This afternoon watching Rang De Basanti with a cinema hall full of schoolchildren was a revelation. While walking out after the movie a guy proudly pointed out that they were also a bunch of five friends just like the movie.One of the girls asked me if I knew where the Defence Minister takes his morning walk? I replied I dont thisk he takes them after this movie! Another one felt like murdering the chap when he was considerd as Bharat Ratan. A younger kid believed that Aamir and Siddharth were left alive!

The coming generation cheered every expletive mouthed by the very Punjabi Aamir Khan. The response to the everyday, earthy language was amazing. They cheered the camraderie of the friends from their simple jokes to ropeless bungee jumping. Soha's easy interation with the rest of the guys did not elicit any measure of surprise, good because this was exact opposite of the 'girl-guy' friendship we see in a typical Karan Johar movie. If these kids can keep a straight head despite those sugar coated relationships, thats some maturity!




The laughter when friends try to tease Soha into touching Madhavan's feet meant they could relate to this movie, for them it was people like us.The clapping when Aamir finally kisses Alice Patten was deafening. OK so we are in for a more permissive generation.


The nuances in this well made movie made me sit up but I soon realized that I had underestimated the maturity of these schoolkids. Madhavan's death and candlelight protest going bad courtsey politicians were met with a shocked silence. This was broken with a deafening applause when Atul Kulkarni starts beating the policemen realising how innocents are being targetted. The Indira Gandhi style murder of the Defence Minister and storming of the All India Radio station was thoroughly appreciated, though lighter moments did not go unsung.