Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Rang De Basanti, which released in 2006, was the film that made patriotism cool again after it had lost favour with movie-goers. Starring Aamir Khan, Soha Ali Khan, R Madhavan, Siddharth, Kunal Kapoor and Sharman Joshi, RDB chronicled the lives of a group of Delhiites and their transformation from happy-go-lucky youngsters to impassioned revolutionaries.
The film opens with British filmmaker Sue McKinley (played by Alice Patten) befriending Sonia (Soha), a student at Delhi University. Sue wishes to make a documentary on five prominent Indian freedom fighters – Chandrasekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, Ashfaqulla Khan and Ram Prasad Bismil.
Sonia introduces Sue to her other pals DJ (Aamir), Karan (Siddharth), Aslam (Kunal) and Sukhi (Sharman) and she decides to cast them in her documentary. As the group learns more and more about the characters they play, they begin to identify with the freedom fighters and their idealism. By the end of the film, much like their revolutionary counterparts, the gang is ready to fight for their beliefs.
RDB was the box-office sensation of the year, igniting debates about its themes and its controversial ending among many viewers. The film won a host of Filmfare Awards and several National Awards. AR Rahman's anthemic soundtrack became an instant classic.
The film's memorable story and dialogues are credited to Kamlesh Pandey and Prasoon Joshi respectively. The screenplay was co-written by Rensil D'Silva and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.
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