ROCKSTAR - My Review

So at last, I did manage to catch a show of Rockstar. I know it’s late, But blame my exams for the delay.

I read somewhere that the best way to review a film is to go in with an empty mind, free of bias. With all the people around me telling the good as well as the bad things about the film, it was hard to not go in with preconceived notions.

Five minutes into the film, and I did not care about what people told me about the film. From there on, I camouflaged into a simple guy who is super passionate about films and wants to have a great experience in those three hours. And I was not disappointed. (Well, not completely: P)

Story:
Now about the film, Rockstar is primarily a love story between Jordan and Heer. Yes, it is more of a love story and less about the rise and fall of a Rockstar (as the name suggests).

So, Janardhan Jakkar aka Jordan (played by Ranbir Kapoor) is a simple guy from a lower middle class family with dreams of making it big as a Rockstar. He is unable to do so because his art lacks inspiration.

“Toote Dil se hi Sangeet nikalta hai”, this is the dialogue which sets the whole mood of the film.

Jordan, who is hell bent on getting his heart broken, proposes Heer Kaul (played by Nargis Fakhri) saying, “Meri girlfriend ban ja, Dono milke rock kar denge.” Heer, being the ‘IT’ girl of the Delhi University Campus, obviously tells him to “Bugger Off”.

Eventually, they do become friends and do crazy stuff like going to a sleazy cinema hall to watch a C-grade film called ‘Junglee Jawani’ or having Desi Daaru.

Heer marries a rich guy and shifts to Prague, leaving Jordan heartbroken.

Here, Jordan becomes this huge star, but only after going through his fair share of struggle. All this glamour and stardom is meaningless, if you don’t have that special one to share it with. And Jordan’s heart feels the same. His angst is quite visible in his behavior.

Jordan and Heer, rekindle their romance in Prague, and drift apart after a short lived affair. Will they meet again? Will they live happily ever after? That makes up for the second half of the film. And I won’t play a spoiler by telling you the rest of the story.

Cast:
Ranbir, as Jordan, is BRILLIANT. He owns every frame of the film and I cannot imagine anyone else but him for this part. He proves that he takes his craft seriously and is here to do some serious work rather than churn crores by doing mindless masala entertainers. He is the SOUL of the film.

On the contrary, Nargis fails to impress me at all. No doubt, that she is beyond Beautiful and has amazing screen presence, but she can NOT act. She struggles to get her dialogues right and her expressions look forced. Her voice is dubbed for the film and you can totally make that out.

Aditi, as the journalist, is okay. Her character is not well etched out and so she looks lost throughout the film.

Shammi Kapoor Ji, in a brief cameo, is a delight to watch.

Direction:
Imitiaz is a FAB Director but he totally out shines himself with Rockstar. He has his own way of telling stories which is quite endearing. Also, the romance in his films is very tender. It takes just a hug between the lead pair to convey their love for each other, which I think is quite commendable.

The major flaw of the film is in its narrative. It is very abrupt at points which might cause a lot of people to lose interest in the film halfway through.

Crisp editing would have taken the film to a whole new level. The end of the film is Bizarre too. The whole pace of the film is slow and then suddenly the lights go on and the film comes to an end.

Music:
Music, by A.R. Rahman, is beyond words. The songs are brilliantly written, as well. Vocals by Mohit Chauhan are first rate. The songs are beautifully embedded into the screenplay. Special mention to ‘Kun Faaya Kun’ and ‘Nadaan Parinde’. They gave me goose flesh.

Styling:
My review would be incomplete without talking about the styling of the the lead actors. Aki Narula does a fabulous job as Ranbir’s stylist. As the goofy yet charming Janardhan, Ranbir is seen wearing full sleeves shirts with hand knitted sweaters and Denim Jackets. For Jordan, the Rockstar, it is all about Dhoti Pants and stylish Military Jackets with a Topi(Hat).

Nargis plays a Kashmiri Girl in the film, so Manish Malhotra, skillfully incorporates  a lot of Kashmiri embroidery in her outfits. Gorgeous!

Verdict:
Well, the film does have its flaws (everyfilm does), I would still recommend you to watch it, atleast for Ranbir.

It is not your regular Bollywood film. If Masala Entertainers is what you feed upon, then stay away from this film.

Till then, ‘Sadda haq, Aithey Rakh’ all the way!!!

Rating: ***