Going by the title, let me first talk about the music. Frankly speaking, I am not a big fan of AR Rahman. In last few years, there are many of his creations / albums that I didn’t like. The top among the list is his Oscar winning performance “Slumdog Millionnaire”. But I loved the music of Rockstar which I believe is one of his best creation in last few years. The music rocks. It brings the Rock genre back in vogue. Almost all songs are beautiful and touching at the same time. While some songs like “Katia Karun” and “Sadda Haq” are already a hit. I think its just a matter of time when the others pick up. Each song (and there are many) has the caliber to be on the charts.
Music is the soul of Rockstar whether its the background score or the songs. The movie progresses in songs. Each song sketches the emotional turmoil that the characters are going through. Whether it is the maturing of characters or the appreciation of romance, everything happens in songs. Each song has a significance. The biggest hit and the current rock anthem “Sadda Haq” is so intense that you can actually feel it in your nerves. This is a movie that it can easily be classified as a “musical”. The last movie of this kind which I liked was “Rock On”.
Moving back to the movie and its review. The story is simple. It is the story of a simpleton who dreams of being a Rockstar and wants to emulate Jim Morrison. The trouble is its just a dream for him. He is unable to impress anyone. And then one joke by his friend transforms his life. The joke is “Only those people are famous who have suffered tragedies and whose hearts are broken”. It seems a joke at that time but believe me the movie is just this one line.
The story has two contrasting halves. The first half which is entertaining might appeal more to the masses. It is a story that builds the chemistry between the lead characters. It is funny, witty and also prepares you for the emotive second half. However, the only flaws in the movie are in the first half. The editor has taken his job a bit too seriously here. There are scenes which are randomly cut to make it short as the director really wanted to reach the core of the movie which is the second half. The second half is much better. It is a high tension mix of emotional turbulence and commotion.
However, going by the response of people close to me in the theater, I can sense that not many people liked it as compared to the first half.
In the acting department, the movie revolves around Ranbir and Nargis Fakhri. I can safely say that this is Ranbir’s most matured performance. He is no doubt a great actor and has proved his talent time and again but this is a movie that will win him the greatest appreciation and may be many critic awards. He lives and breathes in his character. You could see how a simple Jat transitions slowly into an arrogant and painful character where success has lost its meaning for him. This is Nargis’s debut movie and for a debutant, her performance is commendable. She might not have given her best considering she was up against Ranbir but she has put in a lot of efforts. Needless to say, she is gorgeous in the movie with a very sensual appeal.
All other characters are good. The one worth mentioning is his friend “Kataria”. He has also put in a superb effort. (Sorry don’t know his name). It is also important to put in a word for great Shammi Kapoor. This is his last movie and he looks great in the short cameo appearance.
RockStar is Imtiaz’s 4th movie. I have liked all his previous ones. In fact the one that I liked least was his biggest hit “Jab We Met”. A close look at all his movies “Socha Na Tha”, “Jab we met”, Love Aaj Kal” reveals that he loves doing unusual love stories. His movies are confined within the boundaries of only two characters. With such short scope and confinements, it is his genius only that can wove stories around it. He has directed the movie beautifully and just focussed on the passionate affair and the sensibilities around it. The movie is not a typical romcom and also doesn’t have a predictable ending. In fact the end is poignant and a bit abstract for the audience to understand.
Summing up, this is not your typical Friday blockbuster which will break opening collections or weekly records. This is not Ready, Bodyguard, Golmal or Ra. One. This is not even Love Aajkal. This is different. Not many people will like it but I am sure a lot will appreciate it.
