated -- Mindless devotion). But to my pleasant surprise, Rang De Basanti was none of that. In fact, it wasn't even a movie about patriotism (whose meaning has been appropriated by governments and politicians. I hate the word 'globalization' for exactly the same reason because of its twisted and warped usage by corporations). The movie is based on a very simple idea. Only social participation at all levels on a mass scale can make a difference (simply voting doesn't imply participation, you have to be involved in formulating policy). This is how Gandhi succeeded ... he brought political participation to the rural masses. Delegating all responsibility to political charlatans is shying away from your fundamental responsibilities. No amount of complaining from the sidelines will make a blind bit of difference. India is currently hardly a democracy in the real sense of the word (in fact, it never was). The country has always been dominated by the ruling elites who control policy making at every level. It doesn't matter which party is in power. Voting is a fruitless exercise which always puts one of the 2 major parties in power (remarkably similar to the United States, might I add). India is nothing but a gangster state overrun by insane politicians, with underworld connections and ruthless corporations.

The movie perfectly reflects prevailing attitudes about the state of the country. Everyone feels isolated and helpless because the system has drained away any sense of participation.

The movie bears a striking resemblance in spirit to the Tamil movie, Ayutha Ezhuthu -- another movie whose core message is essentially the same and ends on an equally positive note.

Another important point touched upon in the movie is how the elites have always had it good (even under British rule). They've have always been in control (British or Indian doesn't really matter). They are the architects of current neoliberal policies which have created utter devastation among rural farmers (farmer suicides, anyone ? ). This is correctly reflected in the dream of the movie's Bhagat Singh (Siddharth), where his Dad replaces General Dyer in barking the orders to kill innocent people.

The core characteristics of British Rule in India (some of which are accurately reflected in the movie) are:

1. Taxing the local population into desperate poverty (see Lagaan)
2. Divide and Rule policy. People were categorized according to their religion and the British emphasized the differences even if it contradicted how people coexisted at that time
3. The British helped establish the M.A.O. College at Aligarh and supported the All-India Muslim Conference, both of which were institutions from which leaders of the Muslim League and the ideology of Pakistan emerged. As soon as the League was formed, they were placed on a separate electorate. Thus the idea of the separateness of Muslims in India was built into the electoral process of India. Details here
   
4. The Indian elite did not participate in the 1847 mutiny (they probably prayed for it to fail, in all likelihood)
5. The British were able to gain the the loyalty of the aristocracy who were then able to influence the "urban intellectuals". The "intellectuals" were hardly motivated to rid India of the British because they were benefited from the rule.
6. Current neo-liberal policies have been devastating for rural farmers (shades of British rule ?). Both current parties essentially support these policies.
7. A common argument is that the British bought modernization to India. But that discounts the very obvious possibility that this could have happened nevertheless and moreover, this would've happened fully under the control of the Indians themselves without having to bear the brunt of disastrous policies of the British.
8. In his book, The Discovery of India Nehru pointed out that if you trace British influence and control in each region of India, and then compare that with the level of poverty in the region, they correlate. The longer the British have been in a region, the poorer it is. The worst, of course, was Bengal -- now Bangladesh. That's where the British were first.The British also tried to destroy the existing manufacturing system in the parts of India they controlled. Starting from about 1700, Britain imposed harsh tariff regulations to prevent Indian manufacturers from competing with British textiles. They had to undercut and destroy Indian textiles because India had a comparative advantage. They were using better cotton and their manufacturing system was in many respects comparable to, if not better than, the British system. As a result, India's manufacturing capacity collapses, it became mainly rural, while England prospered.
9. At the height of British rule, they never had more than 150,000 people in India. The used the same strategy throughout their colonial rule, use the locals to control their own population. We've seen countless examples of this (Iraq currently by the US). The movie reflects this situation correctly.

All in all, a great movie that might just provide that inspirational spark to millions.

On a lighter note, I loved the scene where they jump in front of the plane as its taking off. Priceless. The songs surprisingly were quite relevant to the movie and not fast-forwardable. The songs capture the spirit of the movie quite effectively. While, the movie could have been shortened somewhat, that's only a minor quibble. Aamir Khan, although quite old for the role, pulled it off very well.

Another point to note is when Alice Patten (Sue) regrets the fact that Indians (implied Hindus and Muslims) are hell bent on killing each other, she should probably reflect on the fact that this is in part just another legacy of her grandfather (i.e. British rule)

I think the movie ends on an optimistic note. Could this movie inspire real life actions ? Maybe ... check the link below

Quota stir gets Rang De hue