Rang De Basanti

Plot summary

Rang de Basanti' is a film about awakening. About standing up for ones beliefs. Where the spirit of rebellion transcends time and age. A young idealistic English filmmaker, Sue, arrives in India to make a film on Indian revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and their contemporaries and their fight for freedom from the British Raj. Owing to a lack of funds, she recruits students from Delhi University to act in her docu-drama. She finds DJ (Aamir Khan), who passed out five years back but still wants to be a part of the University because he doesn't think there's too much out there in the real world to look forward to. Karan (Siddharth), the son of Industrialist Rajnath Singhania, who shares an uncomfortable relationship with his father, but continues to live off him, albeit very grudgingly. Aslam (Kunal Kapoor), is a middle class Muslim boy, who lives in the bylanes near Jama Masjid, poet, philosopher and guide to his friends. Sukhi (Sharman Joshi), the group's baby, innocent, vulnerable and with a weakness for only one thing - girls. Laxman Pandey (Atul Kulkarni), the fundamentalist in the group, the only one who still believes that politics can make the world a better place and finally Sonia (Soha Ali Khan) - the sole girl in the group, tomboy and vivacious spirit, engaged to Ajay (Madhavan) - the dashing air pilot. These youngsters could be anyone of us today and their lives mirror the kind of lives the youth of today lead - namely a self centered and materialistic existence where ideas like patriotism and making a change are strictly the stuff history books are made of. Through her film, Sue wishes to showcase to the world the efforts of these young revolutionaries and the enormity of their contribution to the freedom movement in India. What unfolds is the inspiration behind Sue's passion for bringing their story to the world. The twist in the tale is of course the fact that more than just telling the world, Sue's film makes DJ and his friends stop and stare at themselves for being the actual descendants of these great men and never recognizing and celebrating their courage and spirit. The film thus doubles as a narrative on the changes in perspective and values the young boys and girls acting in her documentary go through as they shoot for the film. Few scenes from the past and present are juxtaposed against each other, which renders a unique slick treatment, which serves to showcase the slow change in mindset and attitude that overcomes the group through the process of the film. 'Rang de Basanti' is a youthful drama, yet light hearted in the moments that the group shares amongst themselves... before some incidents effect a serious change...which ends in the climax. Written by fish_wow6

Arriving in India, a UK graduate enlists a gang of college students to participate in a documentary about India's freedom fighters. Initially, these students scoff at the ideals and people of the past, but a sequence of events set in slow motion a merging of the past and present... Written by DJ

DJ or Daljeet (Aamir Khan), Sukhi (Joshi), Karan (Siddharth) , Aslam (Kapoor) and Sonia (Soha Ali Khan) are 5 friends who having graduated from Delhi University, hesitate to get out into the real world, and still roam the campus. Each of them is feisty and loyal. Into this group comes Sue (Alice Patten) straight from the UK, all determined to make her film on Indian freedom fighters, despite the shortage of funds. Introduced to the others by Sonia, she develops a strong bond with the rest, and especially with DJ. She persuades them to act in the film, and even woos Hindutva-vadi student party-worker Pandey to take the role of Ramprakash Bismil. Gradually the friends ponder over their roles and the lives of the selfless freedom-fighters, and in the face of a tragedy, realize that they too, like Bhagat Singh and Azad, must take action, to ensure that their now corrupt and poverty-laden country, awakens and the guilty do not go unpunished. How they do it, makes for an engrossing second-half. Written by Amodini

Cast of Rang De Basanti

	Aamir Khan	...	DJ/Chandrashekhar Azad
	Siddharth	...	Karan/Bhagat Singh
	Sharman Joshi	...	Sukhi/Rajguru
	Kunal Kapoor	...	Aslam/Ashfaqullah Khan
	Atul Kulkarni	...	Laxman Pandey/Ramprasad Bismil
	Alice Patten	...	Sue
	Soha Ali Khan	...	Sonia/Durga Vohra (as Soha Ali Khan Pataudi)
	Steven Mackintosh	...	Mr. McKinley
	Madhavan	...	Ajay Rathod (as R. Madhavan)
	Waheeda Rehman	...	Ajay's Mother
	Anupam Kher	...	Rajnath Singhania/Karan's Father
	Kiron Kher	...	Mitro/DJ's Mother
	Om Puri	...	Amanullah Khan/Aslam's Father
	Lekh Tandon	...	DJ's Grandfather
	Cyrus Sahukar	...	Rahul