Alright, I wont go into the specifics of what the RdB is about, because its been covered extensively by the media. Let me start with somethings that made me feel bad about a very good movie.
Loose-ends/Flaws:
1) Sepia-film cross-cuts in the first-half didnt gel very well with the flow of the original movie
2) How could Sue make a film on such a grand canvas, without the demanded funds?
3) Isnt Sue speaking in Hindi too un-natural for a movie of this stature? (but, oh well, she had to.. :) )
4) Transition of a freaky students into disciplined actors through a laugh-riot montage was not very convincing
5) Chandrashekar Azad has a more dominant presence than Bhagat Singh in the sepia, because its Aamir Khan?
6) The characters of defence ministers, party leaders, black commandos, police etc. dont have shades of gray, they are just plain black villians. Basically, system is just totally, totally messed up. Is it really?
7) Few loud scenes like insecurity of muslims, delivered by a cardboard Om-Puri character
8) AIR scene is practically a little too much
9) Whats the point? We all start a revolution against our problems when there is a personal crisis, and get killed?
But overall, at the end of the movie, you are ready to be very forgiving. For various reasons.
1) Well-written characters.
Any Indian, our age and rage, can identify with the feelings of these characters.
2) Unique storytelling and character-building.
The way each of the 5 characters develop, based on the sepia within, and life’s circumstances is a novel idea of character building.
3) Bold ending.
Didnt you think that Sue will somehow stop those black commandos, just in time? You also prayed for it. But you also know that happily-ever-afters dont quite work well in these kind of movies.
4) Perfect casting.
Aamir, Siddharth, Kunal Kapur, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni.
No one hogs limelight (except for the sepia portions). Panch bole toh.. perfect.
Siddharth’s character also drives home the point that a meek and weak guy can also have a Bhagat Singh inside him.
5) Music, Masti, Magic.
AR Rahman’s peppy, lovely songs, and Prasoon Joshi’s witty, natural dialogues add tremendous entertainment value to a story which is too ambitious to be ’serious’.
We all curse and care for India, we all believe and disbelieve in its future.
We are as clueless as these five guys about what they want to do in life.
An outlet of anger, fear and hopelessness, RdB makes us - the X generation, lost between past and future - feel ’heard’.