India, July 16 -- Udaan didn't roar-it whispered-when it was released on July 16, 2010. However, that hushed murmur soon became an ear-piercing echo, subtly moulding Indian cinema's depiction of youth, oppression, defiance, and, at last, freedom. While there have been other coming-of-age films set in India,Udaan by Vikramaditya Motwane, Anurag Kashyap, and Sanjay Singh is widely considered one of the most sincere. Vikramaditya Motwane's directorial debut shaped what an entire generation had silently undergone via its protagonist, 17-year-old Rohan Singh, who was struggling to find his voice in the face of authoritarian parenting.

Even now, 15 years later, the impact and lasting memory ofUdaan remain significant. The tumultuous, freeing, ...