Imtaiz rocks the audience

By K N Gupta

Eye TV India Bureau

Cast: : Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri, Shammi Kapoor, Aditi Rao Hydari
Director: Imtiaz Ali

Critic's I-view

Click for larger view

‘Rockstar’ is the lone Hindi movie released Friday, Nov 11, 2011. With a hyped promotion, it attracted full houses of mostly youngsters in big cities across India. Full of songs and music, college-goers thronged cinemas. Several USP’s triggered the big rush on the opening day - both lead stars did just a great job, and Oscar winner A.R. Rahman’s music was ultimately melodious. The awesome presence of Bollywood’s one time top romancer Shammi Kapoor in the movie added a nostalgia element bringing in the older generation audience.

Janardhan Jakhar (JJ) played by Ranbir Kapoor is a Haryanvi. He studies in the capital’s premier institute - Hindu College, and often gobbles samosas in the college’s famous cafeteria. Ranbir is a guitar strumming singer for commuters taking the public Delhi bus. He’s shown a loser as a cop slaps him and the cafe owner taunts him that Ranbir won’t become a Jim Morrison without first going through heartbreak and the consequential real pain. At home, JJ’s family ridicules him. JJ forces himself onto a St Stephenson girl named Heer played by Nargis Fakhri. She hails from Kashmir and is urbane unlike him. One day, she asks JJ to accompany her to the Walled City’s oldest theater Amar Talkies to watch ‘Junglee Jawani’ being screened there. Both enjoy it and take a taste of liquor. The movie shifts to Nargis getting married and opts for a drab life in the Prague. JJ has to live with Heer’s love and her absence. This turns him into a rockstar, Jordan.

Click for larger view

Luck brings Jordan to Prague for a contest where he is united with his lost love Heer and tries to relive the past. She cautions him against crossing the conventional line. When they indulge in the old habits, Heer is upset and tells JJ to leave her lead her marital life. It’s another matter that Heer is unable to suppress her own urge to indulge with JJ.

Click for larger view

Well, the story isn’t all that impressive. But, the performances of the lead stars overcome this flaw. Cinematography is exceptional. Anil Mehta proves his skill with the shoots in Delhi and Kashmir. A.R. Rahman of course is outstanding and his eclectic musical score presents a wide range of sounds to Mohit Chauhan’s vocals and Irshad Kamil’s lyrics. “Sadda Haq…” is on top of several other beautiful tracks. Ranbir’s Shammi Kapoor act on a boat on the Dal Lake where he sings “Chand Sa Roshan Chehra” relives Bollywood’s good old days.

On the whole, Imtiaz Ali deserves a big applause, both for writing the script and brilliantly directing it.