NEW DELHI: ‘Ab bhi jiska khoon na khaula, khoon nahin voh paani hai … joh desh ke kaam na aaye woh bekaar jawani hai’ (Even now whose blood doesn’t boil, then that blood is water … the youth who doesn’t serve the country is a waste) This dialogue and the way it was delivered left the audience gripped to their seats and as well as on the edges. This magnum quintessence was an experience that sinks in slowly and lives with you forever. Every single dialogue that was written and delivered in this film left an impact in the audience’s blood, and that was patriotism. 

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s directorial ‘Rang De Basanti’ is that one film whose dialogues are not just a simple statement but they carry a whole lot deeper meanings that hold the power to drive the nation towards a similar feeling. With the film now completing 17 years since its successful release, the dialogues still have the same effect when one gives it a rewatch. There is no doubt that this film is an immortal cinematic masterpiece and is still living in our hearts. 

Undoubtedly, ‘Rang De Basanti’ is one of the few films that is a must-watch for every generation to come and to witness the true impact of cinema on the audience, especially the world. While the film has evoked the sleeping youths of the country, its powerful and iconic dialogues truly became the voice of the nation. 

Well, there isn’t any wrong to give credit to the two men behind these iconic dialogues, Rensil D’Silva and Prasoon Joshi, the dialogue writer of ‘Rang De Basanti’, who created the dialogues that went on to spark a fire around the nation. While the film stimulated the heart-hidden sentiments of the public, these dialogues are the catalyst to carry forward and express the vision of the film. 

We heard of this iconic line from the film, that says, ‘Koi bhi desh perfect nahi hota usse behtar banana padta hai’ (No country’s perfect, We’ve got to make it better). This in itself encapsulates the feeling and most importantly a hope that resonates with every citizen of the country. Nevertheless, it’s indeed magic, how this dialogue certainly made its place in the general conversation of the people that prove its universal existence. 

Ahead on the slate, while the film brought a bundle of emotions that catered to the crowd unanimously, that one dialogue ‘College ke gate de iss taraf, hum life ko nachate hai, te dujji taraf life humko nachati hai…. Tim lak lak, te Tim lak lak’ (In college we rule our destinies, but after college we have to dance to fate’s tune) has it all for us to visualize the two phases of life in front of our eyes.

‘Zindagi jeene k do hi tarike hote hai, Ek jo hora hai hone do, bardash karte jao, ya fir zimmedaari uthao usse badalne ki (There are only two ways to live life, tolerate things the way they are, or take responsibility to change them). Isn’t this a revolutionary dialogue? An eye-opener? But it’s everything that is enough to maybe choose our side or justify our purpose to serve this country. 

While these dialogues are heavily filled with a lot of emotions, we can’t deny the fact that they connect our heart-hidden patriotic sentiments like no other dialogues can. It’s indeed a proficiency of the filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra who gave this cult film some iconic dialogues. Moreover, this is where a real example of a classic movie is set, that even today, after 17 years its dialogues carry the same warmth, emotions, and provoking values to drive every generation of the nation.