ROCKSTAR
Director : Imtiaz Ali
Music : AR Rahman
Lyrics : Irshad Kamil
Cast : Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri, Shammi Kapoor, Aditi Rao
Every time Imtiaz Ali makes a movie, I get filled with extreme curiosity and a vigorous will to watch the movie on the first day itself! Socha na tha created that urge and Jab we met only elevated it. Maybe, it’s the soul-touching music along with the soul-rendered lyrics that give rise to such an urge. Or maybe it’s the impression his movies create in the first trailer itself! But as long as the film justifies the expectations, you don’t want to blame anyone. However, when the film doesn’t live upto that hype, the level of liquid descends in your heart. Love Aaj Kal, despite my craze for the movie’s lead pair & the song DOORIYAN, I ended up spitting at the movie after watching it once. The reason??? Simple enough, the director promised something in his trailers & the songs, but the movie failed to nurture and reap what it had promised. It was just another love story, which due to simple minds & stereotypes alike, became a big hit in the box office. And three years later, once again Imtiaz came up with a Biggie, just like the last time, I had all my nails curved on this one, especially with the untamed Lion’s look that Ranbir carried in the posters, I was totally up for granted.. for this movie. Expecting something really different, never before seen in Indian cinema kindastuff... Blame it on the tracks Saadda Haq & Jo Bhi mei, the energy of the former & scamper in the latter were enough to drive me to the theatres even a night before the release. And unusually, the songs were not all about love and falling in love or breaking hearts, but on hard hitting spit on the society and self demoralization. But Alas! Rather a half-hearted alas, coz I did like the movie, but it didn’t live upto the expectations woven deep within. Just like the last one, this one too missed that ‘something’. Something that had to connect the characters with the story. It is really difficult to tell what the movie is about- the journey of a musician, the unstable relationship between two lovers or a series of events that leads to the beginning where it all ends.People have started complaining that I am a terrible critic, but I am just being honest. The movie has a soul, but lacks the spirit connecting it with the story. Performance was really good, there were just three characters who took most of the screen time, Ranbir being the main one. Ranbir scores all points in his transformation from a ‘nanna munna choo choo’ to the hard hitting rockstar. Nargis was pathetic in the first half, however she did well as the dying lover in the second half. Aditi Rao was simple and played her small part simply...well! Besides there were some really underdeveloped characters who fade in and fade out after sometime, Shmmi Kapoor being one of them. He superbly immortalized Ustad Bismillah Khan in his small role in his last movie. Hats off to him!
As for the technical part, the movie has been beautifully shot, with an ending that compromises for all the 2 and half hours of uncooked khichdi that was shown before it. The way the ending was picturized gives a long lasting effect in the mind of the viewer. While the music kept you going away from your seats. Yes, the movie has a story, a good one, but it doesn’t really require a Title like ROCKSTAR, a simple HEER (name of Nargis Fakhri’s character) would have been enough.
As for the narration, the one thing that I absolutely loved was the way Imtiaz wove flashbacks within flashback and back and forth, without breaking any continuity. It’s an art and I bow unto him for pulling it off such brilliantly. My only complaint, the movie wasn’t as dark as I had expected, rather it wasn’t Dark at all. Indian Cinema hasn’t grown that much, I assume. Overall, A movie worth watching, and like I said, the simple minds and stereotypes would like it, but for those who are used to Hollywood & movies with dark touch, won’t give this movie a pint of a hump.
VERDICT – Watch it, great music, meaningful lyrics, nice screenplay. Ranbir’s thundering performance and an ending that is perhaps the best ever in Indian Cinema till date (or second best to Mani Ratnam’s Guru)
MY RATING – 7/10
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