Director	[rating:4]
	Imtiaz Ali
Producer	Dhilin Mehta
Banner	Eros Int Media Ltd; Shri Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd.
Cast	Shammi Kapoor, Ranvir Kapoor,Nargis Fakhri, Aditi Rao Hydari, Kumud Mishra
Music	A.R Rehman
Popular Songs	Phir se Udd Chala, Sadda Haqq, Nadaan Parindey, Kun Faaya Kun

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saying it in one line you will either Love it or Hate it. However it is quite easy to agree that The movie stands on two things Imtiaz Ali and Ranbir Kapoor, and Kapoor should win the best actor this year, unless the Industry goes ga-ga over Shaha Rukh Khan again.

Rockstar has an interesting span, ranging from the exuberant Delhi campus of St Stephens to the sleepy kashmiri upper class life to the global span and the beauty of enigmatic Prague. The very reason why someone will love Rockstar is the reason of hating it. It starts of beautifully, and the cuts and continuities are nice, and noticeable. The repeating song of ‘Jo bhi Main’ vibrates very nicely through the first half. We get to see the life of Janardhan Jhakad, his ambition and failure, till comes the apparently very silly idea of heart-break or pain in Mohabbat will bring out the talent in him given by his canteen manager. Thus goes Janardhan or JJ in search of love or rather heart break and proposes to the ‘heartbreaker’ of the college the pouty lipped ( those lips had more screen presence than anything else!!) Heer.

Imtiaz Ali is known to make love stories that are in essence simple, mellow and touching. And the first half makes us fall in the same line. The togethereness, Heer’s marriage and JJ who is already Jordan, (why I wonder, what was wrong with JJ) in his world tour. All through we see Jordan accumulating music, and remarkable is even after dating Heer, breaking up her marriage, being together, we do not see and song about love between the two. Forget about the song, they never tell each other that they love each other.

By the time second half starts the movie drops in to too many incidents. It seems Imtiaz Ali wanted to hammer in to our heads that the unnecessary anger that Jordan throws at people and reporters is justified. Jordan’s idol is Jim Morrison. What does not work is that Morrison voiced against social issues and a general depression that America was suffering. He simply did not go into anger and drugs because his personal bits. That seriously puts this movie backwards. Adding to that the idea of an angry, fighting rock idol is romantic however truth is that some of that behavior that we get from the rock idols is the effect of substance abuse and that is never shown in this movie which is probably to maintain the ‘family movie’ status. However, without drugs, Jordan’s anger and frustration seems unjustified. He is thrown out of the house and never taken in, and that seems a tad out of logic. With too many incidents to prove Jordan’s travel from his country and family towards music and love makes the film cluttered.

However, the end of Rockstar and the final song ‘ Tumko Paa Liya’ somehow built the movie again. It is explained at the very end that Jordan probably understood that he was in love all along. He was just so busy searching for music and fame that he never saw what he had, and it is at the very end that he find love and pain and heartbreak and music.

This story grows on you, and it is not a story about rock music or story about a rockstar and that is another problem. Somehow the movie promoted as a journey in the life of a rockstar and it is definitely not that. It is a love story and of a person who never really underdstood love. Adding to this Rockstar is Lt Shammi Kapoor’s last venture and also A.R Rehman has given the music of Rockstar and that comes years after he gave the music to Taal.

The song Saadda Haaq is already very popular, though the songs Katiya Karoon and Jo Bhi Main’ are much better. A.R Rehman’s music is soulful and strong as and when neccesary, however it some how misses the beauty of Taal, or the strength of Rang De Basanti.

Ranbir Kapoor look, designed by Aki Narula, from a regular (if slightly stupid) boy to an arrogant rock musician, Narula’s design shows dress combinations that are sure to impress the college going generation. Especially as the rockstar, Ranbir’s look is ethnic, colourful, strong and unique to the film.

Nargis Fakhri who debuts here, has Pakistani origin and thus looking at her as the Kashmiri girl, playing the love interest of Jordan, one can believe why Ali chose her. She looks apt for the part with in fashion in Prague and as a regular college student.

Like always Imtiaz Ali shot a bit of this film in the mountains of Kashmir. The mountains has always been a part of Ali’s tales, as the place where love blossoms and the city where confusion comes. The rest of the film has been shot in the college campuses of Delhi and finally in beautiful Prague as JJ reaches his fame.

All in all, if you allow a little afterthought you might like Rockstar, much more than all of last films, simply as the story goes. However songs let this movie down and Ranbir Kapoor picks it up. What goes wrong is  definitely the second half, with too many incidents and drama going a little beyond logic. That second half could have saved a lot of it.

Even then, it is a beautiful story. There are reasons to like it, the look, the actors, the visuals and  if you go beyond a mature good story about love. Not Music, mind you!!