We, the disillusioned youth of India

My flattie and I caught the 10pm show of Rang De Basanti on Saturday night. Both of us were quite blown away. Its not that the film didn't have its own set of cliches and raised a few questions which all of us have discussed in various fora, but its just how simple the movie is. The shots are very good, Delhi looks quite nice. There's no heavy Nana Patekar-esque lecturebazi. The end could have been better but you don't win them all do you?

Its a simple plot. A brit jailor's grand daughter finds his journal and plans to shoot a documentary in India to capture the essense of Bhagat Singh, Azad and the usual suspects during the Indian Independence movement. We go through the movie with Aamir Khan and his friends laughing at the whole idea of patriotism and how it means so little to most of us. Then the plot unravels into a Mig-29 crash and tainted politicians and how there is an uprising aka Bhagat Singh vs the Brits. Don't go by the simplicity of the plot. Its the treatment (except the ending) which should make you happy.

I remember when I was a kid, my grand father used to tell me stories of the Independence movement and the wars that this country has seen. He was a doctor at that time and later became the Director of Health Sevices of Bengal. He used to tell me how streets were cleaned early in the morning, how things were so efficient. If we look back at the same city, except the warmth of the people, most of the infrastructure (except the metro) has been hand-me-downs from the Bristish era. What does that say about us? And we always talk about making a difference and crib about the country and how nothing will ever change, all in the same breath. I think we aren't brave enough to go ahead and do what we really want to. We just don't have the guts. So we take the escapist attitude. But again, when India was fighting for its Independence, eveybody shared a common cause. What's the common cause today? Poverty, illiteracy, public health or the extra hike, the extra bonus. Do we really care about the greater good of the country or are we affected only when it affects us? I know I want the Bangalore infrastructure to get better because it affects me directly. if it hadn't would I be so bothered?

I don't know the right answers to this one. Nor do I know if I asked the right questions. But just a few thoughts.