‘Aamir Khan came prepared to cry’: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra on Rang De Basanti at 20, calls today-times debate ‘stupid’

As Rang De Basanti completes 20 years, director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra recalls Aamir Khan’s emotional preparation for the film and dismisses questions about whether the cult classic could be made today as misplaced and reductive.

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Jan 26, 2026 - 10:28

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‘Aamir Khan came prepared to cry’: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra on Rang De Basanti at 20, calls today-times debate ‘stupid’

Two decades after Rang De Basanti redefined mainstream Hindi cinema, director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is reflecting on the film’s enduring impact — and pushing back against what he calls a “stupid” question: whether the film could be made in today’s times.

Speaking on the occasion of the film’s 20th anniversary, Mehra recalled how deeply invested Aamir Khan was in the project, emotionally and creatively. “Aamir came prepared to cry,” Mehra said, explaining that the actor had fully internalised the emotional arc of DJ even before stepping onto the set. According to the filmmaker, this emotional readiness was crucial in grounding the film’s idealism in authenticity.

Addressing the recurring debate about the film’s relevance today, Mehra was blunt. He argued that Rang De Basanti was a product of its moment but driven by timeless emotions — anger against injustice, idealism, friendship, and the search for purpose. Reducing cinema to whether it fits a political or social climate, he said, misunderstands the nature of storytelling. “Every film is born in its own time. That doesn’t mean its soul expires,” he noted.

Released in 2006, Rang De Basanti blended youthful rebellion with historical memory, sparking conversations far beyond cinema halls and becoming a cultural touchstone for a generation. Mehra believes its continued resonance lies not in its politics but in its emotional honesty — something that, he insists, never goes out of date.

As the film turns 20, its legacy remains intact: not as a blueprint to be replicated, but as a reminder that cinema that speaks from the heart doesn’t need permission from the times it’s watched in.