Imtiaz has the ability to tell a regular love story, with a sensitivity that is rooted in contemporary urban India. It's not his stories, that strike a chord with us, it's the way he tells them, the eyes he sees the story with, and makes his audience see it with.Ranbir has the talent to bring alive his character with a realism that is way beyond his years of acting experience.And ofcourse, Rehman. What can one say.So, does the magic happen when these 3 get together for Rockstar? It does... mostly, anyway.
The film is a story about Janardhan (urf JJ), who has a latent talent for music, and he walks around aimlessly through college (Hindu College, Delhi University) trying to become a rockstar like Jim Morrison. He's mentored by his canteen-wallah, that true artists are born from feeling the pain of life and love, not from having a comfortable, satisfied life. In an attempt of trying to feel unrequited love, he gets close to St Stephens beauty queen, Heer. Soon, sequence of events follow, where he's thrown out of his family home, Heer gets married and gone, and 'pain' makes a grand entry into his life. He gets discovered as a music talent, signs his initial music performance with a renowned company, Platinum Records (after much attitude and ego clashes), and re-discovers Heer in Prague, getting deeply involved with her in an affair that borders dangerously close to obsession. His music career, in the mean time, soars and he becomes a rock star (from JJ to Jordan), just the way he always wanted. Heer eventually ends the affair, and thus begins his angst, the rebel, the Jim Morrison middle-finger moment, the fall out with his music company, the attitude to media, the prison, the foul mood, the bad-boy-of-music avatar.
What works beautifully in the movie is not this story, but the fact that Imtiaz is telling the story in a way, and Ranbir is playing Jordan in a way, that you feel every emotion, every moment, every high that Ranbir has, when he is with Heer, and every low that he feels when he's not. And many of these moments with Rehman's music just make sure there is no escape in your being Jordan, as he goes through the entire rock-and-roller-coaster of his life.
From the beginning, you know JJ is not a regular guy.. Obviously, he's a little twisted in his head, wired a little differently from the rest of us ordinary people, and not just because he wants to be a rockstar, but just because, perhaps, he was born that way. A Jim Morrison, but from Jath land. Every bit as real, as Jim himself. "Jo Bhi Main Kehna Chaahoon, Barbaad Karein Alfaaz Mere"
His relationship with Heer, starts awkwardly, but the special un-inhibited, spontaneous, second life (tho real) they share grows into something so deep, that while you cant explain why or how they fall in love, you feel convinced that they are in love. You know how the story is going to go, when she asks him to hug him in the attic of her wedding Kashmir house. That's the moment! The reason for it all. Katiyan karoon Katiyan karoon, Tera Roo Tera Roo, Saari Raatein Katiyaan Karoon"
"Kun Faya Kun". Ranbir's momentous start of his journey of self discovery, of exploration,of a new life, of a new talent, the end of his adolescence, and the reluctant adulthood knocking at the door, after he's thrown out of his house. His sleeping, eating, cleaning at Nizamuddin Darga, and Ranbir's poker-yet-full-of-emotions-face becomes the turning point, and start of his journey to becoming a rockstar.
Jordan and Heer's falling in love through the vista of the curiously beautiful Prague, again goes beyond the rational and you don't feel anything wrong with their extra-marital relationship. In fact, the opposite, it feels natural and the way it should be. "Hawa Hawa, Rani Hawaa". And as all natural things go, their love grows deeper, and no one can really help it, and whether its wrong or right, doesn't matter. Its love, and thats it. Tum Ho Paas Mere, Saath Mere, Jitna Mehsoos Karoon Tumko, Utna Hi Pa Bhi Loo"
And therefore, the understandable pain that both of them feel, when their love doesn't take it's natural course, for no fault of anyone, but just the turn life takes. And this is where the movie starts faltering a little bit.
His love goes unrequited by Heer, because she's already married and she can't leave her husband because of society. But, she was never shown to be a very conservative girl, so she could have walked out of the marriage if she felt so intensely about Jordan. But, she doesn't. And Jordan gets angry with the society rules and the whole world. "Sadda Haq, Itthey Rakh"
He wanted to become a rockstar all his life, and he finally does become one, but he's pissed off with the media for intruding in his life, asking him questions, and basically making him famous. And Jordan gets angry with the media and the whole world. "Sadda Haq, Itthey Rakh"
He's not able to control his emotions, his hormones, his intensity of love, his demons, his headache, his constipation. And Jordan gets angry with the whole world. Sadda Haq, Itthey Rakh"
The thing is that you do feel what he's feeling, but you can't help asking the question "what is he so angry about?" All the emotions, intensity (both Ranbir's and yours, as you watch the movie) feel a little wasted and pointless. And if you thought you didn't feel the intensity enough, Imtiaz throws in a cancer-affected dying Heer, just to dial it up a couple of notches. And that leaves you feeling a little cheated, exposed and distant
The movie could have done more with the emotions it creates through the film. It could have explored new dimensions of their relationship, and more elements of a rockstar's "outsider" relationship with the society. At its heart, this movie is about individuality and self-identity that is not always in sync with the larger world, it's rules, it's norms. To that extent, all rock music is about this. But, the rebel and the 'anti-society' aspect of a rockstar and rock music is one aspect of this life (admittedly, a big part of this life). But, it's not the whole. You can't help comparing with movies like Oliver Stone's 'The Doors', or even 'Almost Famous', which explore various aspects of being a rock star and living a life at the edge of society, even while being made famous by that very society.
But, despite the fact that the movie stops just a little short, its still big kudos to Imtiaz for making this movie, and exploring this world at all. Ranbir is awesome. Nargis is not too bad. And Rehman mesmerizes with his rocking, experimental music.Thanks Imtiaz for making the movies you do. Keep pushing boundaries, but your loyal audience (I'm one of them) want you to do more, to show the Indian public new dimensions, new emotions, new worlds, new feelings, new ways of being, new individuality. More power to you!
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