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[Sharmila-Sweet]

Kurbaan Film Review [SPOILERS]

First things first. Kudos to Karan Johar for shifting gears completely and entering into serious territory. Of course, we do love him for his K-class cinema: all his crunchy popcorn films beginning with K, ever since Kuch Kuch Hota Hai redefined mainstream romance. But Kurbaan doesn't need the popcorn at all. It keeps the screen on overboil for most of its screen time with its hard-hitting storyline that dares to venture into undefined territory.

Like Khuda Kay Liye, Kurbaan too looks at the other side of Islamic fundamentalism and puts the post 9/11 tumult in perspective. Who are these guys who carry anger in their hearts, revenge in their heads and bombs in their pockets? Why are they hell bent on blasting the world, irrespective of the anguish it spells to all and sundry? Can there be a purpose behind their madness? Is one man's terrorist actually another man's activist? Kurbaan, written by Karan Johar, raises these pertinent - and extremely topical - questions, without glossing over the one undeniable truth: a suicide bomber can never solve the inequities of the world, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, notwithstanding.

So we have Ehsan Khan (Saif Ali Khan), the Pakistani who lost his wife and kid to American excesses, seething with a desire to avenge his loss. He isn't the archetypal, skull-capped, bearded fundoo, mouthing soliloquies on jihad and intifada (uprising). On the contrary, he's suave, sophisticated and a charmer, tutoring the world on the misconceptions of Islam in the modern world. Small wonder then he manages to win the heart of college professor Avantika (Kareena Kapoor) and follows her to New York on her stint with NYU. But the domestic idyll is short-lived as Avantika soon discovers it isn't her neighbours (the Afghani extended family, headed by Om Puri) alone who have suspicious antecedents. Husband Ehsan too is an integral part of the plot to bomb America for its excesses against Muslims, the world over.

In a classroom sequence, the film tries to put Islamic fundamentalism in perspective by linking the rise of the Muslim terrorist to America's oil-grabbing foreign policy and its questionable attempts at destabilising oil rich countries in order to remain a superpower. Almost every member of the sleeper cell that comprises the Afghan family has a sad story of loss and horror that drove them into becoming fidayeens (suicide bombers). And before you begin to question the filmmakers for going too lenient on terrorism, you find Avantika who remains a non-convert till the very end. Articulating the voice of reason - and non-violence - she questions her husband and oscillates between love and hate for the man who has fathered her child. A prisoner in her own house, her only hope is Riyaaz (Viveik Oberoi), the undercover journalist who has his story of personal loss that pitches him on the other side in this war. He is determined to fight the terrorists and derail their plot of bombing America.

Karan Johar's story has gravitas. Renzil D'Silva's narrative keeps you on the edge of the seat, for most of the time. Salim Suleiman's music score has a melodious feel. Hemant Chaturvedi's cinematography serenades both Delhi, where the Saif-Kareena romance blossoms and New York, where it cracks up. And the performances by almost all the lead characters are gritty. If Om Puri paints a chilling picture of the terrorist who masquerades in the garb of the commoner and Kiron Kher makes the myth of a suicide bomber plausible, then Viveik Oberoi lends credibility to the voice of the progressive Muslim. But it is the chemistry between Saif and Kareena that lights up the film as the duo bring to life a picture of passion and restraint as the doomed lovers. We do however wish their relationship had a stronger emotional graph, post the startling revelation. How did the duo contend with the fear, hate and disillusion that crept in after Saif revealed his true identity: a bit more on that? And a bit less in the length of the film which could do with some taut editing in the second half. Also, there are a few inconsistencies that mar the film's realism. Why does the FBI loom large like a know-it-all, do-it-all figure? Not only do the FBI sleuths always be a step ahead of the terrorists and arrest them without actually knowing who they exactly are, they also emerge unscathed in a suicide bombing attacking where almost everybody crumbles. Super Uncle Sam, did we say!
But Kurbaan sure does strike a chord and sets you thinking on stuff that needs to be sorted out before the new world order - a more humanitarian, less violent - sets in. Don't miss it.

A word about

Performances: Saif and Kareena transport their off screen tuning to the big screen. While their passionate encounters are a class in aesthete, their delineation of Ehsan and Avantika is mature, restrained and realistic. Om Puri, Kiron Kher and Viveik Oberoi are in sync too.
Music: While Salim-Suleiman have come up with an entire audio track which fits in with the ambience of the film, it is Shukran Allah and the title track, Kurbaan Hua which have lingering notes. More importantly, the songs blend in seamlessly with the story and have not been filmed as your run-of-the-mill song-dance numbers.

Dialogue: The conversation amidst the diverse protagonists has a realistic edge and seem straight out of life. It's only when he tries to explain the theoretical basis of Islamic fundamentalism that Anurag Kashyap, dialogue writer, seems to enter the realm of text-book knowledge. The exposition seems a rattling of newspapers headlines.

Story: Karan Johar explores new depths with his insightful story on the world's most pressing problem: terrorism.

Cinematography: Hemant Chaturvedi uses his camera deftly to create stunning vignettes of Delhi and New York, without losing out on the seriousness of the plot.

Styling: Kareena looks svelte in dresses and tights and brings to life a glamorous professor who dons the hijab with equal felicity. Saif is his usual dapper self, making casual seem haute.


TOI

[Sharmila-Sweet]

Rockstar (November 11, 2011)

By Taran Adarsh, November 11, 2011 - 10:19 IST


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.

Write your own movie review of Rockstar
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.




What you take back from ROCKSTAR are some terrific moments, a bravura performance [Ranbir Kapoor is a class apart!] and of course, A.R. Rahman's musical score. Wish one could carry the entire film back in our hearts!

Janardan [Ranbir Kapoor], born and brought up in the very middle class locality of Delhi, has a larger than life dream -- of being a rockstar like Jim Morrison! But all he gets from his reluctant audience is ridicule and humiliation. He's at his wit's end, when he realizes that all musical stars, all artists in fact, have one thing in common. And that is tragedy. They all have tragic lives. They have all suffered painful heartbreaks to become what they are. Alas, there is no pain in Janardan's life. Unless he does something drastic, he will never become a rockstar.

Heer [Nargis Fakhri] is the undisputed diva of the college campus -- beautiful, talented, arrogant, rich and unavailable. She has broken many hearts. Janardan hopes she will break his heart too. He sets out to woo Heer with the sole object of getting his heart broken.

ROCKSTAR traces the journey of a boy who leaves behind Janardan to become Jordan, who traverses the highs and lows of life -- from simple naiveté to tortured soul, from the campus in Delhi to the international stage… He ultimately gets all that his heart has ever desired, but in the process shatters/loses his heart forever.

It's evident that ROCKSTAR seeks inspiration for the story from the iconic, charismatic and popular Jim Morrison. With a capable director like Imtiaz Ali at the helm, one expects ROCKSTAR to be a cult movie in this genre. But the film falters after an impressive start, after you are introduced to the four pivotal characters in the story -- Ranbir, Nargis, Kumud Mishra [Ranbir's confidante] and Piyush Mishra [owner of a music company].

Narrated in flashback, the writing gets erratic as you delve deeper and deeper. The film begins with a few people bashing up Ranbir and one expects the reasons for this fight to come to the fore as the reels unfold. But the sequence remains unexplained even after the movie concludes. Sequences that depict Ranbir's unpredictable and inconsistent behavior are inexplicable as well. The major mood swings -- he's cool as a cucumber at times, but turns irritable and furious immediately -- is also baffling. His relationship with Heer is inconsistent as well. He comes across as an extremely mystified individual. Ranbir's portions in Prague [including meeting Nargis on arrival there] look unreal. The end to the tale is most worrisome. It's an open end, with the audience not really knowing what actually happened to one of the central characters. In fact, the second hour is stretched without valid reason and that makes it a tedious watch.

One expects Imtiaz Ali to outshine his previous works, but he doesn't. Sure, he explores the emotional depths with immense compassion and also draws bravura performances from the central characters, especially Ranbir Kapoor. But let's not disregard the fact that every film depends on a watertight screenplay and ROCKSTAR stumbles and fumbles in this department. At the same time, there are moments that are spectacular and brilliantly executed. The sequence between Shammi Kapoor and Ranbir [when introduced in the music company office] is super. Ditto for a particular sequence featuring Piyush Mishra; he's taking a massage and talking to Ranbir concurrently. Even the sequence when Ranbir tears apart the agreement and throws it at Piyush Mishra is fantastic. A few more individualistic scenes reiterate the fact that Imtiaz Ali is a genius!

Music maestro A.R. Rahman's music is scintillating. ROCKSTAR is about the progression of a musician from India and the songs not only tell his story, but also track his journey from a nobody to a somebody. It must've been a challenge for Rahman to depict the emotional catharsis a rockstar undergoes and the tracks, I wish to add, aren't the typical Rahman numbers either. While some of the songs ['Sadda Haq'] will be loved instantly, a few others will take time to grow on you.

Anil Mehta's cinematography is top notch. Every frame is picture perfect, a painting on celluloid. Dialogue deserve special mention. They are straight out of life.

The secret behind Ranbir's triumph is that he puts his heart and mind into every project he chooses to perform in. Love, resentment, pain, hurt... Ranbir brings a multitude of feelings to his character. It's a role of a lifetime and Ranbir is sure to be immortalized in this story of a rockstar. He glides into the character effortlessly, so much so that you see very little of Ranbir, the actor and more of Janardan/Jordan, the character he represents. His performance is beyond extraordinary.

Nargis is a stunner as far as looks are concerned, but isn't persuasive in poignant moments. However, the chemistry between Ranbir and Nargis is exhilarating. Shammi Kapoor is superb in a small but significant role. Aditi Rao Hydari suffers due to an undeveloped characterization. Kumud Mishra is splendid. What a fine actor! Piyush Mishra is, as always, exceptional. Shernaz Patel enacts her part well.

On the whole, ROCKSTAR does not live up to the confidence and expectations from the otherwise very skilled and accomplished film-maker Imtiaz Ali. The film suffers immensely due to a disorderly screenplay, especially in its post-interval portions. However, the silver lining or the comforting prospect is the virtuoso performance by Ranbir Kapoor and the captivating score by A.R. Rahman, which justify that one extra star.

3/5