ROCKSTAR - AN IMTIAZ ALI FILM
In 2011 a movie was released called "Rockstar" the lead actor Ranbir Kapoor was a relatively non-famous star and the lead actress Nargis Fakhri was a debutant. yet the movie went on to become the most critically acclaimed movie of the year. although it wasn't as big a hit at the box office as it deserved, it was still loved by critics and audience alike, and it is still one of my all time favorites.
The question that comes to mind is, if it was such a good movie and loved by everyone why was it not a box office blockbuster? well, the answer that I think is right is this: everything about the movie, The story, the dialogues, the direction, the lyrics, the acting, the whole theme, the music (especially the music) worked like a slow poison, it took it's time in working on its audience. But that's not what we will be talking about in this article, I want to talk about why after almost 6 years this movie is still one of my all-time favorites, not just mine but surely one of the all-time favorites of hundreds and thousands of people like me.
THE MUSIC:
For me the soul of the movie was it's music. I am writing this article in 2017 but I still love the music.
The music was composed by non-other than the maestro A.R Rehman. and he had delivered with this album what was expected of him, i-e sheer genius. even today if anyone has doubts about Rehman and his genius, they should listen to Rockstar's album. not just a particular song but the entire album.
On top of that Irshad Kamil's poetry and Mohit Chauhan's soulful voice has added to the music even further. Bravo! to all of them.
One of my most favorite songs from the movie:
THE STORY:
The Story was the backbone of Rockstar. It was unconventional yet relatable. It wasn't our typical Bollywood love story, but a story of passion and Obsession. It wasn't just a love story between a Boy and a Girl but rather the philosophy of what we so desperately want and what we get.
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN A BROKEN HEART AND ART:
This might sound a little over the top but it makes perfect sense once you think about it. Imtiaz Ali had again used a philosophical approach to spreading his message of the connection between a broken heart and art. The following dialogue sums up the connection marvelously:
"TUTEY HUE DIL SE HI SANGEET NIKALTA HAI"
which can be translated as:
"MUSIC COMES OUT ONLY OF A BROKEN HEART"
and for me, this connection was one of the most important and well-delivered messages of Rockstar.
IMTIAZ ALI's DIRECTION AND PHILOSOPHY:
Imtiaz Ali is known and loved for his philosophical approach to movies. Rockstar, in my opinion, was the best of his philosophical dramas. The philosophy of Rockstar is based on the Philosophy of Rumi,
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and right doing there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.
Rockstar is loosely based on the above quote (philosophy) of Rumi.
And Imtiaz has done a marvelous job in directing the movie according to that philosophy. and that was one of the factors that drove me to love Rockstar so much.
THE DIALOGUES:
Rockstar has some of the best dialogues of Bollywood, for example:
"MERA DIL NAHI TUTNA CHAHIE KHATANA BHAI, MERE PAS AUR KUCH NAHI HAI"
roughly translated as:
"I DON"T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE BUT THE HEART, IT SHOULD NOT BE BROKEN."
Ranbir says this just before the end when he realizes that everything he was trying to achieve, for which he wanted his heart to broken, he doesn't want it, but his heart should not be broken. there are many more dialogues that add to the charm and beauty of ROCKSTAR.
One of my favorite dialogues:
RANBIR KAPOOR's PERFORMANCE:
Last but not at all the least, Ranbir Kapoor's Acting in Rockstar was at a whole new level. he was convincing as the rude and broken artist, who was rough on the outside and burning on the inside. Rockstar truly was a career changing movie for Ranbir.
Have you guys seen Rockstar? if not, do watch it you will love it, and do let me know.
