Rockstar

Rock based movies are revered and admired in Hollywood, but Bollywood hasn't been too kind to this genre. Vipul Shah's LONDON DREAMS failed to cut ice, despite the presence of top notch names, but ROCK ON! was a moderate success, with the urban audiences giving the film a second and third dekho. The film couldn't penetrate into the heartland, though.

Imtiaz Ali has always managed to strike the right balance between the hoi polloi and the gentry. Movies like JAB WE MET and LOVE AAJKAL are proof that the enormously talented raconteur won't attempt a film if he's not fully convinced about it. Known for his imaginative and inventive take on love stories, Imtiaz takes up yet another challenge with ROCKSTAR. The story of a rebellious singer/musician, it traces his journey of love, anguish, ego, trouble, sorrow and devastation. A difficult path to tread, no doubt, but Imtiaz could be a game changer, if the film strikes a chord. Alas! ROCKSTAR is a sumptuously shot movie that is disjointed on script level.
Let's get to the root of the problem. We are used to watching films that have a beginning, middle and end. The problem with ROCKSTAR is that it starts off most impressively, has some terrific moments in between, but the writing gets so erratic and incoherent as it heads towards the conclusion that you wonder, am I really watching an Imtiaz Ali film? I mean, even the naysayers would agree that Imtiaz Ali is a super storyteller and his movies have been talked about [and also remain etched in our memory] due to varied factors, the written material being one of the paramount reasons.