ROCK ON!!I had humongous expectations from this movie. COME ON!! Isn’t that obvious… with my slightly over the top reaction while writing this review? If not DIL CHAHTA HAI, I would have easily settled for a failed honest movie. The least I expected was this. ROCK ON!! is about a 4-GUY ROCK BAND that dreams big and never makes it through even the Stage of being on Stage big time… and then Fast Forward… a reunion in a truly Bollywoody-Masala-Filmy style. Below is a humongous list of my complaints that never seem to end…
LOW LIGHTS
To start with… as FARHAN AKHTAR is the lead Star, Singer & Co-Producer of the film, naturally comparisons with his master piece DIL CHAHTA HAI would arise. And while over the topic of comparisons… let’s count the similarities… (1) DCH had 3 Friends while Rock On!! has 4 Friends, (2) DCH travels back and forth in time-line while Rock On!! tries to do exactly the same, (3) Friends separate in DCH due to a spat between 2 guys while Rock On!! has the same happenings again, (4) DCH has a reunion in a hospital while Rock On!! has a reunion in a garage, (5) The love interest of one of the protagonist dies in DCH, while in Rock On!! one of the band members dies in a truly Rajesh Khanna style, (6) Aamir Khan has a rivalry with Preity Zinta’s fiance in DCH while in Rock On!! Farhan Akhtar’s MAGIK band has a rivalry with an opponent who in turn ends up with his ex-girlfriend… And… And… And… I can’t list them all guys n gals…
How the hell did NANDINI SHRIKENT (Casting Incharge) even imagined that PURAB KOHLI would fit as a Drummer in a band? To make the matters worse, he is called KD (Killer Drummer) in the movie. Casting is the key to the front door of a movie. And ROCK ON!! falters big time here. You might say, it’s just one guy… Well, a Rock Band is complete only with a drummer… isn’t it? And it seems the Director ABHISHEK KAPOOR had never even tried to study the psyche of a band to write the character of KD beyond the PHONY DAADIS AND WIGS. How can anyone explain the timid nature of a true-blue rock band member when dealing with a girl? And what is with that ever present chirpy smile on the transformed KD? They just abandoned their band… not their Natural Rock Band Arrogance. There are just too many flaws in this character.
And then comes LUKE KENNY… He looked 100% the part he played when the MAGIK band was alive 10 years in the past… And when you start to feel warm with this character, Mr. Abhishek Kapoor decides to kill the coolest dude with a filmy ish-tyle bed drama straight from a Rajesh Khanna movie. A drug addiction would have been more relatable. But I ask, why should his character die? Other than to make the reunion spicier, does that add any layer to the character? Our free advice… While writing Scripts, keep your head still Abhishek…
More than the reunion of the band… the reunion of Farhan Akhtar with his ex-girlfriend, that is ridiculous.
Though largely the Music was great for a Bollywood movie that is based on ROCK MUSIC, there are a lot of bits and pieces that are gathered from here and there. Every song sounds as if it is lifted from somewhere. For any Rock/Metal trak, the central riff and hook are the core. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy lifeted them unabashedly. The Primary sources are METALLICA, BON JOVI and U2 while for softening the tracks for Bollywood… Shankar Ehsaan Loy used EAGLES. It is tedious to mention them all… So, I hope you get the idea…
The whole movie itself while basing on DCH, copies a lot of moments from elsewhere too. Especially from EDDIE AND THE CRUISERS (1983)
HIGH LIGHTS
SHANKAR EHSAAN LOY spread true MAGIK with the track Yeh Tumhari Meri Baatein sung supremely well by DOMINIQUE CEREJO.
PRACHI DESAI was simply lip-smacking sweet. She looks good on any screen. She gives a commendable performance that is sadly burdened with the flawed script.
SHABANA GOSWAMI is the REAL ROCKER in the film with her powerhouse performance. She is a super prospect for Bollywood.
There are some real Magik moments like when the MAGIK band had to play some old Bollywood numbers at a Dandiya event. Prachi Desai’s character is very well written as an understanding, caring and loving wife. But sadly, there are not enough of these positive elements.
While ARJUN RAMPAL exceled in his portrayal of Joe, FARHAN AKHTAR had done more than adequate for Aditya. The problem is that the spat between them is not well sequenced.
In the end, all I could say is that Abhishek should have written more about the bonding of the MAGIK band members to feel the depth of the separation. There is just no depth in the characters.
