Rockstar- Beyond ideas of wrong doing and right doing.......

I cherish a fondness for Ranbir Kapoor ever since I have seen his debut release 'Saawariya'. I simply admire the way he brings forth a character alive by his spontaneous god-gifted & genetic acting ability. In Wake Up Sid, even Konkona Sensharma, who is my favourite because of her natural expression, looks slightly faded in comparison with Ranbir's full-bodied performance. So I might be quite prejudiced when it comes to writing a review on Ranbir's film as my eyes remain transfixed on him throughout, everyone else sharing the same screen space looks hardly existent in the shadow of his power-packed deliverance.

There are some films you come out of and you can’t seem to decide how you feel about it. Rockstar was one of those films.

'Rockstar' begins with Ranbir missing from a stage show & his entering the screen struggling with a band of police to wriggle himself free & finally arriving on stage with a guitar in hand. The next moment we are taken through a kaleidoscope of fast-paced flashback glimpses into Ranbir's life.The film covers the journey of an eccentric man called 'Janardhan' from an ordinary boy, passionate about music with dreams of reaching heights just like his idol "Jim Morrison", to a megastar, riddled with negative controversies & a heap of court cases.The first half of the movie was simply fantastic when Jordan aka Janardhan influenced by the words of his mentor made romantic moves towards the most beautiful girl in the college, Heer (Nargis Fakhri) with a motive to experience 'pain' as 'pain' motivates one to sing with passion. Their unusual friendship and curious attempts at socially unacceptable things brought them close to each other. While Nargis moved to Prague after marriage, fate & a chain of circumstances transformed Ranbir aka Janardhan into the country's next big sensation.

The second half completes the journey of the happy go lucky though confused guy, into the passionate believer Jordon becomes. Most of the people and reviewers around me liked the first half and criticised the second. But I would say, the first half was nothing unusual; college life is what we see in every other second film. It's the second half that gives the real character to the movie. Honestly, the narration style reminded me a lot of Guru Dutt's and a few of Dev Anand movies (Remeber Pyaasa, Kagaz Ke Phool, Sahib Bibi Aur Gulam and Guide?); a love so passionate, so strong, that it ruins you; you know it, yet you can't stop it. The movie definitely has in it to become a long run cult classic.

Imtiaz Ali’s Rockstar could be a bittersweet journey of a person, an artist, from being a confused man to a man with a purpose. Though Ali uncovers layers off Jordan the long-lasting musician -- every layer as fascinating because it is intriguing -- he keeps the core of the character, Janardhan Jakhad, alive.

Rockstar is an admirable effort if only for how unconventionally director Imtiaz Ali tells this tale of great passion. The romance at the core of this film is a complex one, and the film offers no easy answers. Watch how Heer come alive each time she’s in Jordan’s presence (even when she is dying literally), whereas when he’s without her his longing prompts his best music out of him.

From the very moment in, it’s evident Imtiaz understands his characters intimately and gives us lovely little moments to know them better. Rockstar is never as surefooted as Imtiaz’s breakout hit Jab We Met, but it’s a braver, riskier film than any he’s previously made.

The highlight of the film is Ranbir Kapoor. His performance is phenomenal and he makes the character his own. He embraces the little nuances, and convincingly portrays both the awkward boy and crazed rockstar roles. What an absolutely wonderful performance. Just a couple of years in the industry and he is already in a league of his own, much ahead of any actors his age or experience. It was a complex role but the ease with which Ranbir has carried it can give Aamir Khan run for his money. The image and persona of a rock star fit Ranbir perfectly and he pulled off the attitude and music in style. Champion, I’d say. Impressive.

The one thing that strikes you about Rockstar is that it’s not an easy film to digest – unlike Imtiaz’s previous films which were mostly fun entertainers, Rockstar comes with an element of darkness to it. Everything is not laid out on screen for you as is usually the case; the film has depth and makes you think. Passion is essential to music – but for a person who desires desperately to be both a good musician and a happy person, in the process of a heartbreak, how does one strike a balance? Is there a balance? Rockstar doesn’t tell you the answer explicitly, which, in my opinion, is its greatest strength – it leaves you with a haunted feeling and sense of unfinished business that you will ponder upon long after exiting the hall. In these times of instant gratification, here is a movie that makes you think.