The Concept Behind… Rang de Basanti
The first thing I would like to impress upon is that this is not a film review. This movie has a lot more to convey to the audiences than it could, I felt. Well, I am not a critic, but the unrest (khalbali) inside has led me to write this. The unrest due to the happenings around me, the unrest due to the actions of the people around me, the unrest due to the unsatisfactory education system, political system, and many a debatable and ‘hot’ topics.
This movie just asks a simple question and also suggests one course of action to the existing problems. The question: what are we doing for our country as the youth? I think we are more associated with fun, frolic, movies, discos, pubs, music, adventure, and every possible shit crap thing that comes to this young mind. But these actions are of no use if atleast a part of them do not benefit our nation. Don’t you think so?
I just wanna drive home the notion that we can, in our own little ways, bring about a difference in an incorrect or biased system. We are a democracy, after all. Every one of us has equal rights; then why don’t we use them? Should we just let this phase of our life pass by, unproductively? The struggle for independence wasn’t over 5 decades ago. It is still going on… Aren’t we struggling for human rights, aren’t we struggling to make every place safe for women, aren’t we struggling to give justice to the victims of this ever-confusing political system?
The movie suggests an answer to these questions and very rightly so: let’s become freedom fighters! Freedom fighters in our own youthful, modern way. The present youth is an icon of energy, enthusiasm, zeal, commitment; an epitome of bravery and effervescence. Let’s utilize our mental and physical strength for a positive purpose, to eliminate all the possible evils of our society, all possible threats to our nation. Friends, our struggle is on, and unending. If we don’t act wise, we shall be the victims later.
"We still do have lots of Bhagat Singhs, Chandrashekhar Azads, Rani Lakshmibais in us. We just need to instill in them the need for ongoing freedom struggle, to make an impact in this society and make ours a free nation, in the real term." It’s never late, fellas. It’s time we do something; it’s time we wake up, stand up, and make a difference. Rang de Basanti!
