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il turns 21 today. The film was released in August 1998 to great critical acclaim and sparked the enthusiasm of the diaspora. A film that found its place in Time magazine’s list of the best Bollywood films of all time. It was one of the best films about Indian politics, as evidenced by the two National Film Awards. But what if Mani Ratnam wanted to release a “Dil Se” today?

He would start with Twitter. First of all, Dil Se would be branded as an “anti-national film.” And in 2019, Dil Se does look like an “anti-national film” because that is the order of the day. There will be people calling for Mani Ratnam’s blood – how dare you give voice to an insurgent, a terrorist? How dare you let the son of an army officer, a government employee, fall in self-destructive love with a female suicide bomber? Then the denunciations and trials will come. The censorship board will demand that the words be cut off and silenced. Then it will go to the Review Board, from where it could go to the Supreme Court. Hype?

Look at what’s happening with the Sacred Games 2 web series. On the day Dil Se turns 21, a complaint was registered against Anurag Kashyap for a scene that hurts feelings in Sacred Games 2. The character of Saif Ali Khan, who throws his kada into the sea in a fit of anger and disappointment, has reached Delhi Police.

In the last few years we have seen the country ignite over a mythical queen – Padmavati, we have seen petitions and lawsuits against the portrayal of drug menace in Punjab – Udta Punjab, we have seen a politician crying for the blood of Bollywood stars over a video showing them partying in a “drugged up state”. We have seen filmmakers beaten up, others threatened with rape and murder. On social media, we see abuse and threats against anyone who speaks out against the government. We see the situation in Kashmir, where a communication blackout has already reached the 17th day.

So when you watch Dil Se in 2019, you get a sense of disbelief, of shock, at the sheer “audacity” of a filmmaker who dared to let a leading lady narrate how the Indian Army raped a 12-year-old girl and razed entire villages to the ground in the name of protecting the state. And mind you, Dil Se was a film that won two National Film Awards (sounds amazing today, yes). Dil Se gave voice to an insurgent, a militiaman, a terrorist. If only to be killed in the end. But besides killing the anti-government and “misguided” Moina, Mani Ratnam also killed his “government employee, son of an army officer” Amar. The balance is what makes Dil Se a “must watch” and “re-watch” film even 21 years after its release.

On August 21, 1998, when Dil Se was released, the country was in turmoil. Two governments had collapsed at the center. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was appointed prime minister in March 1998. But there was no clear mandate, and Vajpayee’s government also met the same fate as his two predecessors in just 13 months. The Lok Sabha was dissolved. It was not until 1999 that India finally had a stable government that lasted its full term.

So when “Dil Se” hit the theaters, Mani Ratnam had his material ready. He sent his hero to Assam, aboard the Barak Valley Express from Haflong, for a special program celebrating 50 years of India’s independence. In Assam, Amar switches from disillusioned tea plantation workers crying that they have no freedom to disillusioned freedmen calling for the blood of the Indian government, taking in both. As Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se slowly sucks the viewer into this world where Delhi is safe and the far northeast burns, one can’t help but think of a Dil Se in 2019. And of the fate it probably would have met had it been made today. However, it was the political commentary on India in Dil Se that made Indians all over the world praise Dil Se to the skies.

A very intense scene in Dil Se is that of a swing seat swaying as a fire engulfs it. This frame is a commentary on what the army has done in Assam: robbing children of their childhood, devastating villages and snatching away their livelihoods to contain the insurgency in the state. In Dil Se, Mani Ratnam did not hold back. It shook your psyche as you saw picture after picture of government-sponsored destruction.

One of the main characters is a program director of All India Radio: “a government employee, son of an army officer”. The other is a terrorist to our aseptic tongues, but a “revolutionary” to them. Dil Se is the latest installment in Mani Ratnam’s trilogy of films about India’s political climate. It began with Roja, set in Kashmir. Then came Bombay, set in the city of the same name. And finally Dil Se, which traveled from Assam to Ladakh to Delhi, culminating as a statement on India’s 50 years of independence. Such “statements” are considered blasphemous in today’s social media-driven world.

When you see a Moina watching her sister being raped, an Amar falling in love with “the other,” you know that a film like Dil Se cannot go without outrage in 2019. You just know it. Our sensibilities today are also loaded with these “kaaton ki taarein”. Our censor boards today have these “patthar ke darwaaze deewarein” that try to lock away anything that is “too problematic”.

One of India’s most powerful and apt political parables is undoubtedly Mahabharat, where brothers fight over ultimate power. Prakash Jha employs the same power politics in his contemporary adaptation of Mahabharat, deriving the main plot and central characters from the epic.

Between constant character introductions, political/technical expirations and various subplots, it takes a while to grasp the scheme of things in the first few reels. Here’s an attempt to summarize the multi-layered story in the most basic way possible. Cousins Veerendra Pratap Singh (Manoj Bajpayee) and Prithvi Pratap Singh (Arjun Rampal) are heirs to a powerful political party. When Prithvi takes over the leadership, Veerendra conspires with the backward class leader Sooraj (Ajay Devgan) to conspire against Prithvi and oust him from the party.

Prithvi’s younger brother Samar (Ranbir Kapoor), who is studying abroad and has no political ambitions, is drawn into the political rivalry between the families. Under the guidance of Brij Gopal (Nana Patekar), a party veteran and family member, Samar takes state affairs into his own hands to form his own political party, raise funds and get Prithvi to run against Veerendra.

Those familiar with Mahabharat will surely understand the analogy of the character. Veerendra (Bajpayee) is derived from Duryodhan and Sooraj (Devgan) from Karan. Samar (Ranbir) corresponds to Arjun, who fought the battle under Krishna, synonymous with Brij Gopal (Nana), the passive participant in the war. The characters have been effectively recreated and the central concept and conflicts have been skillfully transferred to the modern setting.

The script by Prakash Jha and Anjum Rajabali is crisp and has a dynamic flow where the drama builds through the political clashes between the antagonists in each act. Based on the premise that politics corrupts all souls, almost all the central characters in the film are drawn in shades of gray. So much so that up to a certain point you don’t know who is the protagonist and who is the antagonist.

But in the second half, the two are clearly delineated and Ranbir’s character comes to the fore. Apart from Mahabharat, there is also a hint of The Godfather in the script when Ranbir returns to India to retrieve his father’s lost empire. And at this point, the film switches from a political saga to a run-of-the-mill revenge drama. The formulaic climax adds to the revenge plot while complementing the original essence of Mahabharat.

Abhay Deol says he did not like being called the supporting role in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, but Farhan Akhtar “agreed.
Abhay Deol said he boycotted the awards gala after being put in the supporting role category for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

Actor Abhay Deol shared a ticket on his hit movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and the treatment he received at the awards galas. Abhay said he did not appreciate that he and Farhan Akhtar were placed in the “Supporting Actor” category while Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif were labeled as “Lead Actors”.

Abhay began his note on Instagram by praising the film as a way to relieve stress. “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” was released in 2011, I have to sing this song every day today! It’s also a great watch when I’m anxious or stressed,” he wrote. He then added that it had been “degraded” by the award ceremonies. “I would like to mention that almost every award show has demoted Farhan and I from leading roles and nominated us as ‘supporting actors’. Hrithik and Katrina were nominated as “supporting actors”. According to the logic of the industry, this was a film about a man and a woman who fall in love, the man being supported by his friends no matter what decision he makes,” he wrote.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara was a road trip dramedy about three friends who go on a trip to Spain, face their fears and form a friendship that is stronger than before. It was directed by Zoya Akhtar. It won two awards at the 59th National Film Awards for Best Audio Drama and Best Choreography.

Read also: Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad calls for probe into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death: ‘No newcomer should go through such torture’

Last year, on the film’s eighth anniversary, Abhay had written, “It’s been 8 years since I made this film. It is the only film that has made people come up to me and say, “I saw this and quit my job” or “I saw this and reconciled with an old friend,” even “I took a break from work” and even “I got divorced.” She inspired people to follow their dreams, to take action, to accept who they are and where they are. I couldn’t ask for more. It was an honor and privilege to work with you @zoieakhtar. #zindaginamilegidobara (sic).