More than two decades after its release, Rang De Basanti has found renewed relevance as visuals from the film flood social media alongside the ongoing CJP protests over alleged NEET irregularities and demands for education reforms. This time, however, it isn't one of the film's iconic speeches that has gone viral. Instead, it is the emotionally charged sequence in which peaceful protesters are lathi-charged, dragged away and assaulted by police during a demonstration.

Rang De Basanti protest scene resurfaces

The widely shared clip shows Aamir Khan, Atul Kulkarni, Sharman Joshi, Kunal Kapoor and their friends leading a peaceful protest at India Gate following the death of Flight Lieutenant Ajay Rathod. As demonstrators demand accountability, police arrive at the scene, use force to disperse the crowd and drag away protesters, with several of them brutally beaten. The sequence marks one of the film's biggest turning points, highlighting the cost of speaking out against those in power.