Colourless and avoidable... Review on Rang De Basanti

Alright! You don't have anything to do! You straggle across to Coffee house and decide to kill away some time and drink the brew in all sorts of combinations. You have the money of course - you are jobless, you are young and most often in search of some political movement. Chances are you are bored as well.

If this description fits you, then maybe you should see UTV's much awaited Rang De Basanti, directed by Rakesh Mehra. Because this film is about trying to portray the yuppie, urban youth and all that goes with them. The lingo included. But then this portrayal is through such a turkey narration [the story is drab ] that at the end you learn nothing about them except that boredom and joblessness are part of their lives. The direction is haphazard, the music [A.R Rehman] even more so and the performances, absolutely nondescript. Then what on earth is it about?

A young English film-maker by the name of Sue comes to India with the intention of making a movie about famous Indian revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad. But when the BBC refuses to fund her project she decides to recruit students from Delhi University to act in her documentary. These young chaps include DJ (Aamir Khan), who has always believed that there is not much to look forward to in the real world. So he hides in his studies. Then, there is Karan (Siddharth), the son of a rich businessman. He does not get on with his father but still manages to suck money out of him.Aslam (Kunal Kapoor), is a middleclass boy, who lives near Jama Masjid. He is a poet, philosopher and guide to his friends. Sukhi (Sharman Joshi), the youngest of the group is innocent, vulnerable, but a real flirt when it comes to women.There is also Laxman Pandey (Atul Kulkarni) who is the fundamentalist in the group. He believes that politics can make the world a better place.Last but not the least we have Sonia (Soha Ali Khan), the only female in the group. A tomboy and vivacious by nature, Sonia is engaged to Ajay (Madhavan), an airline pilot.So as the documentary gathers momentum in its filming, each of the above stars plays two roles - one that belongs to the here-and-now, while the other belongs in the 1920s.

Directed by Rakesh Mehra, the film attempts to be one of those hard hitting films that have stormed the cinema world before.While many of them have succeeded because of their spontaneity and originality, this one somehow just sinks like a stone.

What ``Dil Chahta Hai'' did for Farhan and ``Hyderbad Blues'' for Nagesh, this is going to do Mehra no good. Given the fact that the basic idea is refreshingly different – – the writers could've incorporated so much more in the narrative, but alas!

The viewer keeps waiting for something to happen, but nothing happens. And what unfolds is anything but exciting.Besides, the story unfolds at a lethargic pace, testing the patience of the viewer at times.

The film tends to get so talk-heavy at times and also the pace of the narrative is so lethargic that the viewer loses all interest in the goings-on.. Let's not forget, the viewer of today just doesn't have the patience to stomach slow-paced fares!Even otherwise, the film does not satisfy the appetite of those looking for realistic cinema, nor does it play up to the hoi polloi.

Besides, the film lacks the hard-hitting impact associated with the subject.As far as the writing is concerned, the film does not hold your attention in the first half. Screenplay writer does make an attempt to infuse life in the post-interval portions and the pre-climax keeps your interest alive.

However, a lackluster climax spoils the show and erases the memory of some fine moments that the film offered before the concluding reels.If the writing leaves a lot to be desired, the editing is worse. Either the editor must've been snoozing while editing the film or he was simply unconcerned. Music is not up to the mark. Only the title song can be singled out. Cinematography is average. Dialogues are well-penned at places.

Kunal Kapoor is probably the one who is passable . Whatever happened to Amir Khan who only wanted to do meaningful roles? Apart from trying to look young, pretty and with the crowd, there is not much that is even worth talking about his performance. Siddharth tries hard, but falls flat. He does not impress at all. Soha Ali is so-so. Atul Kulkurni does a decent job, but this performance is anything but memorable.Madhavan is wasted.

Probably the one thing that is very catchy in the film is the way the sets have been done. There is casualness well captured by cinematographer. They look neat as well and not cluttered up as one would associate with youngsters on the move!

Rang De Basanti is a pretentious film in each aspect.The film pretends to care about its characters, pretends to have some significance, and pretends to be intended to make some sort of statement.But the film falls flat on its face and how!

Not recommended to you or anyone for that matter...Avoid this rang and get lucky..! Wish I had done that instead of catching UK premiere of the film...