Masand: 'Rockstar' deserves a watch

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri, Shammi Kapoor, Aditi Rao Hydari, Piyush Mishra

Director: Imtiaz Ali

Imtiaz Ali's 'Rockstar' is a far-from-perfect film, but it has honesty and depth, which is mostly missing in Hindi movies today.

Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri's much awaited movie 'Rockstar' opens this Friday. (Text from IANS)
Ranbir Kapoor's role as the reluctant but ruthless politician in hit political thriller 'Raajneeti' earned him a lot of praise, but his 'Anjaana Anjaani' failed to garner the same response.
Now the young actor is hoping to make a mark with 'Rockstar', releasing Friday, where his character goes through various shades.
The film has been directed by Imtiaz Ali - who is known for movies like - 'Jab We Met' and 'Love Aaj Kal'.
The musical drama with Delhi as its backdrop tells the story of Janardhan Jakhar (Ranbir), a Jat boy living in the middle-class locality of Pitampura who dreams of becoming a famous rockstar like Jim Morrison.
He tries hard to prove himself as a singer but instead of appreciating him, the audiences ridicule and humiliate him.
While contemplating his failed attempts, it occurs to Janardhan that most of the famous musical stars have something in common - tragedy.
So, Janardhan, who is leading a happy life, decides to bear pain to become a well-known singer.
He approaches Heer Kaul (Nargis Fakhri), who is rich, beautiful and arrogant. She has broken many hearts. Hoping she will break his heart too, Janardhan starts following her.
The story then moves forward as the happy-go-lucky boy leaves behind Janardhan and becomes Jordan after going through various ups and downs in life.
His transformation from a simple naive individual to a tortured soul, from a college campus in Delhi to the international stage.
His fulfils his dream, but in his quest for fame he loses his heart forever.
Ranbir is said to have left no stone unturned to make his character believable on the screen.
From learning to play the guitar to staying with a Jat family and from eating at local dhabas to milking cows - the 29-year-old did all to bring authenticity in his character.
Co-produced by Eros International and Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision, the film, made on a budget of more than Rs 60 crore, has been extensively shot in Delhi in locations like St Stephen's College, Connaught Place and Nizamuddin, among others.
One of the songs that mark the turning point in the film has been shot in the Nizamuddin dargah. Some portions of the film have also been shot in Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Mumbai. Imtiaz also shot the film offshore -- in the Czech Republic and Italy.
The music, composed by Oscar winner A.R. Rahman, is already a rage and the promos of the film have received a positive response.
Ranbir and Imtiaz have been extensively promoting the film with city tours. The team was recently part of the concert where both Rahman and Ranbir performed live on stage for their fans. They are also planning a show in Kashmir and London.
'Rockstar' will introduce two new faces to the Indian film industry -- Pakistani-American model Nargis will be seen for the first time as Ranbir's love interest.
And it will also launch Brazil based Moufid Aziz, born to parents of Portuguese and Arabic origin.
The extensive promotions of the movie has garnered ample interest - here's hoping the movie is a hit.

images

Ranbir Kapoor is Janardan Jakhar, a middle-class kid from Delhi's Pitampura, who sets himself up to get his heart broken when he's told he can't be a great musician until he's suffered great pain. Janardhan goes from a desperate struggler strumming his guitar at campus hangout spots, to an angsty star, now rechristened Jordan, who's prone to violent outbursts. Indeed it's love and pain itself that inspires this journey. His heart beats for the unattainable Heer (Nargis Fakhri), the gorgeous Kashmiri girl he befriended while in college, who is now married in Prague.

Despite several hiccups, especially in the film's post-intermission portions, 'Rockstar' is an admirable effort if only for how unconventionally director Imtiaz Ali tells this tale of great passion. The romance at the core of this film is a complex one, and the film offers no easy answers. Watch how Heer comes alive each time she's in Jordan's presence, whereas when he's without her his longing prompts his best music out of him.

From the very moment in, it's evident Imtiaz understands his characters intimately and gives us lovely little moments to know them better. Like that scene in which Janardhan's sitting in a canteen and complaining that he's shattered over being shot down by the campus hottie. "If your heart was really broken, you wouldn't be sitting here eating samosas and arguing over chutney," his friend tells him, calling his bluff. In a later scene where a bhabhi protects him from his irate brothers, he screams at her for being too touchy-feely. There's sharp wit on display here, including a scene in which Jordan sits poker faced for the most part, while a music baron chats with him about a contract in the midst of getting a massage.

The film's chief lapses are its meandering script, and its less-than-impressive leading lady, both of which cost the film dearly. Nargis Fakhri is lovely to look at, but offers very little in terms of acting, reducing her character ultimately to a simpering-whimpering victim. Of the supporting cast, only Kumud Mishra makes a big impression as Jordan's mentor and manager Khatana, who watches helplessly as his friend sinks into a quicksand of despair.

'Rockstar' is never as surefooted as Imtiaz's breakout hit Jab We Met, but it's a braver, riskier film than any he's previously made. AR Rahman's score serves as the spine of this enterprise, emerging expectedly as one the film's biggest strengths. A word also for Anil Mehta's dramatic camerawork; not merely for the lush Kashmiri landscapes but also for the edgily-shot concert scenes. But 'Rockstar' belongs to Ranbir Kapoor over everyone else. It's a riveting performance - from Janardan's rough edges to Jordan's wildly unpredictable ways - and Ranbir roots it in the real. Watch how he seizes the stage in the Sadda haq number and virtually makes the track his own. For Ranbir alone, this film deserves a watch.

I'm going with three out of five for director Imtiaz Ali's 'Rockstar'. In these times of instant gratification, here's a film that makes you think. Not a perfect film, but one that stays with you long after the lights have come back on.

Rating: 3 / 5

Write your review: 'Rockstar'

Winners:

Divya, Bhubaneswar

Ankit Sharma, Delhi

Y Kumar, Hyderabad

Venkat Gaddam, Hyderabad