ROCKSTAR : The Review

cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri, Shammi Kapoor

Directed by Imtiaz Ali
music by A R Rahman
cinematography  Anil Mehta

release date: November 11, 2011

REVIEW   


Ranbir Kapoor’s Jordan is introduced to us as a rock star at the heights of his career. The opening sequence shows the star caught up in a tiff with the local police struggling to make it for his own global concert. But the minute he steps onto that stage, he takes on a more confident and irrefutable star persona. This opening sequence, sans any dialogues, is impressive and bound to hook you instantly. Curious enough as to make us wonder how an average Joe, Janardhan Jhankar from the campuses of Delhi, reaches the heights of global fame as Jordan.

We are curious but Imtiaz does not want to play the game. Instead what Imtiaz Ali, the director, chooses to narrate is the reason for the rockstar’s perennial pain and agony.  Jhankar , in his college days, is that aspiring musician unable to impress the ones that matter. He is a wannabel desi Jim Morrison, but made to realize by his confidante and friend Khatana, the college canteen owner, that what Janardhan Jhankar aka JJ misses is genuine ‘pain’.

The search for instant pain, believed to be a source of creativity, is what sets up the meeting of JJ with the campus chick-list topper Heer.  Heer as expected is irked by the Haryanvi lad’s initial advances, but then one fine day, the neat and clean, hi-fi Heer decides to make JJ her partner in crime, as she goes about embracing her ‘junglee’ side as one last pre-marriage burst. JJ is so smitten with her that all his musical aspirations take a backseat, while he goes about entertaining his new found friend all across Delhi. He even sneaks out to Kashmir to attend Heer’s wedding.

With the fun, frolic and wedding done and dealt with, the protagonists go their separate ways. Heer settles down at Prague with her husband, while JJ (now rechristened Jordan by Heer) rides back to Delhi, to continue on his musical soul searching.

He bags a lucrative contract, and an album later he becomes the name that can launch a thousand CDs. But happiness eludes Jordan despite all the success, and yet the singer knows not why. But he is quick to realize that when he gets an opportunity to travel to Prague for a Euro tour. He lands up at Heer’s door step and rekindles the good ol’ times. Except the rockstar and the married woman decides to take things to the next level.

Technically one would not find faults with this production. The cinematography from Anil Mehta is top notch and the mesmerizing locales are well captured on screen. The editing, given the material is also serviceable.  The trio of jewels comes up with a soundtrack that really needs to be treasured - Mohit Chauhan, A R Rahman and Irshad Kamil emerges as the gems without which this musical journey would head nowhere. The  enchanting songs, the voice and the words take the film to greater heights. You know that the songs are effectively used when tracks  like ‘Kun Fana Kun’, ‘Naadhan Parindey’ and ‘Tum Ho’ refuse to leave your thoughts even after the screening. On that same note, the way the ‘Sadda Haq’ track plays out is unfortunately, akin to the Rajni cameo in Ra.One – over hyped, and largely inconsequential to the narration. Still, with 14 songs, this is a guilty pleasure trip for every Rahman fan out there, and these fan boys shall not be complaining about having a song too many. All said and done, hat off to Imtiaz Ali’s attempt to stick it out and narrate the film in such a manner, believing in the strength of the music and the lyrics.

However the flip side is that Imtiaz Ali also needs to take the brunt of things that has gone awry with the movie.  The lackluster writing that is on display here is appalling because that was one of strengths of the film maker. First and foremost, it is a demanding script. It demands the viewers not to ask questions. It demands us to believe that Jordan is so gifted that a debut album is enough for him to click as a singer. It demands us to believe that he may sing in Hindi, but is a phenomenon that is hugely successful as much as in Prague, as much as he is loved by the masses in Mumbai or Himachal Pradesh. It demands us to take the singer seriously when he rants about environment and social issues. It demands us to sympathize with the characters and wish for them a utopian life away from the society and the media even though we are never shown these factors to be the obstacles faced by the couple. The demands keep coming, and as a helpless viewer, the least you can demand for are good performances.

Ranbir Kapoor, however does not come up with a good performance but a brilliant one. He carries the entire film on his shoulders and raises his game to overcome the wobbly inconsistent nature of the script. Striking the right chords and strings, Ranbir goes through the gamut of emotions of the lead character Jordan. He also finds able support in the form of Kumud Mishra, who is a genuine pleasure to watch. The rapport between the two onscreen is ‘lajawaab’ and makes sequences like the heartbreak one in the canteen an instant winner. Also a noteworthy cameo from a true legend, Shammi Kapoor’s character comes with a certain grace and aura that acts as the perfect foil to the manic impulses of Jordan. However, the ‘Tareef Karun’ boat show by Ranbir, seemed like an unnecessary last minute addition.

Ali’s writings, as mentioned earlier, have issues. But the biggest folly from the director is not what he wrote, but his choice of the performer to bring his words to life. Whatever Imtiaz wanted to say, seem to be ruined not by any ‘alfaaz’ but by the leading lady’s inept attempt at emoting. For an integral character like Heer, in a love story like Rockstar, you would expect an equally strong performer and a director like Imtiaz could bring in any one he wishes to. Hence it baffles me to find Imtiaz settling for a novice like Nargis Fakhri.  A similar misdeed was done last time around too by having Deepika Padukone for Love Aaj Kal, and the mistake gets repeated here too. Nargis may be mouthing dialogues in Hindi, but she clearly is emoting in a different language altogether. So we hardly get to fall in love with the plastic character like Jordan does, yet Imtiaz demands the love story must touch our hearts. 

Ranbir’s acting and Rahman’s music might have done just about enough to save the film and make it deserving of a watch. But Imtiaz Ali’s Rockstar also is a wasted opportunity for it had a potential to touch all of us deeply. It had the potential to be a timeless tale with a soul in the right place. In its current flawed form, a soul it does have, but unfortunately, one tied down by the shackles of inconsistent writing and imbalanced performances.

Rating:  3/ 5 

SONG 1: KATIYA KAROON 

SONG: SADAA HAQ

SONG  :  KUN FAYAA KUN