The controversial MiG-21 which turned Rang De Basanti into a cult classic was just retired
After six decades of service, the Indian Air Force has officially retired the MiG-21, the Soviet-era fighter jet that earned both fame and infamy as India’s “flying coffin.” Immortalized in Rang De Basanti—where its crashes became a pivotal plot point sparking a generation’s activism—the aircraft leaves behind a controversial yet undeniable legacy.