Rockstar (2011)

Was John Lennon’s difficult relationship with his mother behind his poignant ‘Mother’, was Elvis’ ‘Always on my mind’ a confession of neglect towards his wife and daughter, was Phil Collins’ ‘In the Air Tonight’ a reflection of a difficult separation with his wife? What’s behind the music? What’s behind the artist? Two questions that we have always asked of our favorite musicians that ‘Rockstar’ attempts to answer for Janardhan Jakhar, aka Jordan, the latest craze in the world of rock music, but an enigma to his fans. The success of the film depended on the effectiveness of the answer. And the answer is truly effective.

The structure of the plot is designed with the sole purpose of explaining why Jordan is the way he is, belligerent and bitter with life, almost masochistic in looking for a brawl, screaming at his fans and law enforcers, scornful of the media and the music moguls who line up to sew him for breaches of contract. The non-linear nature of the story puts us in a naïve and gullible Janadhan’s mind, which is searching for answers for non-acceptance of his musical talent for lack of personality. He wonders how guys like Jim Morrison lived the life that they did, when he can’t event strum the guitar casually at a bus stop and entertain people waiting for a bus. When he is confronted with the insight that personality and great art is inspired by feeling, by emotion and by life experiences, he seeks out an emotional roller coaster by chasing a beautiful rich girl, Heer Kaul. Their relationship is one of denial that evolves into love, but is as destructive as it is passionate. 

This rollercoaster inspires his heart rending musical output, but at the same time consumes him, and her.

‘Rockstar’ had to be an inner exploration. Imtiaz Ali takes us into JJ’s mind as he battles rejection, isolation, a realization of love and heartbreak. The non-linear structure of the narrative that moves from experience to musical result helps us put 2 and 2 together and keeps our interest going in finding out how he became Jordan. Ali, like Rakeysh Mehra is another Delhi boy who uses the cultural diversity of the city to provide rich backdrops in his films. Settings like Hindu College, Nizamuddin Dargah, Mata ki Chowki and Hauz Khas are filmed superbly during the onset of winter. ‘Rockstar’ is Ali’s most mature and best work.

On the music front, Irshad Kamil’s soul stirring lyrics need the first compliment as they portray Jordan’s angst with words that appeal to young and old alike. A.R. Rehman’s phenomenal music sounds like a rockopera than just a rock piece, with several ensembles meshed together. He mixes folk, sufi music and classic rock riffs to create a wonderful situational soundtrack that sounds even better when it is seen against film. One of his best efforts in an illustrious portfolio.

‘Rockstar’ is another turn of the Ranbir Kapoor juggernaut as it rolls towards his impending superstardom. As an actor he held his own amidst heavyweights in films like ‘Rajneeti’ and in meaningful films like ‘Wake Up Sid’. With this film, he shows us how much he has progressed as an actor. Both in terms of emoting and in terms of body language, he is transformed and that is always the sign of a great performance: the actor is inseparable from the part. Nargis Fakhri is delicately beautiful but is not much of an actress. She serves her purpose as the muse. Kumud Mishra as Khatana Bhai delivers a superb performance as JJ’s friend, philosopher, guide and manager.

‘Rockstar’ is a superb film for the lovers of music and the artists that create.