"Rockstar" Movie Review

"RockStar" by Imtiaz Ali is quite an effort by the writer-turned-director in bringing to screen how rustic folks end up at the starry end of the rainbow - with power to sway fans to do their bidding. Imtiaz Ali has picked the right candidate - a born actor with starry eyes- Ranbir Kapoor - to play the title role and he does it with tremendous ease showing multiple shades of how raw innocence, ins...tincts and impulsiveness combine with luck to give a solo Guitarist mega stardom and the pains that come with it - adulation and sympathy, allegations and affairs, success as well as tragedy. AR Rahman's BGM and soul-stirring Punjabi Sufi melodies enhance different moods - it comes naturally to him and he just goes ballistic with his sense of music. Nargis Fakr is quite a find and plays the role with consummate charms - she steals the screen sometimes more often than Rockstar Ranbir. Shammi Kapoor is seen for the last time on celluloid - and Director uses his soulful presence sparingly at every crucial point in the film - those pining eyes with subtle mist in Shammi Kapoor playing Shehnai in the last frame he appears gets to you forever. Imtiaz Ali, I think, is an honest film-maker who tells a good story with his groove of experiential and sometimes autobiographical interpretations - whether it is taking Rumi's poetry or taking lives of famous rockstars who lived it up with their idiosyncracies and couldn't care less for social norms of the day. To that extent, Rockstar will shock some of the conventions when an artist becomes obsessed with his muse at the cost of his own reputation and the marriage of the latter but thats what underlies many artistes' lives - there is a hero and there's irony, allergy and stupidity, naivette and tragedy. Imtiaz has brought out the creative process that shapes up superstars who connect with the masses and in rendering a plausible story of a credible superstar he follows some ibby-jibbies unique to Hindi and keeps the nativity of the North Belt core to his films. Thats why, I think it is tough for other language film-makers to re-make his films - its easy for "Teenmaar" director to miss the magic in the original "Luv Aajkal". Thats why Imtiaz Ali's films are special. Second half could have been shorter and less jerky while the first half was brilliant. Whether Ranbir becomes a real Rockstar or not, this movie will remain his finest hour. And Rahman also can now be dismissive of the initial criticism he received on the OST. The only reason you may walk out of this movie is if the music and its creation is not your cup of tea.