Rock On Film Review

Rock on is opening to mixed reviews, since purists are not too happy with the portrayal of the Indian Rock Scene. However whatever the director’ Abhishek Kapoor’s intention was, one can’t deny him brownie points for taking the unconventional route.

So what did you think about the movie? Was it really a tribute to Rock music or was it just trying too hard? Do let us know and till then enjoy the movie review:

That is — as we’re sure you know — from Pink Floyd’s rock classic Time, just before David Gilmour tears into that heart-wrenching solo.

And that’s pretty much where Rock On starts off, with a flashback about four friends — Aditya Shroff (Farhan Akhtar), Rob Nancy (Luke Kenny), Joe Mascarenhas (Arjun Rampal [Images]) and Kedar Zaveri aka KD for Killer Drummer (Purab Kohli) — winning a battle of the bands talent competition.

The movie flits between them as they are now, and then, and what went wrong.

There are flaws; dandiya gigs can’t pay for the wireless transmitter Joe uses on his guitar. Real audiences don’t react to songs they have not heard before the way they do in the movie. Life is not as miraculous as it is in Rock On (and every Bollywood movie — even a realistic film like Taare Zameen Par [Images]).

But Rock On works — and how — because of some fine, understated work from all departments. The camera never lingers long enough on Rampal’s fingers to show that he is faking it (to his credit, he has learned chord shapes. And maybe I am prejudiced, having seen the Karzzz [Images] trailer where even from his silhouette it is evident Himesh Reshammiya [Images] can’t hold a guitar even if his life depends on it). The best songs — Tumhari Meri Batein and Sindbad The Sailor — are reserved for key plot moments. There are delightful little nuggets of humour. The dialogues are very realistic and refreshingly witty.