ROCKSTAR Reviews - ALL REVIEWS POST HERE - Page 51

There is practically no dialogue for a while after the film starts. In that time you've already been introduced to Ranbir Kapoor's two avatars: Jordan - angry rockstar, living legend, quasi-Czech hero and Janardhan Jakhad: Hindu collegian (aka Hinduite), guitar strummer, the kind of guy who'd go stand in a kilometer long line to audition for Indian Idol.

Imtiaz Ali presents the two to us using grainy video visuals and a song, and in the process sets up for himself one hell of a challenge: in a little over two hours he's going to convince us that his hero's transition from Janardhan to Jordan is legit and he's going to do this with a love story integral to the film. This is what the film is about. Question is, does he succeed?

Up front in the first half, scenes serve more to set mood. The plot spills out in wordy exchanges, smartly covered up by structure as the story crosses back and forth across time in short tableaus with only Ranbir's look serving an anchor.

A couple of times, you're forced to see the same scene again because after a point this method gets unwieldy. There is humour: Janardhan's life is devoid of pain ("the only way an artist can make soulful music", suggests his canteenwala and future manager) and his screwball attempts to fall in love with the uppity Stephenian Heer and break his own heart are laugh-out-loud moments.

There is maturity: the girl he is falling in love with - unintentionally, slowly, obviously - goes on to get married with relatively no drama in a wedding JJ attends. There is craft: Imtiaz Ali wields the film's music (Rahman) impressively - juggling it expertly with silences, using it to fuse scenes and unveil emotions - in a way that is rarely seen in Bollywood.

Ali's use of cyclic events are well embedded high-note moments: JJ continually runs in with the cops starting at a bus stop in Delhi to trespassing in Prague; Heer and her Jordan always have a bike to run off on for their little escapades - in Kashmir and in well, Prague (the idea, probably sparked from Ali's own rendition of the spirit of Chor Bazaari from Love Aaj Kal); Jordan's rockstar-like attitude is earned, never induced, by his pining alone. The director takes special care (and an additional challenge) to not dilute the journey of the rockstar with substance abuse, be it hallucinogens, or even alcohol. In this rockstar's life there is very littlesex, no drugs, and the rock'n'roll is born out of heartbreak.

Unfortunately, the film suffers from the Bollywood curse of an interval (which comes at a rather meaningless point in this case) and starts to slip in the second half till it reaches a point where love transcends to cure no-hope physical ailments (remember the hand in Mausam?) Rockstar's roots are in poetry: Rumi, Heer Ranjha, The Doors… and it ends too, poetically. But in between it often changes heart and aspires to be drama, a refined but traditional Bollywood dictated by convention. If Ali had continued distilling the essence of what he is trying to say with representative scenes - exceptionally detailed, loosely connected - rather than forcing linearity and spelling out developments later on, Rockstar would remain the poem it was meant to be.

Technically, the film hits the sweet spot. Costume and art are particularly outstanding. The cinematography optimises the use of chosen locales, without being overwhelming. The songs are the highlight. If you were on the fence with the music before there was a narrative and visuals attached to them, be assured that you'll be re-listening to the OST with newfound understanding.

Nargis Fakhri has a raw deal - to be paired opposite an inspired Kapoor and named after a character whose reinterpretation would require significant experience - is no easy task. That she is beautiful is without contention (early on in their one-to-one moments, Ranbir has to resort to wild physical antics to get your eyes off her) but on the acting scale she is awkward, her words not always connecting to her body language and expressions.

Ali's instinct with casting - always spot on - may have let him down this time. With his role, Kapoor firmly establishes himself as one of Hindi cinema's finest. Ever.

In an enchanting scene Shammi Kapoor on a shehnai records a jugalbandi with Ranbir on his guitar. At one point the veteran wah-wah's him soundlessly, perhaps not only to add to the scene, but also to send a message to the world.

Ranbir above all else, is the reason the transition, Imtiaz Ali's vision - Janardhan to Jordan - is convincing. If you need one reason to watch Rockstar, RK it is.

With his role, Ranbir Kapoor firmly establishes himself as one of Hindi cinema's finest. Ever.

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