Rockstar***

*ing: Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri
and Shammi Kapoor
Directed by Imtiaz Ali

Imtiaz Ali can finally take a bow. After the hugely successful but ultimately bizarre
Love Aaj Kal, he has returned with a winner in the shape of Rockstar. Not only is the film a landmark for its lead star, Ranbir Kapoor, but it’s also a step up for the writer and director who previously gave us endearing films like Jab We Met and the little known Abhay Deol starrer Socha Na Tha.

At a time when Bollywood is churning out some terrible films (that are turning into super-duper hits at the box office) like Bodyguard, Ready, Murder 2, Mausam, Ra One, Thank You, etc al, Rockstar comes across as a pleasant surprise, simply because of its powerful, moving performances, musical genius and Imtiaz Ali’s flowing direction.

From the publicity angles, this film may look like it’s about a musician and his struggles and rise to fame. And that maybe a part of the story but at its core, Rockstar is a love story and a tragic one at that, which makes it far more interesting to watch as it unravels.

The film opens up with Janardhan Jakhar, a Delhi boy (who later becomes Jordan) who just wants to be a musician. With his guitar in one hand and a dream in the other, he auditions and continues to try his luck. But nothing works. Then a meeting with the gorgeous Heer (Nargis Fakhri) changes it all.

Giving away the plot would be giving away the movie. It has to be seen to really understand the progression of Janardhan Jakhar to Jordan, his tragic love story with Heer and his rise to superstardom as Jordan.

Rockstar stands out for a variety of reasons, the biggest one being Ranbir Kapoor.

Over the last four years, he has delivered quite a few box office winners but Rockstar is the one film that brings out the finest performance from Ranbir. Forget the sly politician of Rajneeti or the Casanova from Bachna Aae Haseeno or the carefree spirit of Wake Up Sid; it’s Jordan who really charms you. In the first hour of the film, it’s Janardhan’s innocence and honesty that is endearing. As he grows into a full-blown ‘rockstar’, his anxiety and anger keep growing and it’s his love affair with Heer and the separation between the two that makes it such an effective, moving performance. Ranbir Kapoor has enormous screen presence and with Rockstar, he keeps one glued to the screen every time he comes on. He plays with emotions ranging from love to loss to indifference and he does justice each time.

Rockstar belongs to Ranbir Kapoor without question.

Then there’s the music of Rockstar. Because this film is essentially a musical, this is a massive album. It’s perhaps as much of a milestone for AR Rahman as it is for Ranbir Kapoor. For one thing, Rahman’s delivered a full original soundtrack that is neither as juvenile as Rock On’s OST nor is it your average ‘throw-in-every-genre’ Bollywood record. The music tells the story within the film and it plays out all the right emotions. This is Indian rock music in a sense without being too overt. Whether it’s the angry ‘Sadda Haq’ or the introspective ‘Jo Bhi Main’ or the rumbling ‘Katiya Karun’, it adds layers to the film and makes it more enjoyable at the same time.

And finally there is Imtiaz Ali’s direction and his style of storytelling. His characters are complicated with grey shades. Unlike many Bollywood characters, which are hugely over-the-top, Jordan and Heer are imperfect, reckless and ultimately realistic, making them more relatable and identifiable.

Imtiaz Ali tackles many subjects within Rockstar, making it a multi-layered film with themes of infidelity, an uncontrollable media, selfish record moguls and flawed protagonists.

And it must be added that Rockstar is shot beautifully, from Delhi to Kashmir to Prague, it’s breathtaking.
There are some shortcomings though which have prevented Rockstar from being that perfect film. The editing of the film could’ve been much more crisper. The film drags twice, in the middle and again, towards the ending. Had it been edited tightly…

The other problem comes in with the dubbing. While Ranbir Kapoor has walked away with generous praise (and rightly so) for his performance, Nargis Fakhri has come under fire. But I don’t agree. She looks stunning in the film and despite this being her debut film, she’s done well as the other half of the doomed couple. What makes her performance weak is the dubbing that’s gone into the film. It feels clumsy.

But all these mistakes can be forgiven for Rockstar remains a much more superior film than most Bollywood films that are releasing nowadays.

All in all, Rockstar should be seen, because it’s different and it’s daring.

— Maheen Sabeeh

Advertisement