Rock. I don’t remember if Hindi cinema has ever dealt with this genre of music. I am not a true blue Rock fan but I listen to some selected bands. My closest association with Rock comes through a small local band called Rodentia. I don’t know where they are now. One of the band members died of a heart attack. Rock On is a tribute to them & bands like them.Magik is the name of the band which has Farhan, Arjun, Purab & Luke and true to it’s name the fil m is magical. Though the story (Abhishek Kapoor) is quite clichéd & you know right in the beginning what’s gonna unfold, the screenplay (Abhishek Kapoor & Pubali Chaudhuri) is fresh & dialogues (Farhan Akhtar) are crackling.
The characters are well fleshed out & everyone gets equal status in the screenplay. Though Farhan is the producer of the film he never tries to steal the show from anyone else. What works as a screenplay is that, right from the beginning it makes you love the characters of the film & you get involved in the process of their journey of living their dream. Farhan acts as if he is a born Rockstar. He is very comfortable in the skin of the character. Arjun delivers one of the best performances of his career. Purab gets the best scenes in the film. His character is the most lovable of the lot. Luke delivers a much understated performance. Shahana Goswami as Debbie is the find of the film. More than Farhan it is Shahana who impresses. Prachi Desai does a smooth transition from the small screen to the big screen but hers is the most underdeveloped role in the film.
Jason West gives the film that look which is truly international. He is my nomination for Best Cinematography. Deepa Bhatia shows once again after Taare Zameen Par what an editor can do to a film. Especially the way she cuts the film back & forth from the present to the past. For a film like this it is very important how the music is & Shankar Ehsaan Loy create Magic with their music, each & every song is a treat to the ears. There is a slide at the end of the film which says “don’t download the music, buy the cd”. True words I say. Javed Akhtar’s lyrics compliment the music superbly; it brings out the rockstar poet in him. Truly, age is just in the mind. The choreography (Remo) of the film is seamless. The biggest compliment I can give Remo is that the film does not look choreographed.
Final Few Words: this film is for everyone who had or has a dream. It inspires to live your dream to the fullest because without a dream you can’t Rock On. It’s a rocking film. More power to Rock! One of the best films of the year so far.
**** (Very Good)
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