“Time flies” – Sharman Joshi Feels Nostalgic as Rang De Basanti Clocks 20 Years, Actor Looks Back at the Cult Classic

Rang De Basanti clocks a glorious 20 years today, and this feat is enough to take Sharman Joshi down the memory lane. Directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, the film not only entertained audiences but it also went on to become a cultural moment that changed the way Hindi cinema looked at patriotism and youth. “Time flies,” says Sharman Joshi and expresses unfiltered joy as he feels fortunate enough to be a part of rare cinema.

“Rang De Basanti is a memorable film, a cult film and a film that Hindi cinema will remember forever. I was fortunate and blessed enough to be a part of a rare cinema that continues to touch people from across generations. For me, Rang De Basanti and 3 Idiots stand at the top throughout my work, and I feel so fortunate that I was given the opportunity by the Almighty, the directors and producers – to be part of such wonderful films,” he expresses.

Further, the actor looks back at the shooting days, recalling memories where shooting the film didn’t feel like work! “I had the most fun shooting the film, it never felt like work – but every scene, every laugh every shot and every emotion added to my experience that I will cherish forever,” he adds.

Upon release, Rang De Basanti broke all box office records in India, becoming the country’s highest-grossing film in its opening weekend and holding the highest opening-day collections for a Hindi film. Rang De Basanti grabbed the honour of a National Film Award for Best Popular Film and was also nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2007 BAFTA Awards. Additionally, the film was also chosen as India’s official entry for the Golden Globe Awards and Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

Overall, the coming-of-age political action film became a landmark creation in Sharman Joshi’s career, which saw him merge friendship as well as patriotism alongside co-stars Aamir Khan, Siddharth, Atul Kulkarni, Kunal Kapoor, Alice Patten, Waheeda Rehman and Soha Ali Khan.

Some films fade with film, but Rang De Basanti’s essence only continues to grow stronger each year. For Sharman Joshi, being a part of this game-changing cinema will always be one of the proud chapters of his big-screen work.