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Rang De Basanti ………..Take a bow Rakesh Mehra, Aamir Khan, A.R. Rahman & Binod Pradhan (in that order!!!) I usually don't write reviews for many films nowadays yet my appetite for cinema is largely intact, especially for ones that doesn't want to stop only at entertaining, but makes you think and aspires to shape opinions, to alter attitudes. Which is why Maqbool will always get the prime spot on my large DVD collection. Which is why I can watch Swades n number of times and not tire. Now, RDB needs to be celebrated and discussed. No two ways about that. The film is a compelling view, superbly shot and conceptualized with outstanding performances from all lead actors, especially Aamir, Atul Kulkarni and Siddharth. You can't hold a candle to geniuses like Aamir Khan or A.R. Rahman. But more importantly, the film makes a genuine, honest attempt at bridging the ever-widening chasm between our glorious but poorly interpreted history and our dramatically altered present. Check out the line by DJ (one leg on the kal (past), one leg on kal (future) and pissing on aaj-today). The sudden cuts between Chandra Shekhar Azad plotting the Brits' ouster and a good for nothing cool guy 'DJ' (Aamir) balancing a bottle of beer over a cool 'amphitheatre' hangout in today's Delhi gave me goose-bumped hands. I don't think I have ever seen such a breathtakingly seamless transition between two eras, brilliant editing pattern that stays with you long after the movie is over. Music has never been used so powerfully for transition and communicating lead actors feelings to viewers (Khoon Chala at India Gate, Rubaroo in the climax….the list is endless). If we want today's Gen X to show some interest in our rich and proud heritage, clearly RDB is the most potent medium for it, and not dull textbooks and maha-yawn boring history teachers. And certainly not linear, unimaginative, irrelevant cinema like Mangal Pandey or Guddu Dhanoa' Bhagat Singh (Rajkumar Santoshi's was a sincere effort). The violent climax, while being provocative and hard-hitting, makes the viewers feel sad and yearn for the naive and innocent youth who lose control over their actions. As pure cinema, it undoubtedly is a remarkable movie, in genuinely original, one of the greatest films of this decade. Go see it dude, get inspired, get shaken, but please, please don't lose control.

P.S. This film would have been impossible without Aamir, his charisma, star status and exclusivity have ensured a sure shot hit both at the box office and for all awards!! Aamir has once raised his personal bar to new levels, way beyond DCH & Lagaan, despite a minor hiccup in Mangal Pandey. What a performer!

30 minutes after I had viewed the film on Sat, I was not sure about how I felt about this film. 48 hours hence, I vividly remember most of the scenes and can lucidly state that is truly 'haunting'.

Swades is not colorful; Shahrukh doesn't appear in a GAP or POLO SPORT; there are no introductory shots; there are no romantic scenes and no fields with yellow Tulip flowers; It may be a tad slow and lengthy; But Swades hits you where your heart hurts the most; patriotic and root feelings of an individual with good intentions overcoming societal obstacle. It's brilliant, heartfelt and touching. The 'We, People' film really makes us feel like it's our film. We see in the film what we see everyday, the places as they are. It's very much contemporary and it's our story.

Compared to Veer-Zaara, it's light years ahead. Comparisons with Lagaan are bound to be there, but in some ways it's even better than Lagaan. Primarily, for the authenticity and real-life feel unlike Lagaan which was a finely crafted fairly-tale. Lagaan is all about emerging victorious and fighting against the odds. You enjoy it when you see it. Swades is about the conscience trauma of an Indian, urging him to comeback and do something for his country. It haunts you for long enough after the cinema has ended.

There's a prejudice that the film is about bringing electricity to a small village. It's not. And the most poignant scene in the film, where we see a boy selling water for 25 paisa, hits you hard. Seeing the harsh reality and we'll find it difficult to suppress our tears. It's an answer to the generation of materialistic 'we', who never shy from proclaiming our great culture and tradition, but do nothing for our country.

The asset of the film is Shahrukh Khan, looking ordinary and real but in an extra-ordinary performance. His most real since 'Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa' and his career's best. ARR music is soulful and original. The theme song 'Yeh Jo Des Hai Mera' haunts both in terms of its visuals and wordings.

But above all, it's the good intention and the attention to detail, of director Ashutosh Gowarikar that makes wonders for this truly experimental and moving cinema.

I can and will definitely view this movie once more, to celebrate it feel and spirit. I can't predict its box office outcome, as the masses love fantasies and escapist cinema. But it's definitely a treat for those who want to see moving and believable films on a large scale. Also if we don't embrace different cinema like this or even 'the torturous but different Musafir' for that matter, we'll continue to get more 'Sarson ka Saag', 'Karva Chauths', 'Maahi Ve' filled designer romance fables from the Chopra-Johar clan!

Regardless of the box office outcome, take a bow Ashutosh, Shahrukh and ARR!

It is very difficult to translate real life sports dramas, to engrossing tales on screen. But "Miracle" manages to exactly do that.

For a sport, not so popular across the globe, the ice-hockey game in the climax does hold the viewer's attention. Kurt Rusell gives a rocking performance as the coach who did all to change American hopes at times of despair for the nation. Overall a good script, straight forward narration and neat direction help this movie sail past most other sports movie.

Thanks