A shopkeeper takes God to court when his shop is destroyed by an earthquake. Kanji Mehta is an atheist who runs an antique shop. For him, god and religion are nothing more than a business proposition. One fine day, when a slight tremor of an earthquake shakes the city, it causes the destruction of only one shop in the entire city. Kanji's shop! However, for just such a situation he has taken out more than adequate insurance.
Starring Academy Award winner Helen Mirren (Best Actress, The Queen, 2006), produced by Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and Julia Blake, and directed by Lasse Hallstrom (Chocolat), this uplifting story bursts with flavor, passion and heart. When the chill chef proprietress of a Michelin-starred French restaurant in southern France (Mirren) gets wind of a culinary immigrant opening an Indian restaurant just 100 feet from her own, her icy protests escalate to all-out war between the two establishments.
Major Jaidev Rajvansh (Anil Kapoor) and his fellow officer Hussein (Om Puri) manage to rescue a leading politician as well as capture his kidnapper, Abhrush (Danny Denzongpa). The terrorist has been wanted for years and he is finally captured by the two officers. Jai returns to a joyous welcome, and is declared a national hero. He takes a break from the army and returns to his hometown. There he meets his childhood friend Anjali (Madhuri Dixit) who has always harboured love for Jai. Anjali is determined to make sure she and Jai stay together 24/7.
Director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra merges two plots in Rang De Basanti. The first is about a group of friends, their bonding, the carefree lifestyle they lead. The second plot pertains to the past, when freedom fighters sacrificed their lives during the pre-independence era. Without doubt, Mehra's intentions are noble, since portions in the film do succeed in pricking your conscience. Mehra draws parallels between Indians ruled by the British and Indians ruled by corrupt politicians today. The message is subtle at first, but echoes piercingly before it reaches its finale.
Director Vishal Bhardwaj's first foray into the world of Shakespeare is nothing short of astounding--Maqbool is one of the finest adaptations of 'Macbeth' ever produced. His interpretation, while faithful to the story, is no slave to it, and he spins an enthrallingly distinct version of the Scottish play. The elderly king here is an Indian mob boss called Abbaji, Macbeth is his underling Maqbool, and Lady Macbeth is Abbaji's wicked mistress Nimmi, who goads Maqbool into supplanting Abbaji and claiming her as the reward. And instead of three witches, there are two comical astrologers.
