RDB

This post is in response to this critique by greatbong - one of the more prolific bloggers in blogosphere

I agree with GB that the emotion of being a catalyst in social change evoked by RDB was ephemeral. I also agree that there were huge plot holes - unreal lathi charge, unreal shooting inside the radio station, unbelievable comments on TV by the minister after Madhavan’s character died, extreme reaction of the gang by killing the minister. I would pan Aamir and Rakeysh for claiming this movie as the anthem for the youth.

In spite of this, I liked this movie. Fun. Timepass. One-liners that had me laughing all the way. “Talli ho kar girne se samjhi humne gravity, ishq ka practical kiya tab aayi clarity”, “Kam se kam aazaadi vaali to sukhi ke liye chhod do”.


What I really liked about it was its portrayal of the generation without a purpose, without a belief system. Quoting from Bluffmater (another timepass movie I liked recently), “Har insaan ki zindagi mein ek cheez honi chahiye jiske liye woh kuchh bhi kar sakta ho”, this generation is lacking that one purpose. They are easily impressionable. MTV impressed them and they took on doing wheelies with sexy bikes. When they found something they felt strongly about, they were helpless and directionless. The freedom fighters impressed them, they thought they had found role models and decided on a stupid revolt.

The gang in this movie are not heroes. Sukhi is pulled in their stupid schemes because of peer pressure. He is no hero. DJ is a self-admitted loser. Karan is the cynic, the introvert armchair critic with an opinion about everything but no actions, self-immersed in the meaningless current moment, enjoying his booze and friends (the character I see in most people, including myself, in most comments here). Alex in The Clockwork Orange was not the hero. He was a satire on the western youth immersed in sex, violence and drugs. This gang is a satire on the impressionable DCH generation that in spite of dying for their purpose did not achieve anything. (Btw, not comparing the quality of movie RDB to Clockwork Orange.)

For people who like V for Vendetta and not RDB, because V for Vendetta exaggerations were justified by their portayal in the backdrop of autocratic regime and RDB showed present, *imagine* RDB happened in a India 50 years from now, where the regime was more autocratic than you can digest now, the youth was even more directionless and the above plot holes were a possibility. (Aweful movie V for Vendetta, btw - spoilt a perfect story by hammering the same point again and again. Read the Vendetta book. Much better it is.) RDB at least left room for discussion.