Dawn Is Upon Us

The second half moves on to the cause which fires the group's new-found idealism and zeal. And quite realistically, it's not a larger social or political issue that motivates them but something right in their own backyard. It's when their own personal world gets disturbed that they take to the streets. The prolonged climax gets volatile and disturbing. But despite the nihilism inherent in the situation, the film doesn't offer violence as a solution. On the contrary, it does show up the utter futility of the protagonists' action.

Another ticklish issue is how the film equates the colonial rule of yore with the present-day, legitimate, democratically elected governments. But then again, when you read of the atrocities heaped on the Kalinga Nagar tribals or the thrashing of young lovers by the Meerut cops, you wonder whether there is much of a difference. The state can be oppressive beyond time and place. Mehra claims his intent was not to be anti-establishment, but he also didn't feel the need to go out and balance his views. "Otherwise the story would have lost its originality and rawness," he says.

Which is what makes the film's engagement with the issue of nationalism interesting. Patriotism is not meaningless jingoism, nor blind acceptance of everything 'Indian'. It is about questioning the state of affairs. It's not about fighting the enemy outside but sorting out the problems within. "Even during the freedom struggle, the thinkers did warn about being enslaved by one's own," says Mehra. His film is not judgmental and overtly moralistic. And yet the messages are strewn all over: of changing things rather than accepting them, of making things better.

The film has a great ensemble performance but it's a personal triumph for Aamir as well. The star who has always been rumoured to steal the best lines and scenes from right under the noses of his co-stars is totally at ease being one of the group. He is the most recognisable face yet he doesn't train the camera on himself alone. And when he gets his big moments he digs into them with relish. His method acting is at its best when he cries inconsolably for a lost friend. There is the food stuck in his mouth, there's grief, the inability to be articulate, yet also the need to unburden himself, and the sense of cynicism that nothing would change despite all their efforts. Aamir manages to convey it all effortlessly.

And much like Dil Chahta Hai where he cracked a joke on his obsession with "perfection" (remember the line 'you can't improve on perfection'), here he takes a dig at his fixation with his characters' get-up. Look out for the scene where he experiments with several kinds of moustaches to finally zoom in on the right one and you know the joke is on Mangal Pandey.

Rang De is getting a wide release with about 600 prints. No wonder the thematic layers are also sprinkled with a good amount of entertainment. Despite its seriousness, it's a fun film to watch. This is where it differs from a film like Gulzar's Hu Tu Tu. Hu Tu Tu had a similar stridency of tone but its mofussil feel and dark vision limited its appeal. Rang De works because it is able to talk in an energetic, edgy lingo to the urban middle class. A middle class that's comfortable, secure and confident enough now to question itself and the country. Ten years ago, the same film would have been ahead of its times. This Republic Day, the timing seems just perfect.