Rang De Basanti

After a group of friends graduate from Delhi University, they listlessly haunt their old campus, until a British filmmaker casts them in a film she's making about freedom fighters under British rule. Although the group is largely apolitical, the tragic death of a friend owing to local government corruption awakens their patriotism. Inspired by the freedom fighters they represent in the film, the friends collectively decide to avenge the killing.

Rang De Basanti drew overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics in India and abroad, with the ensemble cast, Binod Pradhan's cinematography, and A. R. Rahman's score among the most consistently praised elements. The sharpest domestic debate centered on whether the film's third act holds up — some felt the patriotic message diluted near the climax, while others saw the protagonists' transformation into revolutionary heroes as poetically handled. One mild outlier: The Hindu's reviewer found Rahman's soundtrack lacked pace, a dissent against the near-universal admiration for the music.