Rang De Basanti

So I finally did it...watched RDB in a cinema theatre

I rarely ever manage to get convinced to watch a Hindi movie in a cinema theatre, the crowding and the constant urge to turn down the volume is not a conducive environment. But all said and done, there are some Hindi movies which I did watch in a theatre and actually liked. Sarfarosh, Dil Chahta Hai, Lagaan, Salaam Namaste...

As you may have noticed from the list, Aamir and Saif are definitely one of the deciding factors and I would also like to go on record that I prefer not to read reviews by newspapers, tabloids, magazines and such (in other words, I prefer my own experience). So, going by what I would expect from Aamir, Rang de... was definitely a let down.

The movie did have its high points, specifically the bunch of young, relatively unknown actors who did commendable job. Very Impressive. Picturization of college life was also good despite occasional cliches. I would not comment on aspects such as cinematography, choreography etc. as they are not my domain, but I did notice Aamir dancing a notch below his capability which is good if that was what his role demanded.

Aamir could not pass off as a youngster despite his overkill attempts at "josh". I also felt that there was a conscious attempt not to portray Aamir as the "Hero", so to say, which fell flat due to its obviousness.

The movie itself started off well and kept up a good pace, but managed to plod on, warding off several excellent opportunities to end on a high note. Result - the message moved from tangible to idealistic with everyone expecting a nationwide awakening and modern day "kranti". The movie would have done well to have been at least half an hour shorter.

All said and done, it was worth a dekko and not a waste of time and money though I wouldn't go as far as to call it a "must see".