Gen Z protests expose Bollywood’s disconnect: Why the youth had to look back at Rang De Basanti, a forgotten Amitabh Bachchan film on hunger strike, while Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan showed the way of achieving balance

The last 20 days were dominated by the Gen Z protest, which began in Delhi but soon spread to Mumbai and several other cities across India. What stood out was not just the entertainment quotient of Gen Z’s Instagram posts, but also the songs they used in their Stories and Reels.

One film that featured prominently was Rang De Basanti (2006). From the title track to ‘Roobaroo’ and ‘Khoon Chala’, its songs have enjoyed a stunning renaissance over the last 10 days. The film itself centred on youngsters revolting against a powerful system, while its tagline, ‘A Generation Awakens’, perfectly captured the spirit of the present movement.

Meanwhile, Satyagraha (2013), a largely forgotten film, began to be discussed again. It featured Amitabh Bachchan’s character going on a hunger strike, prompting people to draw immediate parallels with Sonam Wangchuk’s ordeal. The film’s song ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram’ also returned to the trending charts. Yuva (2004), a fine film but which is not particularly popular among Gen Z, received a fresh lease of life as well, especially its song ‘Dhakka Laga Bukka’. Scroll through the comment sections of any of these songs, and all you will see are people discussing the protest.

However, the common factor among these films was that none was made recently. They belonged to a different era, politically and otherwise. Members of Gen Z were very young when these films were released, and yet these were the stories they related to, not anything made in the last 12 or 13 years. The fact that they had to rediscover a film like Satyagraha, which had barely been discussed since its theatrical run ended, shows just how disconnected many of our filmmakers have become from contemporary reality.

Cinema always reflected the mood of the nation and what’s happening right now is rare – our films are not touching on burning topics. Of course, censorship is a major reason, and the fear among filmmakers is both real and understandable. Hence, it's high time that our films reflect the mood of the nation while ensuring that they do not make those in power excessively uncomfortable.

This writer had exclusively spoken to Atul Kulkarni – currently a hero among youngsters because of his videos from the protest – in January 2021, on the 15th anniversary of Rang De Basanti. When asked whether a film like Rang De Basanti could be made today, he gave an interesting reply: “Films are made according to the times we live in and the current trends. So accordingly, you have to design your narrative. Filmmakers toh apni hi kahaniyaan kehte hain. Kis tareeke se kehte hain, shayad woh badalta hoga. Suppose Rang De Basanti had been made 30 years ago and not 15 years ago, toh obviously woh film alag banti. Par kahaniyaan toh hum wahi kahenge jo hum kehna chahte hain.”

Hence, filmmakers must tell the stories they believe in; how they adapt those stories to the prevailing circumstance is what matters. And one need not look very far for an example. Shah Rukh Khan did exactly that with Jawan (2023). His nearly three-minute-long monologue in the climax sparked a frenzy in cinemas. SRK’s character, Azad, urges citizens to vote responsibly and question candidates before casting their ballots. Many producers and actors might have trembled upon reading such a dialogue at the script stage. But one of the country’s biggest superstars took the risk and incorporated it into the most expensive film of his career. The rest, as they say, is history.

Most powerful monologue with a very high influence on first time voters 🔥🔥👏👏#Jawan #ShahRukhKhan #LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/A9RTyCBChb — Shah Rukh Khan Fan Club Pune | SRK FC Pune (@SRKFC_PUNE) April 25, 2024

However, as Atul Kulkarni observed, Shah Rukh Khan adapted his narrative to the times. As a result, the dialogue became memorable without sparking any controversy or causing political fallout.

It is important that our filmmakers take a leaf out of Jawan’s book and collaborate with like-minded, socially conscious writers and artistes to create films that are hard-hitting and emotionally resonate with the masses, while also avoiding unnecessary political controversy, even if certain dialogues appear critical of those in power. Similarly, we need songs that young people can genuinely connect with, so that the next time the country unites behind a common cause, they do not have to look back one or two decades to find tracks that reflect their emotions.

Also Read: Rang De Basanti marks 20 years with special Mumbai reunion