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Rangeela

Rangeela

Movie · 1995 · 4 people

Indian cinema's Rangeela ("colourful" in Hindi) reached audiences on September 8, 1995, as a musical romantic drama with romantic-comedy touches. Ram Gopal Varma wrote and directed it and co-produced it. Running about 142 minutes, it stars Aamir Khan, Jackie Shroff and Urmila Matondkar. It was a major box-office hit and ranked among the five most successful films of 1995.

The story is a love triangle. Mili, a young woman who works her way up from film extra to leading lady, finds herself between two men: her childhood friend from the streets and the famous star who discovers her.

Critics were positive, praising the music and Matondkar's performance most; it proved a breakthrough for her. Rangeela was A. R. Rahman's first Hindi film with an original score and soundtrack; his earlier Hindi releases were dubbed South Indian films. The film was shown in the mainstream section of the International Film Festival of India. At the 41st Filmfare Awards it was nominated in 14 categories and won seven, among them Best Supporting Actor for Shroff, Best Music Director for Rahman and a Special Jury Award for Asha Bhosle for "Tanha Tanha". A Tamil dub, with rewritten lyrics, gave the film two soundtrack versions.

DirectorRam Gopal Varma
Rangeela Rangeela Rangeela

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Cast

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Aamir Khan Aamir Khan Actor · 61 years old Munna Jackie Shroff Urmila Matondkar Reema Lagoo

Also in the cast: Gulshan Grover, Shefali Shah

Through different eyes

AI-assisted editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives. They are not reader reviews; those are below.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

Rangeela's place in film history comes largely from its music: being A. R. Rahman's first Hindi film with an original score, with the songs working as the engine of the story, lifts it above an ordinary love triangle. By telling the story of a woman who rises from extra to leading lady from inside the film world, Ram Gopal Varma adds a light self-awareness to the genre. It is understandable that critics singled out Urmila Matondkar's performance; the film is built around her. The love-triangle skeleton rarely strays from the genre's familiar paths, and the long running time and frequent song numbers can at times weigh the story down for viewers not used to Bollywood conventions.

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humor and heart.

A colorful, song-filled film with a romantic-comedy feel; young people who love music will probably warm to it quickly. The story is built on a love triangle, so the focus is on grown-ups' troubles rather than anything for children. The film is quite long and songs often break in; younger children may run out of patience, so it suits a weekend evening better. For a family new to Indian cinema it can be a fun introduction.

History & Society Lens Asks about the period, the social background and what the work reflects.

Rangeela's love triangle can really be read as a class choice: caught between her childhood friend from the streets and the famous star who discovers her, Mili stands between two worlds and two futures. The journey from extra to leading lady also reflects how fame was seen as a door to social mobility for a poor young woman. The film handles this not in heavy terms but through songs and romantic comedy, so it tells a fairy tale more than it offers a critical view. It is interesting as a look at how 1990s Indian popular cinema saw its own star system.

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