RANG DE BASANTI

I saw Rang De Basanti for the third time today.Words fail me to describe this movie.For the first time in so many years I saw such a sensible,soul-stirring Bollywood film.I am not here to give a review of the movie:the magic can only be experienced if seen by yourself.Rather,I would like to describe a particular scene:

At a scene where everybody is blaming India's ills one of the actors(who plays an air force pilot)gives a statement:If you are so fed-up with the ills that India is facing why not take steps yourself for change?"Ghar ki safai mein haath gande kaun kare?"which means"who wants to dirty his hand cleaning his own home?"The actor exhorts to clanse the maledictions by taking that extra step forward.He asks us to join politics,police and civil services instead of giving commentary standing at a distance.

Here I would like to raise a few questions:

1.How many people in India know about its own glorious history?How many people(before seeing Rang-De-Basanti and Bhagat Singh)actually knew about Kakori conspiracy?How many people know the details of the Indian national movement?

2.A few days back,a friend of mine asked me who my role model was.I said Mahatma Gandhi.He asked me why?I said he was the first person who actually mobilised the 30 crore population of India to fight against the British rule.Then he started critisizing Gandhi.He said-Gandhi was a man whom power had corrupted at the end.He was the one who created the partition,because he didnt want Jinnah ruling over India.
I didnt argue with him,for I knew he wouldnt understand.how was I to make him understand that he was the only man who opposed the partition of India tooth and nail?How was I to make them understand that he actually wanted Jinnah to rule over India as a Solomonic judgement.But it is the irony of the youth.We would rather believe the bigoted views from somebody else than take the pain of verifying.We would rather remember what Harry Potter did than the very simple ideologies of those freedom fighters so that we could see this free India.In 2002 Outlook did a survey across Indian colleges.The results were shocking.There are people studying in colleges who dont know who Mahatma Gandhi is!!!

3.A few years back a teacher of mine was telling us how western culture has infiltrated our culture and what we should do to prevent it.At that point I asked him-Indian culture has always been one of unity in diversity.It has always imbibed ideologies from cultures all over the world over centuries.So if India is embracing and imbibing western culture now what is the harm?
He gave a wonderful answer.He said-yes,you are right that India should imbibe western culture.But that doesnt mean that we should forget our own culture,the very foundation stoneson which our lives are built!But sadly thats what is happening in India.patriotism is dying because it is being considered uncool.We think twice before standing up to attention when national anthem is being played.We dont forget to wish our friends on valentine's day,but we definitely think twice before wishing our friends happy independence day.While we are having discussions with our friends,if the discussion tends to the problems facing our country,people roll their eyes and either ask us to shut up directly or politely say "can we discuss something else?"But when it comes to discuss love or marriage,people are more than happy to discuss this issue as long as they can.NATIONALISM HAS BECOME BORING-and we actually fear it coz we value our self respect so much that we fear it getting eroded by worrying about the problems of India.

"I have always believed that there are two types of people in this world-
Men who go to their deaths screaming
Men who go to their deaths in silence

And then I met a third kind."

This opening dialogue of Rang-de-basanti explains the types of life we lead in this world:

The first kind are those who are a bane to the society-a scourge-representative of satan.their end is also terrible and they go to their deaths screaming.

The second kind are the common people-who just live their lives like every other day.They like lamenting about country and humanity's ills rather than taking steps to eradicate them.They worry abt the other aspects of life-they worry abt love,they worry abt who they are in love with they worry about marriage,they worry about earning a living rather than the facts that there is more to the essence of life than love or romance or career itself.

The third kind is the one who really are concerned about the humanity and are always striving to make the world a better place.They dont believe in rhetoric.They dont believe in lamenting:they rise to the occasion;they fight;they realise that they are meant for the other finer aspects of life;and they dis fighting,with their heads held high.

How long are we going to remain in the secondary category?
How long are we going to lead a life where at the end we realise that we have been nothing more than an animal??

"Ab bhi jiska khoon na khala khoon nahi vo paani hai
Jo desh ke kaam ne aaye vo bekar jawani hai"

So before lecturing on the fact the we should start cleansing our homes first,shouldnt we make it a point to cleanse ourselves first?We can never contribute to purging the evils facing our society and country unless we understand the very foundations that support the indian way of life.Therefore,before contemplating picking up arms and rushing off to kill the nearest minister available,start understanding the soul of India.