Rockstar: Hindi movie thoughts

It has been a decade since this movie got released. Like experiencing a fine aged wine, we wanted to see this movie again. Like a mysterious elixir, this movie has aged beautifully. I think, once the impact of this movie gets imprinted on your brain, it doesn't fade. Randomly, in the middle of nowhere, if someone plays "Sadda Haq", or "Kun Faya Kun", the same feelings will be dredged up as they did, from 2011. That is the purity of the songs and the movie.

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Narrated in a non- linear fashion, the movie follows the journey of a Delhi college lad who nurses ambitions of becoming a famous guitarist and singer. Upon being told about how great musicians led painful lives which inspired their music, he sets out in search of love/ pain ("The pain should be so intense that you should bleed words. Better be a word man, rather than a bird man."). Little does he known that the pull of love is all - consuming, like moth to flame.

The path you indicate towards
I will follow blindly without thought
where will the moths sacrifice themselves?
At what altar will we witness the fire?

I can see Influences by Jim Morrison, American poet, shaman of music and frontman for The doors , one of my most favorite bands. We hear of Jim's tragic life, and there is a stunning sequence in ultra slow - motion which is inspired by him, it looks like. It's absolutely gorgeous. This is a visually - stunning movie. They burned themselves so that we can live in the light of their music. No number of tributes can do justice to their contribution to the world of music.

The 27 years club.  Source

There are five rockstars here. This is Shammi Kapoor's last movie. Ranbir Kapoor has acted with his heart and soul. Mohit Chouhan is "the" voice. Add the inimitable A R Rahman and Imtiaz Ali, and we have sorcery here. The songs here are just insane. They will never get old. The Jugalbandi between Ranbir and Shammi Kapoor is scintillating - these are moments of pure gold.

Nargis' radiance and vulnerability adds to the unimaginable beauty of Kashmir, the crown jewel of India. She is a vision, like the moon, enchanting us by reflecting the beauty off Kashmir. Visuals of Kashmir have been captured stunningly. Aditi Rao Hydari is a dream, doing her job by trying to unravel the mystery that Ranbir is. 

Nothing is possible in the confines of the rigid boundaries defined by society, of what is "acceptable". When you explore the fringes and succumb to your insecurities, the doors of perception will fade away and things will be real. This is what the characters go through.

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RK read Kurt Cobain's biography when preparing for this movie. He also learnt how to sing and play the guitar. This intensity reflects in his acting, and he has done an amazing job, encapsulating the angst of the artist and the broken lover. The Catatonia is reminiscent of what I read about Syd Barrett, that crazy diamond. 

The screenplay is like a dream. The way songs flit in and out of the narration is beyond description. I can watch this movie multiple times and not get bored. Personally, this is one of my favorite movies. I love the guitar and good music so I might be biased here. The movie brings back an avalanche of memories from 2011, a hazy year of unforgettable turbulence and friendship. The songs were soothing potions for frayed minds.

If this movie was released in this day, there would have been anarchy, rioting and looting as "Ranbir said Ya Nizamuddin". Didn't he have any fucking temples to crash at?, ask the guardians of our culture. True story.

The riffs on the heavier songs are the creations of  Orianthi Panagaris (MJ connect). Anyone who loves great music and an innovative screenplay should not miss this movie.

What are your thoughts about this movie?

(Thanks, Krips, for the insights and for proofreading ;) )