Rockstar

Even though the Indian film Industry releases countless big budget films every year, only once in a while there comes a movie like "Rockstar" which moves away from the usual story and casts an impression on the viewers.

Imtiaz Ali has created such a masterpiece this time. His story is a fresh take on romance and pain and he has shown he is one of the best directors around.

The story revolves around 2 characters Janardhan Jakhar a.k.a Jordan(Ranbir Kapoor) and Heer(Nargis Fakri) and their feelings towards each other. The special thing about this movie is that despite being a love story, the lead characters never act as the clichéd lovers..they never said "I love you" throughout the movie and still their love was so intense and powerful..The self inflicted pain of 'Jordan' is the soul of this movie and moves the audience.

Ranbir has done a remarkable act and has again proved he is an exceptional actor in the film industry. His transition from the innocent and confused 'JJ' to the ruthless, shattered 'Jordan' is flawless. The audience were in awe of him throughout the movie and rightly so.

The music blends with this movie perfectly and most of the time lifts the movie to higher levels. The voice of Mohit Chauhan along with the expertise of AR Rahman is just superb and this duo will be in demand for a long time. The joy, enlightenment, pain and suffering of 'Jordan' is portrayed very well through the songs. And this is one of those movies in which you feel that the songs weren't just forced in the story.

Despite everything being so good there was one shortcoming, Nargis. The model turned actress had weird expressions in few scenes in her debut film. This created some funny moments in the first half but she did a convincing act post interval.

One thing which the director couldn't balance was the pace..The first half was expanded into few years showing the pair's love and relationship but post interval they didn't do that, and stuck to a straight and small period with longer scenes. This gave most of the general audience an idea that it was slow. If the story in between intervals was balanced in terms of the time span, more people would have appreciated the whole movie.

This an emotional, and an intense journey of a simple man who goes on a path of self destruction. A Must Watch, this movie needs deep understanding and appreciation.

JJ aka JORDAN / Ranbir Kapoor Rocks.....Saddaaaaaaaa Haqqqq......Loved Rockstar movie a lotttttttttt......From Screenplay to story or Direction to Music N above all acting from the all the character is like mind-blowing ...........Will be watching it again tomorrow...This is not a feel good movie and I know a lot of people will not like it but yes it will make you think even after the lights are on.....This movie is the best film of 2011....RK is amazing and ARR score rocks....Deserves all major awards....OVERALL AN OUTSTANDING FILM which is connected to most of us...Rating 9/10....oh ya ya ya y...o yaaaaaaa.....

Jordan is sitting among prostitutes and strumming his guitar as they sing together -- when his manager pulls him out onto the street. Soon, a crowd engulfs them and starts chanting Jordan's name, their voices drowning the sound of the manager pleading with the musician to get his act together. "This is what I have always wanted," Jordan says, looking at his screaming fans. "But I am not happy inside."

Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar is a bittersweet journey of a man, an artist, from being an everyman to a superstar. But while Ali uncovers layers off Jordan the iconic musician -- each layer as fascinating as it is intriguing -- he keeps the core of the character, Janardhan Jakkad, alive. He hurts like anybody else, falls in love like anybody else, and also has to deal with moments of sheer frustration.

And all of it finds release in music. Music is Jordan's identity; it's what makes him rich and famous. But to Jordan, that's incidental. In the end, his artistry is what connects him with himself. For a Hindi film viewer, that is a fascinating story to watch unfold.

Then there's the opening shot, a tribute to India's original Rockstar, Shammi Kapoor. From there on, it's a tumultuous ride – one with its highs and lows, one that has anguish as also love, one that has pain, but also a sense of fulfillment. And a brilliant finale -- not a conventional one, but effective nonetheless -- which leaves you feeling like the characters themselves: incomplete but content, like an effective crescendo that leaves you wanting more.

The music itself is a delight. Each AR Rahman number is lilting, and woven beautifully in the story, the high frequency of songs not hindering the storytelling but enhancing the experience. Lyricist Irshad Kamil does an outstanding job, penning words that reflect the lead character's state of mind and complement situations aptly.

Imtiaz Ali, in trademark fashion though, isn't content with Focussing on the complexities of a troubled musician; he gives us a dose of romance too, and a generous one at that. Estrangement from family, lack of fulfillment in life, and self-discovery apart, what really drives Jordan's music is his relationship with Heer (Fakhri, beautiful but awkward). Volatile as the affair is, it's also what keeps Jordan sane, and Heer alive.

For about 15 minutes in Rockstar, the narrative tends to resort to 'Bollywoodism'; true love having the power to cure a terminal illness (almost), for example, doesn't exactly fit with what the rest of the film has to say. The story tends to meander a bit post-interval, but Imtiaz makes it work eventually, interweaving the fantastical romantic part of the film with the more gritty, dark bits deftly. In the end, how much you enjoy Rockstar will largely depend on whether the balance between the tale of a broken, discontented musician and the more conventional love story works for you.

It did for me -- though I would have preferred the former -- but you can't deny Imtiaz credit for his mastery over the romance genre. No contemporary filmmaker has dealt with man-woman relationships with as much dexterity. His films often tread a similar path (the lovers are usually confused, meet at different points in life, and there's always the 'other man'), but his fresh approach to each story is what makes them immensely watchable.

With Rockstar, Imtiaz goes beyond his own tried-and-tested format, his ambition to narrating a more complex story coming through. This is probably his most personal film, and his honesty as filmmaker is hard not to be affected by. Hopefully, he goes the whole hog next, ditching the genre he's adept at to trying his hand at something entirely out of his comfort zone. Rockstar is also Imtiaz's most technically polished film, and he benefits from the association with cinematographer Anil Mehta and editor Aarti Bajaj.

Ranbir Kapoor has been Hindi cinema's Next Big Thing for a while now. With Rockstar, he lives up to the hopes pinned on him to deliver big. Ranbir revels in Jordan's complexities; another actor may have found it to be an obstacle. The character arc undergoes constant transformation and he adapts suitably. It wouldn't be an understatement to say that Ranbir's portrayal of Jordan may go down as one of Hindi cinema's most accomplished performances by a lead actor. Just to see him work his magic on screen, Rockstar is worth a watch.

But while good acting is always an incentive, it's a director's vision that makes a film truly watchable, and Imtiaz makes Rockstar stand out from what the mainstream churns out every week. And brings back the one aspect sorely missing from Hindi films lately -- music.

This is seriously Imtiaz's Best film yet!!!! When the movie end, i kept asking myself how is it possible to narrate a story like this... Story wise, absolutely amazing!!! What you guys will see in the trailer is just 1% of the movie!!!! Ranbir Kapoor was amazing too, balancing the right emotions at the right time. Some Amards should be waiting for him now... definitely AR Rahman stole the whole movie with 14 Top charting music!!!! Every Music suits the story every single time. Well he isn't called genius without a reason.

For me, its the Best Album of the year and potentially the best movie if the year!!!! All Credits goes to Imtiaz Ali for such great story/content.

Rockstar is a film made once in a lifetime. Hats off to Imtiaz Ali for story, Ranbir Kapoor & Nargis Farkhri for scintillating performances, A.R. Rahman & Mohit Chauhan for great soundtrack & background Music.

Rockstar is a must watch film. It'll leave you feel-good hangover of itself. This Movie shows how Love Stories should be made. This movie has something, which is hard to see in other Hindi/Bollywood Films. Something which would make you think about the whole movie even after so many hours of watching it. Watch it deeply and you'll enjoy it.

I loved the movie and enjoyed it thoroughly after so watching so many movies this year, I'd say Watch it Again, if you've seen it once...

Verdict: Don't Miss it!!!

Acting & Performance: 9/10

Story: 8.5/10

Music: 10/10

Overall: 9/10