Soundtrack : The gritty tale of a flawed hero!
Spinning on the console at a nightclub, Raunak (Rajeev Khandelwal) is driving the crowds crazy, and owner Charlie (Mohan Kapoor) notices potential. He introduces the talented musician and DJ to a world of drunker parties, drugs, and groupies, while getting him record and film deals. On a roll, Raunak drinks while driving, does drugs before making music, sleeps through the day and works nights. His life, full of excesses, is due to take its toll. When not dealing with an imaginary figure (a pink-haired clown) who he has conversations with, Raunak is dealing with his groupie-turned- girlfriend who wants to discuss things like landscaping the garden.
The Clown wonders aloud if his father, along with the talent, has also handed down the legacy of failure to him? We see Raunak enjoying every bit of his success with just one fear gnawing him—what if the talent in his genes comes along with the disorder?
Inevitably, what happened to his father happens to Raunak. He begins to lose his hearing. The film then shows us how Raunak deals with this loss, and the extreme methods he adopts to get himself to accept this reality.
Adapted from the Canadian film, It's All Gone Pete Tong, Soundtrack retains the original's mockumentary style, which includes industry people – VJs, Music directors, DJs— talking about Raunak's journey.
Debut director Neerav Ghosh talks about a story that's inspiring and heroic, but doesn't allow the film to get preachy. Neither does the film ever strongly suggest that Raunak is paying the price of his indulgences. Ghosh concentrates on the more tragic part – that Raunak is paying the price for a hereditary disorder coupled with a professional hazard.
Ghosh gives us a debut film that's highly immersing, stylish, and involving. But then, this film had a reference point in the original. One looks forward to what Ghosh can conjure up in his sophomore attempt. The film's music is top-notch, and so is the sound design, and cinematography.
It's incredible how Rajeev Khandelwal transformed his suited-booted cliched TV avatar, to give such crackling performances in Aamir, Shaitan and now Soundtrack. As the wayward Raunak, Khandelwal gets into the skin of the character, making it believable and likeable enough to get the viewer to root. Mohan Kapoor is delightful as the gregarious and ambitious club-owner/manager who notices Raunak's potential.
Several references are made to Beethoven, the master composer who eventually lost his hearing, and the film is punctuated by the master composer's quotes.
Soundtrack is electrifying but marred by a few flaws. We are not told what happens to that imaginary figure Raunak talks to. Was he schizophrenic; what was that all about? More importantly, Raunak has gone through a devastating loss, but despite the extreme methods he adopts to recover, his acceptance of the handicap and a dramatic change in his persona seems implausible.
Still, if you're looking for a dark, real tale of an authentic and flawed hero, this one's for you.
Verdict: Three stars
Mangal Lakshmi
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