Rockstar

Review

 Rockstar has an interesting beginning, devoid of the typical filmi introductions. There is no heroic, dramatic entry of the lead protagonist, aided by slick cuts set to an even more dramatic background score. Instead it has a disheveled, bruised and a very vulnerable looking Janardhan Jakhar aka music rockstar Jordan, played by Ranbir Kapoor, escaping an angry mob of people chasing him to a waiting open air arena, thronging with screaming fans. He runs onto the stage and transforms into a belligerent, angst-ridden pop star, as he sings the soft ballad, Jo Bhi Main. From that moment on, you want to know Jordan’s story – all of it. The lyrics of the song, interspersed with flash cuts of his early days as a singer, entice you that little bit more. Janardhan, a college-going Delhi boy from a happy family, has just one dream – to make it big in the world of music just like his idol, Jim Morrison. But he fails to impress, be it at talent hunts or just strumming his guitar on the streets. He has a sympathetic group of friends who congregate at the college canteen everyday to offer their support, all the while sponging off Janardhan’s largesse, shamelessly ordering samosas on his tab. Khatara bhai, the canteen guy, played by Kumud Mishra, is the one Janardhan turns to for career advice. Khatara’s philosophy is simple - “Takleef nahi ho life mein to koi bada nahi banta hai” is what he tells him and Janardhan goes out seeking pain, something he’s never known. The scene where Janardhan talks to himself about not being molested, adopted, beaten up or never having starved for food or shelter with his real parents still alive, in a bid to try and find some sort of pain and misery in his life is, funny. Twenty minutes into the film, Heer Kaul, the college princess, played by debutant Nargis Fakhri auditions for a dance competition which has Janardhan mesmerized. Not by her beauty or talent, but as bait for his juvenile plan to get his heart broken or to feel the pain Khatara was talking about for his music. He walks up to her and speaks to Heer in an extremely loud and uncouth manner, only to be told to “Bugger off”. The scene is hilarious and Ranbir nails it. He continues to trail her with his proposal of love all around the campus and that’s how an odd friendship is formed between the sophisticated Heer and the boisterous and loud Janardhan, even though Heer is engaged to be married soon. Her “neat and clean” image on the campus is a far cry from her dark and adventurous side that she exhibits only to Janardhan. He is more than happy to watch seedy porn films like Jungli Jawani with her at decrepit cinema halls in purani Delhi, and wait as she greets a row of men peeing on walls one by one, just to indulge her crazy whims. Even though the film is called Rockstar, Jordan doesn’t really live the rock and roll life - there are no groupies, no drugs. Raju Shelar/Firstpost In case you’re wondering what happened to Heer’s engagement in all this jungli jawani and local daru binges bit, well, she does gets married to the Indian guy based in Prague, Czech Republic. Janardhan, whom she’s christened Jordan, is by her side in Kashmir, where the wedding takes place, till the very last minute. No runaway bride here, despite the crackling chemistry between the two. She goes to Prague, he languishes in Delhi, only to take over the music world with his raw talent, backed by Khatara bhai and a genteel Ustad Jameel Khan, a shehnai maestro, played by the late Shammi Kapoor. A big music company signs him on at the Ustad’s behest only to see him turn on the charm and play the rebellious truant with equal ease. Bad boy Jordan arrives professionally, but personally, he’s hollow with a needling pain he simply can’t fathom. On a chance trip to Prague, Jordan meets Heer again and this time round, it’s not just about the strip clubs and red light districts. Throw in some French kissing in the picturesque fields of Prague. The Jordan-Heer romance is there for you to see, but there are no ‘I love you’ exchanges or reams of poetic dialogues professing love. Prague is where the romance changes both Jordan and Heer’s life drastically, given she is a married woman and he, an unpredictable ruffian. You’ll know when you see the film. The film gets slightly heavy, but not unbearably so, towards the end, but that’s just the story. Continues on the next page Just a couple of things seemed a tad out of place in the film. I found the part where Janardhan is rendered homeless by his family slightly weird. The reason we get was that he wasted his time singing songs, instead of working and making money and that he had stolen five lakh from them. Given Janardhan’s character is a buffoon living peacefully in his own little musical world, the family discord seems very contrived and forced into the screenplay. From having no problems whatsoever, Janardhan seems to be snowed under by a slew of them all of a sudden. Also, when Janardhan roams the forts of Delhi with Heer and goes out “gandh-phelaoing” all over the city, as they call it, not once does he strum his beloved guitar which he carries with him at all times, and not once does any conversation between the two revolve around his passion for music. Even though the film is called Rockstar, Jordan doesn’t really live the rock and roll life - there are no groupies, no drugs, no entourage, nothing. His romantic dalliance with a married Heer and erratic mood swings are the only two things that add some edge to his musical persona - he’s more a pop star than rockstar in the film. Also, driving a Nissan car, doesn't really scream rockstar and peddling the car in the film just because Ranbir plugs the brand in real life, doesn't blend with the character at all. US based model, Nargis Fakhri makes a stunning debut – not only is she beautiful, but she is an able performer with a charming screen presence. Raju Shelar/Firstpost The end of the film is what you make of it, quite literally. It didn’t quite work for me when the end credits rolled, but by the time I left the preview theatre, I imagined Jordan and Heer together, forever. Ranbir Kapoor is, in one word, flawless as an actor in Rockstar. For the entire duration of the film, you are drawn into Jordan’s world - you can feel his angst (especially in Sadda Haqq) his vulnerability, his naiveté, his passion for Heer – the entire gamut of emotions through his performance. Ranbir’s performance as both, Janardhan and Jordan, is thorough and he plays the multiple layers of his character fabulously. US based model, Nargis Fakhri makes a stunning debut – not only is she beautiful, but she is an able performer with a charming screen presence. What does one say about AR Rahman’s music other than praise it to the skies, especially in this film. The songs, the poetic lyrics of which are written by Irshad Kamil, are a melodious confluence of cultures and religions, have been set to some terrific music by the maestro. Imtiaz Ali should be credited for introducing international models who can’t speak a word of Hindi or Urdu and transforming them into convincing actors in his films — Brazilian model Giselli Monteiro, who played a Punjabi girl in Love Aaj Kal, walked and talked the part effectively, and now, Nargis, who is part Czech and part Pakistani who has you convinced she is a Kashmiri girl living in New Delhi. Imtiaz’s treatment of the film’s narrative with its back and forth timelines lends itself well to the story. Imtiaz shines as a director yet again after wowing audiences with Jab We Met (2007) and Love Aaj Kal (2009). The opening credits pay a subtle homage to the late Shammi Kapoor, which is indeed touching.