Planet Bollywood
Rockstar
 
Producer: Dhillin Mehta
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri, Shammi Kapoor
Music: A.R. Rahman
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil
Genre: Musical
Recommended Audience: General
Film Released on: 11 November 2011
Reviewed by: Stutee Ghosh  - Rating: 5.5 / 10
More Reviews and Analysis by PB Critics:
    • Feature Review by Amodini Sharma - Rating: 8.0 / 10
 
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Public Rating Average: 5.11 / 10 (rated by 410 viewers)
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  • Human beings have different ways of dealing with disappointment. I almost wanted to throw a fit in the theater…you might either be stunned into silence or actually fling a tantrum. All numerology related to an 11.11.11 release and Imtiaz Ali’s direction come crashing down. To put things mildly – Rockstar is a disappointment. Who would have thought that a noble idea would meet its end so tragically? Personally I had such high expectations from the film that for most part I was trying with all my might to like it till I was out of breath and gave up!

    For starters we don’t know what Imtiaz Ali wanted to show – the rise and fall of a Rockstar or a melodrama lased love story? *Spoiler Alert* Ranbir Kapoor plays Janardan Jakhar or JJ as he calls himself who wants to be JM aka Jim Morrison. He is told that it is pain that metamorphosis a common singer into a Rockstar. Thus starts his innocent almost comic search for pain and conflict that results into something extremely laborious and convoluted of its viewers. He falls in love with Heer Kaul (Nargis Fakhri) and ends up with a broken heart. Heer gets married and leaves for Prague while Janardan rechristened Jordan takes off on his journey as a Rockstar. His carrier soars while being almost regularly punctured by fits of disillusionment and instability.

    The first half is still fresh and bearable. The film post interval however seems to have been shot by a hangover nursing Imtiaz. Ranbir Kapoor is the real “Rockstar “of the film. He has not only attempted something new but has managed to pull it off with élan. His Rockstar act, guitar strumming, unshaven look and unkempt hair all seem natural and believable.

    Nargis Fakhri, much like Imtiaz's previous muse Giselle, is beautiful and has her lines in Hindi dubbed. The cameo by the original Rockstar of Bollywood Shammi Kapoor is heartwarming. However the script and direction prove to be traitors and let Ranbir down. As long as the story remains in the familiar territory in Delhi where it has been extensively shot by Anil Mehta, we are quite ready to gulp down even the most abstruse of love scenes. However as soon as the story takes off for Prague we know it’s going to be a bumpy journey with no relief. There is no saving grace after that. Everything is too drab, long, poorly edited by Aarti Bajaj and unclear for mass consumption. And did I mention the length? Way too long!


    All in all with a heavy heart it has to be admitted that this hasn’t really been a year for nurturing high expectations from movies. Rockstar with its catchy music and mouth-watering promos proves to be a sorry consolation for a good film. Watch it in the theatre if you cannot escape the magnetic pull of the promos else waiting for it to make an appearance on TV would be a better option.

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