11.11.11, the date when this film was released, the date was special sure, but the film, it isn’t your conventional bollywood masala romantic flick, it’s different, perhaps that’s what makes it special.
So when I watched for the first time as a kid, I didn’t really understand what exactly is this film trying to say, maybe a more mature mindset is required to understand this movie. After watching it countless times in the recent past, I’ve noticed that each and everytime this film has something new to offer, something different.
Now, when we talk about films and how they show an entire journey through the cameras, we must also talk about how complicated things get in real life, for example, the complications between two lovers i.e Jordan and Heer.
This film portrays the life of an struggling artist named Jordan and his journey from a regular college boy in Delhi to a badass rockstar, but hey, is it that simple? No. He is told that only a heart break can bring out the artist that resides within him, only pain makes an artist, so desperate for a heartbreak Jordan meets heer, a beautiful girl from Kashmir (who also is about to get married), but they start spending time together, as friends (maybe), do they fall in love, with each other? You can’t really tell. The complexity with which the film is made, you’re never really sure what to make out of their relationship. Anywho, so Heer is married, off to Prague, Jordan, who is now experiencing heartbreak, who is now realising what Heer meant to him. But isn’t it too late now, i mean she’s married right?
Apparently, he is now a successful musician, his albums are hit, money is flowing… Does that mean a heartbreak is really necessary for an artist? Perhaps. Jordan, now a successful rockstar, is still empty, he’s burning from the inside, he isn’t really happy, even though he’s got what he had always wanted. Was the heartbreak really worth it?
After a gap, Jordan meets Heer again, in prague, they spend time together, they seem happy, but it isn’t always perfect right? Heer is married, apparently she’s ill, whatever happens in Prague is a showcase of what a world would look like if we always got what we desired. Moving ahead, Heer, who’s now ill, comes back to India, she’s in a really bad condition, then she meets Jordan again, and this time for real, they accept each other, each other’s love. Heer, is ill as mentioned before, she’s gonna die soon, but Jordan is now happy, why? Because he wants to be with her, for as long as he can. He loves her. She loves him. Wish it stayed that way but life isn’t that easy right?
Heer is now dead. Jordan….. A few moments of happiness was all he got. He’s back to square one. He’s broken. “Mera dil nai tutna chahiye khatana bhai. Mere paas aur kuch nahi hai” that line hit all of us really hard. Didn’t it?
How can we talk about Rockstar without talking about it’s music? In my opinion this is one of the greatest sound albums of all time. Each song has it’s speciality, a hidden emotion. For example, spirituality in Kun Faya Kun, pain in Aur ho, happiness in katiya karun, happiness of finding love in tum ho, the sense of belonging in Naadan parindey etc. The Mozart of Madras surely nailed the music.
Towards the end, we’re left with a few questions, i.e what exactly is the director trying to tell us? That is heartbreak really necessary for an artist to thrive? Or is it that you can’t be happy even if you achieve everything you ever wished for, because the one person you love isn’t there anymore to celebrate it with you? Or is it that the concept of love only exists to hurt? Or is it just what life is all about?
Truly a cinematic masterpiece, with briliant direction and music, and epic performances. (Lets keep nargis fakhri out of it.).
Yahan se bahot door…….galat aur sahi ke paar, ek maidaan hai……. Main vahan milunga tujhe.
Divyansh 