Rang De Basanti is a story about the youth of India today.
A young, London based film maker chances upon the diaries of her grandfather,
who served in the British police force in India during the freedom struggle.
Excited about these memoirs, she makes plans to shoot a film on the
Indian revolutionaries mentioned in the diaries. She comes down to Delhi,
and casts a group of five friends to play the pivotal roles of these
revolutionaries.
However, products of modern India, the five youngsters initially refuse
to be part of the project, as they don't identify with these characters
from the past. Not surprising, considering that they're part of a generation
of Indians that believes in consumerism. To them issues like patriotism
and giving one's life for one's beliefs is the stuff stuffy text books
are made of. They would rather party than be patriots.
In the film both the 1930's British India and the India today run parallel
and intersect with each other at crucial points. As the film reaches
its resolution the line between past and present blur's, as they become
one in spirit.