Rock On!!

I didn't have many expectations from this one before the release. Then, came the reviews and they were surprisingly positive which raised my expectation bar. And after watching the movie, I realized that both (moive and the reviews) were Spot On!! Abhishek Kapoor's 'Rock On!!' is indeed a rocking and a refreshing film.

It tells the story about four young friends who put together a wonderful band called 'Magik' but could never make it big. The movie brilliantly depicts the life of aspiring rock stars in India and carefully handles their rise, fall and reunion. The whole movie see-saws between the past and the present which keeps the viewer interested.

Acting is also nice. Frahan Akhtar acts well and is a capable singer. Though I hope he doesn't become Himesh #2 and keeps his singing within limits. Rest of the cast- Arjun, Purab, Luke, Prachi and Sahana also do well.

As for the negatives, the movie was a little lengthy. Plus, I believe the incident with "Rob" was unnecessary which didn't suit the general "feel-good" mood of the film.

Despite some shortcomings, Rock on!! is indeed a noteworthy attempt and needs to be applauded. Well done.

Ode to Dil Chahta Hain::

√ Farhan Akhtar plays an extended version of Akash.

√ Arjun Rampal reprises Sid.

√ Turn Dimple Kapadia into a male character and add them into a trio – voila, you have DCH of four!

√ The misunderstanding/ breakup.

√ The final moments before the credits rolls.

√ The past narrated in flashback.

Well, one should appreciate the makers were honest to admit publicly that the movie was DCH Part Deux.

Performances::

√ Farhan Akhtar:: He doesn't falter a bit and delivers an eye-opener performance in terms of the subtle nuances and body language he bring in. Of course, his distinct voice is his his greatest asset. Hindsight, he should have done "Lucky" in Main Hoon Na, at least the role would have been more memorable.

√ Arjun Rampal:: Probably first time one would take notice of his performance as it is very matured and restrained. Lets hope it does what DCH did to Akshaye Khanna.

√ Purab Kohli, Luke Kenny & Shahana Goswami:: Should capitalise on the success of the movie to get a strong foothold in Bollywood. Good performances otherwise.

√ Prachi Desai is good in her "Miss Goody Two Shoes" role. BTW – why was her character a bit pushy towards male bonding?

√ Koel Purie is as usual OK.

Too many flashbacks hinder the narrative. Should have been confined to a single one.

The songs would take sometime to catch on as they belong to Rock genre and not the usual run-out-of mill.

The protagonists passion for music give you a feel of Jhankaar Beats and so does the climax.

The movie is handled extremely well on all technical fronts. A very well made movie. Looking forward your next outing Gattu Kapoor!

PS: Javed Saab, does the usage of "Darling" refer to a previous experience of your in the Bollywood?

First of all, I have to tell you that Farhan Akhtar is a ROCKSTAR !!! Man what films he has made till date - DCH, Lakshya and now this one. Along with Farhan, Abhishek Kapoor(whose first film Arryan didn't do too well) too has done a great job as a director. Though I could make out a few goofs, but considering the fact that I was so engrossed in the movie, they can be overlooked.

The rest of the cast is excellent. Arjum Rampal for a change is so much better than his earlier performances. But, I still feel he could have done better. Prachi Desai gives a SMASHING performance. So much depth in her character and boy-o-boy, did she play it well. Purab was such a refreshing element throughout. He's completely lovable.

Now, for the music. I'm so proud to hear the first mainstream Rock album of India. And I'm glad they have not messed up the songs and have kept the raw, college boy feel to all the songs. Even the slow tracks(2 of them) are so soothing. Brilliant album. Kudos to Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

Finally, Rock On is really fresh film, if not a classic. Technically its not 10/10 but just for the EQ(emotional quotient) I give it a 10.But, for lovers of mature drama and emotions, it'll be a treat. Thank you Farhan, Abhishek etc. etc. for such a refreshing change. Best Indian film of 2008 till now, hands down !!!!

The basic idea of the movie is just as 'Dil Chahta Hai'- a fight between two friends and their reunion(But here there's' much more after the that). Let me clear first: THE SONGS ARE AWESOME 10/10.

Very nicely directed, the film has slow pace in the first half and the story may confuse some, as there are a lot of flashbacks. some unwanted characters too included. But the second half has the perfect speed and will cling you to the seats. the whole idea of ROCK ON!! gets concentrated here, no stupid incidences, no unwanted scenes-perfect The only thing which i didn't like was the reunion of MAGIK (not as great as it should be- could be much grand) Talking about performances- everyone does a great Job, special mention for Luke Kenny and Purab Kohli. Prachi Desai (cant say a newcomer, been in daily soaps) looks lovely, acts well. Farhan has surely some thing for Singing. The songs sound genuine as are sung by Farhan than some professional singer. Lots of light moments throughout the film, wonderfully shot. The end is wonderful.... you will probably guess the end, but it will turn out much greater.

For hardcore ROCK fans, don't expect NIRVANA, GREENDAY, or DEEP PURLPE, its bollywood ROCK

You will surely come out of the theatre with smiles- thats for sure.

"Rock On!!" is an Indian film about a group of guys who made up a rock/pop band a decade ago. The film begins in the present day and the lead singer of this group, Magik, is now a very successful businessman. He's so wrapped up in his job that he pushes his wife out of his life. She doesn't even know about this past life--and only stumbles upon his being in a band by accident. However, when she does, she contacts his other band mates and tries to get them back together. But Aditya isn't grateful--instead he treats his old friends like they are a part of the past he'd like to keep in the past. Can Aditya come around and finally open up his heart to these guys? And, he's not the only one with problems. Joe loves music and never left the music business...but his wife is a serious detriment and seems bent on squashing his dream. And then there is one other member with a serious problem...one you only learn about late in the film. Can all these problems be worked out so that Magik can once again find the magic?

This film is different from a typical Bollywood film because it's clearly targeted towards a younger and hipper sort of audience. This isn't a complaint---just an observation. I really like the style in which the story was told and the story is enjoyable. The only negatives I noticed are that the story seemed a bit predictable and only offered one big surprise. The other wasn't the fault of the original production but the DVD had serious issues. Instead of playing properly, often the film would play a portion and when it came to the next segment, it would bounce back to the scene menu! This is very odd and I've never had it happen before.

By the way, if you do watch the film, watch Joe when he plays guitar. Every time he does, a hidden wind machine catches his hair and it's actually unintentionally funny.