Maybe it is my job, I don’t know,
that I’ve been listening to too much criticism about the film Rockstar (the
2011 Hindi film). I’ve never been a review person coz I’ve always felt that
books, movies, etc. etc. should not be reviewed. I guess it’s coz I’m the kind
of person who never goes by reviews. I’ll watch a movie that I want to watch
irrespective of what anyone has to say about it or how anyone thinks it fares.
But of late, the amount of
criticism I’ve been listening to of the film Rockstar has just made me want to
write this, because, I loved the movie. The criticisms people hold up against
the film are so senseless and insensitive, for what the characters tried to
portray and the makers tried to put across. And it annoys me.
Hence, here are some of the
criticisms I’ve been hearing of the film along with my arguments to them:
- Jordon’s
angst wasn’t justified. He has everything going for him, and no hardships in
life. He has no pain and hence no reason to be frustrated and depressed in
life.
People who say
this clearly haven’t been through struggle. Because if you have you would know
that one does not necessarily have to be poor and have absolutely nothing going
for him in life to feel pain. You could come from a reasonably well placed
family, as we see of Jordon, get to go to college and pursue a degree in
something.. and have almost everything going for you and still feel pain and be
unsatisfied. The boy wanted to become a rockstar for crying out loud. Haven’t
you ever known talented, struggling musicians?
His family
wasn’t the most encouraging one, and neither were his friends, for as far as
his desire to become a rockstar went. Of course things weren’t going for him
then. More reason to be frustrated? Yes.
2. - He
has a girl…and his love life going somewhere.
Seriously, did
you not see that he never at any point in the film actually has the girl? He
obviously loves her and they have a beautiful relationship with each other. But
she was getting married to someone else right from the beginning. He never had
her – the love of his life.
3. - Despite
the above, still, no reason to be so frustrated.
The boy got
kicked out of his house and ended up having to experience the love of his life
get married to someone else in his presence. And then she left the country. Of
course, he has enough pain. Isn’t this more than enough for someone to lose his
mind…and channel it all into becoming a rockstar with a deep, difficult past?
4. - The
movie was more of a love story than about the journey of a rockstar or
vice-versa.
Firstly, if
you’re going to blame the name of the film for saying it misled you into
thinking it would be about a rockstar’s journey, then that’s being really
unfair. Because, gone are those days when the name of the film is exactly about
what the movie is. We’re in the world of profound film names that don’t give
away what the film is about, aren’t we? And anyway it’s not like the film did
not dwell on Jordan’s journey as a rockstar either. Secondly, if it ended up being more of a love
story for you then, why not? Good, if that’s how it worked for you. It still
worked right? Thirdly, and this is my view of the film – it was a combination
of both, the journey of a rockstar and a love story. And come on, any one of us
should understand that these two aspects are supposed to co-exist in life.
If you can have
your love life going (or not going) for you while you’re struggling to make it
big at your dream job, then why can’t Jordan? Or why can’t Imtiaz Ali then make
a film about it? Who compartmentalizes their love life from their work life and
other respective lives anyway?
5. - The
back and forth moving of times zones was confusing.
It was no rocket
science honestly, if you concentrated while watching the movie and was
absolutely sober you really would not have found it confusing.
The music of Rockstar was beyond
brilliant and every song was well embedded in the story of the film. The only
thing that really did not work for the film was the actress, Nargis Fakhri. She
definitely made it hard to relate to her character. But that apart, the movie
is one of a kind. It’s one of those films I will keep in my collection of
movies you must own…and so stop criticizing it already!
Disclaimer: As much as I would
have loved it, unfortunately, I have no vested interests whatsoever to fight
for Rockstar’s case.
