Film

Rang Di Basanti (2006)

Director: Rakesh Omprakash Mehra

Movie review

From Time Out London

When London luvvie Sue (Patten) goes to Delhi to make a documentary about the freedom fighters involved in India’s struggle for Independence from the British, little does she know of the impact her film will have on the lives of the actors she employs… Mehra uses this framework as the backdrop for a caustic commentary on how corruption and religious bigotry, so endemic to modern India, can turn patriots into killers. With energetic performances from its leads and a strong supporting ‘A’ list cast, the film has a Renoir-like realism in its, perhaps worrying, refusal to adopt a simplistic ‘one man can make a difference’ solution to India’s ‘problems’. A compelling and admirably brave piece of political Bollywood cinema.

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