ROCKSTAR - Ranbir's entry to the elite league

A lot of us were really looking forward to watching this movie mainly because of A.R.Rahman's music. The Mozart from Madras had the world taken by storm by providing an album that encompassed music from various genres and feel.

The Question: Did the movie live up to the expectations?
My Answer: Kind of....

POSITIVES!

1. A.R.Rahman's music was already a mass hit...but the background score was stupendous.... Mohit Chauhan's voice was the perfect choice for Jordan (Ranbir Kapoor).... The 'Sher-o-wali Ma' track reminded me of the freshness displayed in the "Iyappa" track from the movie Boys (Tamil). Also, all the songs in the album have been given to perfectly match the on screen situation.Whether it is the freshness in Phir se Ud Chala, Joy in Katiya Karun, Darkness in Aur ho, Desperate Hope in Nadaan Parindey or Anger in Sadda Haq...... A.R.R proves that he is a class above the rest.
2. Ranbir Kapoor definitely!! The Kapoor kid has issued a stamp of authority with his mature portrayal of Jordan....a character that previously goes through many transitions due to the high's and low's of his life..... from a simpleton musician Janardhan Jhakad (JJ). We see 2 very different Ranbir Kapoors in the movie. Also, he carries simple scenes with natural acting rather than supreme overacting displayed by many of his current competitors. He could have screamed a little less at times...but still...on the whole...a performance worthy of a filmfare award.
3. Camerawork and Cinematography was great.....Superb locales and unique shots have become a common criteria for films to focus on, in order to cut competition... but the camerawork for songs like Sadda Haq, Nadaan Parindey and Phir se Ud Chala showed that the entire unit was soaking in the nectar of music composed by Rahman. That translated on to the visuals and the viewers were in for a treat. Most importantly, when Jordan performed on stage, the cinema audience felt that they were a part of his concert. To achieve that amount of realistic connection is commendable.
4. Imtiaz Ali has to be given credit for writing this story and attempting to make a movie like Rockstar. Lets face it...it ain't the run of the mill Bolly masala.....neither does it have a widespread target audience. So if Rockstar manages to recover it's cost and make decent profits, everyone will be pleasantly surprised..... But Imtiaz Ali made this movie for it's true meaning and essence.... kudos for that.

NEGATIVES! (Well i did answer "Kind of...")

1. Nargis Fakhri did have a new look ..... but honestly the audience gets an overdose of her....her character 'Heer' seems to stall the flow of the movie....Though Heer (in the movie) is responsible for the creation of Jordan the Rockstar, character Heer is mainly responsible for compromising the script and screenplay (mainly in the second half). 
2. SECOND HALF RULE!  It is an universal but unsaid law...."IF A BAD MOVIE HAS A GOOD SECOND HALF, THINGS MIGHT WORK, BUT IF A POTENTIALLY GREAT MOVIE HAS A POOR SECOND HALF (Even in relative comparison), THAT AFFECTS THE AUDIENCE ADVERSELY! " The First half of Rockstar is mind blowing....and the 2nd half just does not sustain the same amount of steam.....things move back and forth.....the audience lose the flow..... the main attraction in the second half is the video of Nadaan Parindey....Also, the movie ends in a weird manner that can be left to the audience's perception...
3. Direction, Editing and Screenplay missing a few tricks ...... Ali and gang have attempted a different narrating style and the movie tends to move in both directions. Also, songs are edited in portions....tracks used in different places....this formula works well in the first half , but loses itself in the second....can leave many people in the audience confused and irritated. 

OVERALL VERDICT!

• Rockstar is definitely worth a watch but don't go with too many expectations.
• It could have been great if the second half had more focus and structure.
• I am giving Rockstar 4 on 5 (Actually 3....but 1 point for A.R.Rahman's genius contribution) 
• Ranbir Kapoor is here to stay!

RockStar Music Review: ARR Achieves Musical Excellence

Note: a collection of my live facebook reviews for the entire album assimilated into a single write up for the reader's convenience. :)


Rockstar .... Imtiaz Ali and Ranbir Kapoor's magnum opus, has been one of the most awaited albums of the year....mainly because it marks the return of A.R.Rahman to the indian music industry after a pretty long hiatus. And Boy!!!! Has the maestro delivered or what!!! Tremendous....14 songs...each one brilliant in it's own right.

Phir se Ud Chala.....magical sound....Mohit Chauhan is unbelievable.....when bass, harmonies and rhythms kick in after 90 seconds....song is outta the world!

Jo Bhi main.....loved the promo!! and Love the song even more...yet another leaf taken from Pink Floyd's book...Rahman has decided to bring progressive rock to Indian industry! Superb feel......awesome bass by Keith Peters!!

A.R.R's mastery over indian folk music continues with 'Katiya Karun'.....has a Kabhi Neem Neem touch initially but then westernizes due to impressive arrangements....rustic vocals.....will be a rage in the north!

Kun Faaya Ku....let's see....a sufi song ....qawwali with A.R.Rahman and Javed Ali...already a divine combination...love the way the initial chords are played on the harmonium! :) FTW!!!

Sheher Mein - a simple song...but great concept....shows the way a band develops a song and evolves it's structure...... Karthik and Mohit Chauhan's vocals compliment each other very well...i am sure the video will be very interesting! :) after 2 minutes....when the guitars and strings join in....then the song improves dramatically! :) then a mystic qawwali interlude....people will love this on multiple hearings!

Haawa Haawa is ARR's genius work exploring world music...fusing elements from Turkey, Israel and Spain....with ARR's trademark strings and melodian ..A masterpiece/..... this is for the elite music savvy audience...second guitar interlude is fantastic.....Great number!

Aur Ho - A.R.Rahman has used the feel he generated in the bgm of 127 hours to create this song....great arabian touch to all the western arrangements! Sung brilliantly by Mohit Chauhan once again.....great anger and melancholy in the lyrics and tune.....

Nadaan Parindey.....a great start....awesome drummings! THen ARR's voice kicks in! :) superb bass....live drums is always a treat to hear it....A dream for me ...always wanted ARR to sing a Rock song!!! Mohit Chauhan starts of tangentially with beautiful chords on the guitar...the guitars and drums sound phenomenal..superb sounding....then a scale shift... great to hear...and now a Guitar Solo! :) a complete musical package.....one of my favorites in this album!

Tum Ko - its been a while since we heard Kavita Subramaniam sing! when the chords and tabla kick in, that's when ARR's touch comes in....song is very much in the ARR feel of Puthiya mugam, Roja and Anjali...KS's vocal tone is superb ....ARR brings out the best in her....this is so far the best track melody wise .... Amazing Strings.... main forte....

SADDA HAQ!! great singing by Mohit Chauhan....superb guitaring...nice rockish organ tones used for providing chords.....amazing harmonies to boost the 'Sadda Haq' 's feel! This song scores the highest in terms mass appeal..Will be the cover of this album for sure! guitar solo in the first interlude is outta the world....great support by piano and pads....some awesome jazz and blues chords inserted in certain portions...might be difficult to detect..but the presence is definitely felt....the end is a resonating example of musical grandeur by the Mozart of Madras!

Tum Ho - the love melody that we can generally associate Mohit Chauhan's voice with...naturally he has done complete justice to it...Suzzane's voice is very soothing in the background....great chords and bass..... This track will be a sure hit.....it is 'THE LOVE SONG' of this versatile album.....tune is got an unique flow to it....

Tango for Taj ..... mesmerizing instrumental music by A.R.Rahman.....the bass guitar and strings support the accordions and piano in such a manner that we tend to forget the world and begin our own tango......superb music!! FTW ARR!!!

The Dichotomy of Fame - uniqueness to the core.....no body can use the shehnai in this fashion...western fusion.....taking the melancholy out of a shehnai is a tremendous achievement and A.R.Rahman makes it look very easy!...after a minute, there is some superb guitaring as well.....and the chords....OMG! :) ARR you are in ur elements for sure....suddenly when the bass kicks in...the feel becomes more darker....superb transition...Love this piece of work

The Meeting Place.......celestial start....chords have a heavenly feel...and he has used the tone of signal disturbance as a music tone ...the Genius!!! OMG!


CONCLUSION:
Rajinikanth is the SUPERSTAR of movies...
Rockstar is the SUPERSTAR of Bollywood music ....
A.R.Rahman is the SUPERSTAR of music....
When a person can give you a music album that has 11 songs and 3 instrumentals...each one ...exemplifying musical excellence...with genres transcending from sufi to Rock to Pop to Turkish and Spanish music ... a kaleidoscope of international music... What is left to review!!
Rockstar is A.R.Rahman's most perfect work in Bollywood till date....
Time for another filmfare and National Award! Jai ho!

RATING: 10/10....Two thumbs up.....must buy for this season!