13 Years Of Rang De Basanti: Here's How It Awakened An Entire Generation & Changed India Forever

※KOI DESH PERFECT NAHI HOTA, USSE BEHTAR BANANA PADTA HAI§

13 years ago, this one line had struck a chord in our hearts making us aware of the power we possess to change the society. Rang De Basanti was neither a mainstream film and nor an offbeat one, it was a movie that awakened an entire generation and changed India forever.

I still remember, the first time I saw Rang De Basanti, I was in school 每 I was carefree but gradually getting acquainted with the harsh reality of a corrupt society I was living in.

While Bollywood was obsessing over films such as Don, Dhoom and Krissh among others, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra changed it all with a more relatable, goosebumps-inducing movie that had some stellar dialogues and an amazing storyline, which even after 13 years, remains to be very much relevant for everyone, particularly millennials.

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Are we really living in a free nation now?

※Door se commentary dena bahut aasan hota hai. Doosron ko gaali dena aur bhi aasan. Agar tumhe itna problem hai toh tum badlon na iss desh ko.§

The youth holds the power to change the nation, we all had heard. Rang De Basanti showed us how to bring about the change. Bhagat Singh died at the age of 23 while fighting for freedom of India. DJ, Karan, Aslam, Sukhi, and Sonia were also in college when they took a stand to change the system.

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Drawing a parallel between British rule and politicians of corrupt India, Rang De Basanti made us question if India＊s struggle for independence was really over back in 1947.

''Zindagi jeene ke 2 hi tareeke hote hai, ek- jo ho raha hai use hone do, ya 2-khud kuch karne ki zimmedari uthao''

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Jesssica Lal Verdict and Nirbhaya Case was a Rang De Basanti moment!

In the movie, the youth protests at India Gate after R Madhavan＊s character dies in the movie. This scene literally translated into real life after a large number of people participated in protests organised via SMS.

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From candle-light silent march during Jessica Lal verdict (in 2006, the same year when the movie had released) and Nirbhaya＊s spine-chilling brutal rape case to anti-reservations protests 每 students across the nation were galvanised by the Aamir Khan starrer movie, which made them believe that they have a voice which needs to be heard.

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India against corruption!

It was in 2011 that India against corruption movement was named among Top 10 News Stories of 2011 by Time magazine. It all started with anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare going on a hunger strike at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in order to alleviate corruption through the introduction of Jan Lokpal Bill. A lot of people left their jobs to join the movement, which eventually led to a formation of a political party called Aam Aadmi Party joined by a faction of IAC members.

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Anna Hazare wasn＊t a relative to thousands of people who supported him in the cause neither was Nirabhaya, it was spirit and love for nation that made all these people unite for a cause even after being dragged, beaten and detained multiple times during the protests.

Even after being beaten, people went to the protests yet again, because they had realised that violence wasn＊t a quick fix solution and anger needs to be translated into action.

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It＊s not about religious enmity!

Another thing that we realised was that it was never about religious enmity. A lot of people argue that the Britishers had sown the seed of casteism in India. They divided us and left us fighting among ourselves making us forget the real issue.

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In the movie, Laxman Pandey (played by Atul Kulkarni) and Aslam Khan (played by Kunal Kapoor) would butt heads plenty of times, but in the end they united for a cause realising that they were never divided by religion. When Ram Prasad Bismil tells Ashfaqulla Khan that they have equal right to live and die for and fight for the cause, Pandey realised that he is right.

The conflict between Right-wing extremists and liberals!

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Rang De Basanti showed us how political parties maneuver the youth of the nation for their own political interests. Showing how people are forced out and couples are manhandled, it was all a reflection of the reality. Mob lynchings and instances of sedition happen for real. We all have seen it 每 haven＊t we?

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The biggest takeaways from the movie were that 每 we need to stop pinning our failures on the nation and system, it＊s time to take matters in our own hands 每 it＊s not impossible to bring about a positive change in the society 每 the nation doesn＊t fail us but corrupt politicians and the system do 每 stop blaming the country, be the change you want to be.

With a perfect ensemble cast and spectacular music, Rang De Basanti was indeed a game changer for the youth of India.