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Movie Review: "Rockstar"; Star Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakri and Moufid Aziz; Director: Imtiaz Ali; Rating: ** 1/2 - fails to pull heartstrings, but Ranbir wows.
Here is a film made on the life of a rockstar whose tryst with destiny does not touch your heart.
In a grey dull European city, we aren't sure if the frizzy haired, Indo-Persian dressed Rockstar (Ranbir Kapoor) is detained or mugged while he fight backs his detractors to reach the venue to deliver an electrifying performance.
In fact, Imtiaz Ali's "Rockstar" is a love story of Janardhan Jakhar (Ranbir Kapoor) and Heer (Nargis Fakhri). Janardhan is a naïve Haryanvi college going buffoon. He is rustic with no confidence in his own talent, but cherishes the dream of becoming a rockstar. With a hairdo and clothes that resemble the fashion of the early 1970s, Janardhan, or JJ as he calls himself, is constantly trying to ape rockstar Jim Morrison and is constantly seeking a formula to become one.
His confidants, college mates and college canteen owner Kattara Bhai tell him that to be a rockstar one needs to experience life altering love, heartbreak and self discovery. And his mind ticks till he spots Heer (Nargis Fakhri).
Heer is the diva of the college, poised and polished very lady like. Their union seems unfeasible. After a few scenes, we learn that she is to be married off within 20 days and wants to experience all that is forbidden.
The duo makes a list and experience life without emotions for each other. In due course, JJ is christened Jordan, which seems to be an apt name for a rockstar.
As the mystery unfolds over layers of flashbacks, it takes the story to a designated plateau and halts.
At stages, you feel you are watching a documentary, full of montages of memories lined up over good music. Be it Sufi music or the shehnai-guitar jugalbandi, A.R. Rahman's music touches your heart.
Performances are superb. Nargis is a sure threat to Katrina Kaif. Shammi Kapoor sharing screen space with Ranbir touches a raw nerve. Over all, Ranbir carries away accolades for his histronics.
Coming from a director who has given wonderful hits like "Jab We Met" and "Love Aaj Kal", "Rockstar" is a disappointment. It's evident that there is something amiss with the characterisation of this love story.
During the entire transition it is not revealed how Jordan becomes a symbol of rage nor does it reveal the 'junoon' of Nargis' character.
With some beautiful wide angle shots, the film captures scenic Kashmir, Prague and Delhi in a way that has not been seen in the recent past. The editing too is crisp but the last half hour is agonisingly similar to Shahid Kapoor's "Mausam". It just goes on and on.
The dialogues are refreshingly rustic and funny. An extra star in the rating for Ranbir's performance.
YEPME Fashion
Rockstar is director Imtiaz Ali’s sensitive look at love in modern times
with its accompanying complexities. The journey is shown through the
coming-of-age of a gawky Delhi campus boy Janardhan Jakhar (Ranbir
Kapoor). Sitting in the college canteen, JJ (as called by his college
buddies), dreams of becoming a rockstar like Jim Morrison. And on the
advice of the canteen owner he goes looking for heartbreak and angst to
bring out the artist in him. Enter Heer (Nargis Fakri), the college
hottie, who wants to have a fling with life before she settles down to
blissful domesticity. The movies goes on to show JJ's eventual
metamorphosis into Jordan the rebellious rockstar. Rockstar is the story
of stardom with its emptiness, intrusive media, and crazy fans. But it’s
also a love story between two very different people. The movie strays as
it goes across various locations like Delhi, Kashmir, and Europe. But
overall it has a heartfelt narrative. A R Rehman’s music is hypnotic and
adds magic to the beautiful cinematography.
According to us folks at YEPME, as for wardrobe and garments, the
movie is a treat for fashion lovers. Nargis as Heer is eye-candy
material in her kurtas, skirts, or short dresses. Check out the
skintight orange zip-up dress. But the look of the film belongs to the
hero. On the campus, with his knitted vests and solid shirts, Ranbir
looks convincingly uncool as the guy from a conservative family. But
it’s his rockstar phase that shows him in interesting ensembles. Though
in parts, he does go over-the-top with hippy locks, unusual headwear,
and grungy pirate shirts. But otherwise with his blow-dried hair and
stubble, Ranbir looks appealingly fashionable sporting ribbed jeans,
funky t-shirts, short denim jackets and scarves. Be it the red-checked
shirt paired with black pants or ripped blue jeans and white t-shirt
topped off with a funky jacket, the guy rocks the fashion barometer in
Rockstar.