Unconventional, Flawed and brilliant -Not the regular three word that would be used in a sentence to express a thought. Maybe that the best way to describe the movie – not regular. It’s a very unconventional attempt for India, the kind of movies which would hardly be made in India. We are not used to musicians with bad attitude (other than drunken performances of the legendary and extraordinary musician Pt Bhimsen Joshi).
It was so refreshing to see the kind of passion that went into making this film and a admirable execution of an unorthodox plot. Rockstar is essentially a love story with romance and pain constituting the central themes. The story is about Haryanvi boy Janardan Jakhar from delhi, who goes from being a desperate and struggling college singer/guitarist to a angry outlaw rechristened as Jordan. He falls in love with Heer, a Kashmiri girl who was the out-of-his-league girl in college when he befriended her and is now married in Prague. The story takes a turn when he realizes how much he likes the girl, this influences him to an extent that the musical stardom that follows is inspired by pain and love from his relationship with her.
The first half has lot of sharp wit at display and some scenes keep you in splits for the most part. Imtiaz Ali understand the nuances of portraying relationships on screen and never misses the lovely little moments. They do become cheesy sometimes but Imtiaz is not the one to shy away from it - little scenes like the one in which Heer covers both her and Jordan under white cover and calls it their world, was especially well captured. The characters are so well defined and the chemistry is evidently burning, so much so that Heer becomes healthy and happy each time Jordan is around. The director tells the tale in an unconventional yet passionate fashion and story is seamlessly weaved together going back and forth flashback and then joining the present. The use of sudden silence in the middle of a song sequence to deliver a story piece was also noteworthy.
The camerawork was outstanding whether it was the landscapes or close rock show angles in neon lights or even the last few dream like sequences, the frames looked brilliant and fairly artistic. Especially the whole sequence showing transition from Jordan arrested in Prague to his outrageous rock performance to newspapers and album cutouts like a comic book, were a visual delight. Its followed by a scene in which Jordan records with shehnai artist Jamil Khan played by the legendary Shammi kapoor, is quite outstanding.
The movie is far from perfect but has the depth and passion, which is missing mostly in Indian cinema today. The script is flawed that it doesn’t convincingly translate into the assured storytelling style that we know Imtiaz for. To add to that, the lead actress kills the essence of most scenes when she appears on the screen.. She’s pretty, but at best can be described as a poor man’s Katrina Kaif.
The music plays a huge part in the movie and form the integral part in the storytelling. A R Rehman give a real rock music feel to the soundtracks and crooning painful voice by Mohit Chauhan draws you to the scenes in the movie. I have never heard Mohit Chauhan sing in those high before and I was pleasantly surprised. This is one of those films where the songs felt so much better in the movie than just listening to audio tracks.
But Ranbir Kapoor was the real star of the show. His performance towered way above the rest of the crew whether he was playing a simple Jakhar boy with rakish charm or angry and in pain rockstar, he did both with equal aplomb. If someone wants a lesson in “getting into character”, they should watch his performance. A standing salute to a fantastic performance
Its not the best film ever made, but deserves a watch for an effort at unconventional cinema, Ranbir’s fabulous performance and the fact that it makes you think. Trust me it would stay with you long after you come out of the theatre.
Rating: 8/10
It was so refreshing to see the kind of passion that went into making this film and a admirable execution of an unorthodox plot. Rockstar is essentially a love story with romance and pain constituting the central themes. The story is about Haryanvi boy Janardan Jakhar from delhi, who goes from being a desperate and struggling college singer/guitarist to a angry outlaw rechristened as Jordan. He falls in love with Heer, a Kashmiri girl who was the out-of-his-league girl in college when he befriended her and is now married in Prague. The story takes a turn when he realizes how much he likes the girl, this influences him to an extent that the musical stardom that follows is inspired by pain and love from his relationship with her.
The first half has lot of sharp wit at display and some scenes keep you in splits for the most part. Imtiaz Ali understand the nuances of portraying relationships on screen and never misses the lovely little moments. They do become cheesy sometimes but Imtiaz is not the one to shy away from it - little scenes like the one in which Heer covers both her and Jordan under white cover and calls it their world, was especially well captured. The characters are so well defined and the chemistry is evidently burning, so much so that Heer becomes healthy and happy each time Jordan is around. The director tells the tale in an unconventional yet passionate fashion and story is seamlessly weaved together going back and forth flashback and then joining the present. The use of sudden silence in the middle of a song sequence to deliver a story piece was also noteworthy.
The camerawork was outstanding whether it was the landscapes or close rock show angles in neon lights or even the last few dream like sequences, the frames looked brilliant and fairly artistic. Especially the whole sequence showing transition from Jordan arrested in Prague to his outrageous rock performance to newspapers and album cutouts like a comic book, were a visual delight. Its followed by a scene in which Jordan records with shehnai artist Jamil Khan played by the legendary Shammi kapoor, is quite outstanding.
The movie is far from perfect but has the depth and passion, which is missing mostly in Indian cinema today. The script is flawed that it doesn’t convincingly translate into the assured storytelling style that we know Imtiaz for. To add to that, the lead actress kills the essence of most scenes when she appears on the screen.. She’s pretty, but at best can be described as a poor man’s Katrina Kaif.
The music plays a huge part in the movie and form the integral part in the storytelling. A R Rehman give a real rock music feel to the soundtracks and crooning painful voice by Mohit Chauhan draws you to the scenes in the movie. I have never heard Mohit Chauhan sing in those high before and I was pleasantly surprised. This is one of those films where the songs felt so much better in the movie than just listening to audio tracks.
But Ranbir Kapoor was the real star of the show. His performance towered way above the rest of the crew whether he was playing a simple Jakhar boy with rakish charm or angry and in pain rockstar, he did both with equal aplomb. If someone wants a lesson in “getting into character”, they should watch his performance. A standing salute to a fantastic performance
Its not the best film ever made, but deserves a watch for an effort at unconventional cinema, Ranbir’s fabulous performance and the fact that it makes you think. Trust me it would stay with you long after you come out of the theatre.
Rating: 8/10
Sounds promising-Checked.
ReplyDeleteWell, I intentionally did not read this review before watching the movie lest it created any bias. And I think I was bang on! Such a review would make anyone to go & watch the movie. Good job AB!
ReplyDeleteI loved the movie! And yes, it is not perfect. It is not 'one of the greatest movies I've seen in a long time'. No. But the passion in this movie is unbelievable. I agree with you on the point of nuances of the relationship portrayed beautifully by Imtiaz. I love that scene of 'our own world'.
Anil Mehta's cinematography, Rahman's music, Mohit's voice and RK's performance -- brilliant. << I wanna go to Prague even more so now! >> Nargis is okay -- beautiful, good expressions but fails at times on dialogue delivery.
It does leave an impression on your mind and transports you to a different world. However, it drags a bit in the 2nd half. All-in-all, a good watch. Rockstar is not just about rock music or pop music -- it's a little deeper, in my opinion. What makes someone a 'rockstar' is not his clothes or hair or guitar / drums but something else, which the movie showcases beautifully.
And oh btw, I love the Haryanvi boy - Kashmiri girl connection. Too charming, ain't it? :P