Story: Rockstar traces the journey of Jordan (Ranbir Kapoor), whose life is full of ups and downs. In order to fulfill his dreams of becoming a rockstar, he realises the fact that successful musicians follow the mantra of no pain no gain. So, he forces himself to fall in love with Heer Kaul (Nargis Fakhri) and eventually ends up heart-broken, so that he can churn out good music. However, destiny has something else in store for him. While Heer gets married and settles in a foreign country, Jordan realises his true love for her thus, gets torn between love and career. But, again, when he actually decides to leave his career for his love, she leaves him alone forever. 

Story Treatment: With a flawless first half, courtesy- an engaging narration which strikes a good balance between flashback and present, Rockstar starts on a very good note. From showcasing the Delhi college culture to the scenic beauty of Kashmir and some extremely fun-filled dialogues, the film surely rocks in first half, but falls flat on the face as second half begins. Transitions and inter-cuts lasting for almost 25 minutes make it a boring affair as the filmmaker seems to be beating around the bush with a strange stagnation in terms of storyline.

Star Cast: Ranbir Kapoor proves himself to be the apt choice for the role. He carries the entire film on his shoulders. He induces life in his character and matures from an dumb college boy to a hard-hitting rockstar. Nargis Fakhiri shows spark in her performance, although there is scope for improvement. Shammi Kapoor leaves an indelible mark in his small but pivotal role. Kumud Mishra as Jordan’s well-wisher and PR, plays his part well. Piyush Mishra is hilarious as usual. Shernaz Patel as Heer’s mother looks convincing.

Direction: Imtiaz Ali begins Rockstar with a plot that looks like a replica of ‘Mere Brother Ki Dulhan,’ where Katrina realises her love for Imran, only a few moments before she is about to get married; likewise, Nargis too goes through the same feeling for Ranbir. But the director here, switches gears and brings the movie on another track with Jordan (Ranbir) scaling new heights in his career, which is indeed interesting. But, again, with so many loopholes in the terms of like, the doctor not being able to justify Heer’s (Nargis) death and no logic behind the police chasing Jordan in a foreign country, where he has committed no crime, leaves audience assuming things and that's where Imtiaz Ali disappoints.

Music/ Cinematography/ Dialogues/Editing: Music, that's already creating waves, totally syncs with the flow of the story and is extremely soothing. Cinematography and dialogues are the high points of the film. The camera captures the beautiful Kashmir valley very well and along with, the intense expressions of the characters which again are indisputably the lifelines of the film. Dialogues, as mentioned earlier, are funny and catchy. Editing could have been crispier in the second half.

3 Ups and 3 Downs: You have to see this flick for Ranbir Kapoor and his power packed performance. This movie will surely prove to be milestone in his career. Some heartfelt dialogues, cinematography and an awesome soundtrack are definitely the strengths. The unassuming post interval sequences, non-crisp editing and screenplay are the drawbacks.

Overall, Rockstar is a one-time watch and worth a treat for both the fans and non-fans of Ranbir Kapoor, as he does complete justice to his character.

- DailyBhaskar