Courtesy:
IndiaFM
Tuesday,
September
26,
2006
Every
so
often
Bollywood
produces
a
rare
gem
like
Rang
De
Basanti,
a
UTV
Production
that
breaks
the
mould
by
offering
something
more
sophisticated
than
the
standard
musical
melodrama.
Successfully
weaving
historical
facts
with
contemporary
themes,
thanks
to
Rakeysh
Omprakash
Mehra's
direction
that
Rang
De
Basanti's
absorbing
plot,
which
flits
smoothly
from
past
to
present,
has
marched
successfully
to
be
India's
official
entry
for
the
Oscars
this
year.
This
would
also
be
Aamir
Khan's
second
film
to
make
it
to
the
Oscars
after
Lagaan.
Earning
top
points
is
the
strong
performances
from
the
ensemble
cast
that
impress
foremost,
all
of
whom
are
totally
convincing
as
disillusioned
youngsters
learning
the
importance
of
personal
sacrifice.
Accomplished
and
universally
appealing,
Rang
De
Basanti
has
provided
India
with
another
hope
to
win
the
Oscar.
Says
UTV's
Ronnie
Screwvala,
"I'm
delighted
that
Rang
De
Basanti
has
been
chosen
as
India's
official
entry
to
the
Academy
Awards.
RDB
has
made
a
place
for
itself
in
the
hearts
and
minds
of
millions
of
people
all
around
the
world.
Such
movies
come
along
only
once
in
a
generation
and
we
shall
make
every
effort
to
ensure
it
is
seen
by
as
wide
audience
as
possible
internationally
too.
To
enable
this,
we
are
already
planning
a
mainline
release
in
the
United
States
in
association
with
two
major
studios.
Following
the
rousing
reception
the
film
received
at
the
Golden
Globes
jury
screening,
we
are
confident
it
stands
a
strong
chance
with
the
Academy."
Over
the
past
few
months
the
RDB
effect...the
effect
the
film
had
had
on
the
public
at
large,
from
the
infamous
Jessica
Lal
verdict
to
the
Narmada
anti-dam
campaign
to
the
latest
protest
marches
against
the
proposed
quota
for
Other
Backward
Classes
(OBCs)
in
institutes
of
higher
learning,
forms
of
protest
in
India
have
undergone
a
sea
change
from
the
usual
hunger-strike,
mob-violence
routine.
What
makes
these
protests
stand
out
is
perhaps
a
sense
of
'feeling
for
the
cause'
that
transcends
age
and
gender
barriers
and
'motivates'
people
to
lend
their
support.
Quiet
candlelight
vigils,
rousing
protest
marches,
enthusiastic
sloganeering,
passionate
sound
bytes
and
SMS
campaigns.
Interestingly,
all
these
forms
of
rebellion
find
a
strange
resonance
and
are
reminiscent
of
the
reel-life
depiction
of
'youth
awakening'
in
Rakeysh
Om
Prakash
Mehra's,
Aamir
Khan-starrer
film
Rang
De
Basanti
the
simple
message
being
'clean
your
own
mess'.
Now
let's
hope
RDB
colors
the
academy
with
saffron.