Rockstar is an out and out Ranbir Kapoor film.In fact he is better than the movie actually is.His bittersweet journey from being a naive and innocent youngster who just wants to strum his guitar and sing,to a jilted and heartbroken lover who is frustrated and angry inside despite being a superstar,is exhilarating indeed,with all the emotional ups and downs that he goes through.He becomes the anti-hero like his Idol Jim Morrison,with a Che Guevara dressing sense though,a rebellious character who shows the finger to the law,in a moment of cinematic brilliance.All his anger,finds release in his music and he becomes a rage.However,his stage persona "Jordan" is still the good old "Janardhan" inside.In an extremely heartfelt confession to his canteen buddy,he says "This was all I wanted.Why am I not happy still.Even I do not like myself like this".Ranbir puts up a pitch perfect performance revelling in Jordan's complexities and conflicts.The graph of his character undergoes so many changes and he adjusts with the paucity of a veteran who knows his craft.Just to see him work his magic on screen in those concert scenes or when he tells Nargis on the phone that we are meant to be together,Rockstar is a must watch.
And Thank you,A.R Rahman,Mohit Chauhan and Imtiaz Ali for this awesome ensemble of songs which keep the movie alive and hold the viewers to their seats.From the absolutely heart rendering romantic track "Tum Ho" to the rebellious "Saadda Haq",the soulful "Kun faya" or my personal favourite "Nadaan Parindey",all songs are very much part of the movie and in fact,enhance the entire experience.
The love story is beautiful in places,especially in places when they make lists to do all the stuff that is forbidden like watching "Jungli Jawani" and drinking country liquor.Nargis realizes that she is straying from her path,being a married woman,but the power of love,indeed is so strong,it does not recognize practicality and what follows is a passionate and volatile tale.They both control each other's lives,it is the relationship and just being with each other,which keeps Ranbir sane and Nargis,alive.
Imtiaz Ali has already proved he is a master narrator of the contemporary love story but he fails to live up to his reputation somewhat.He is a little loose on the narrative and we sense an abrupt growth instead of a gradual one in his lead character's persona.However,given the complexity of emotions involved in the subject of choice and the performances he extracts from all actors,with Ranbir towering above everybody else,his trademark witty dialogues with that inherent Punjabi-ness and the beautiful gift of absolutely mindblowing music that he gives his audience,Rockstar is a MUST WATCH.You will not even for a moment realise that the movie is actually three hours long.
Go and watch it,for Rahman,Ranbir and Imtiaz's impeccable vision.
