Rockstar- Movie Review

The story is about this music junkie Janardhan aka Jordan (Ranbir Kapoor) searching for inspiration in life, as he aspires to make it big like Jim Morison. How he is mesmerised by this beau monde girl (Nargis Fakhri), his journey with her, by the time she gets into a wedlock  (depicted most picturesquely). Then how their dream of celebrating life together becomes a sticky obsession. They do meet again in Prague, Europe. This time to leave each other even more withered, to the point of being sick.

The movie deals with the emotional churnings of this character Jordan (initially depicted as a rustic, affable Haryanvi lad).  His fear, his cravings, his seething anger. The story glides over these emotions mingled by metaphoric shots, like the one where at midnight Jordan stands in a narrow city lane looking upwards, at the cusp of being destroyed in life or making it big. Other characters are almost irrelevant (at this point), probably present just for their humor.

This brings me to the style of storytelling used by Imtiaz. It oozes with a series of montages and flash sequences. Since it is narrated largely with multiple musical renditions, the cut-back, juxtaposed visuals seamlessly intertwine with the storyline. Add to this a clinical and spirited editing and the story is engrossingly fast.

Cinematography wise, the movie is sprinkled with fascinating shots of Delhi, Prague, and Kashmir. Shots which are not merely placed for the sake of having them but convey the scene enthrallingly. Like the kiss scene, where amidst the urge and hesitation there is a gloomy but captivating panorama with fluttering grass.

It seems the story is a cinematic experience, a sort of cinematic ode we can say, so there is little significance given to the plotlines as such. Hence, there is a distinct character disconnect which the audience might feel. At points they might wonder why the character is so out of sorts and angry.

Perhaps, this is a deliberate disinclination. Not to dwell, whip-up the details of the plots, and justify them with banal dialogues. Why not simply depict in the form of a juxtaposed musical narrative? Not totally ill appropriate one might say, considering the title of the movie is Rockstar.

Likewise, at points it seems that the character is not aware what his future holds (and later, all of it might come as a shock to him) like when he goes for his friend’s wedding to Kashmir, all to bid her goodbye. But it isn’t so. Actually, Jordan the ‘Rockstar’ yearns for pain in his life, after all this should inspire him and it does, by driving him haywire. “Jab tak takleef na ho life mein , tabh tak koi bada nahi banta”. So, he keeps on pursuing this girl, but somewhere realising subconsciously (deep inside) that it would leave him marooned

Yet, for the audience it doesn’t pan that way; as it suddenly experiences the piercing pain, which ruptures when Jordan meets this girl again in Prague, after two years.

However, eventually when the couple manage to get back together (this time in India) after their wretched time in Prague, it irks. This time, because of the displeasing gaze of the world. The last few minutes again consist of juxtaposed images coupled with the musical score of “Nadaan Parindey”, in which some sort of solace is envisioned by Jordan .

Evidently, the movie’s founding lay on its music; there was no room for mediocrity. And it is unusually heart wrenching and very much tranquil where needed.

  With a serene poetic closure, the story leaves an inspirational bitter-sweet impression on the viewers.  Closure it is with a soothing Rumi quote, which highlights reasonable reconciliation, “There is a field very far away from here, I will you meet you there.”

The end of the movie seemed to be a tough line to toe for Imtiaz, considering the taste of Indian masses, who vehemently dislike any demise of the protagonists. Nevertheless, he just about manages to get through with what would should an ideal end (keeping in mind his artistic form of expression).