Imtiaz Ali On Rockstar Criticism And Why Jab We Met Is Gaining A Cult Status

Just wrapped up a long free wheeling interview with one of my favourite filmmakers Imtiaz Ali. We started off the discussion with Jab We Met and how this film is increasingly gaining a cult status something on the lines of Andaz Apna Apna. I told Imtiaz about a fan Gili Sen in Kolkata who watches JWM everyday since its release and celebrates 26th Oct as its anniversary. I also told him how in each of my interviews with Kareena and Shahid, I end up asking them when are they gonna work with Imtiaz again. He said, "to woh aap hain jo unhe bhadka rahe hain," laughingly.

Imtiaz sportingly answered to all my questions on the criticism that has come 'Rockstar's' way. We spoke on the criticism of why the word 'Tibet' was blurred in Sadda Haq. He says, according to the Govt of India position, we can talk about Autonomy for Tibet but not its freedom hence it was blurred. Imtiaz told the authorities that by blurring they'll attract more attention than by letting it remain the way it is. I asked him why a word like 'Sex' said by Ranbir was muted. Ali said that according to the Censor Board guidelines, they can't use certain words if they have to get a particular kinda rating.

Imtiaz talked about the criticism for opting for Nargis as the lead actress. He spoke about the criticism about the love story not being that gripping. I asked him about the relevance of Sadda Haq in the context of the film considering Jordan doesn't talk about environment issues or rights of people anywhere else in the film. Ali justified by saying, Jordan is breaking off from his own inner turmoil, he is rebelling against all the restrictions imposed on him. His personal angst finds a larger meaning in various issues that are shown in the song.

We spoke about the extraordinary performance of Ranbir Kapoor and how he justified Shammi sahab's line in the film, "ye bada jaanwar hai, ye aapke chote pinjre mein qaid nahin rahega" by putting up an outstanding performance. I told Imtiaz how I feel that Ranbir is one of the finest actors across all generations who are currently working. We talked about the jugalbandi of Shammi Sahab on Shehnai and Ranbir on Guitar. We discussed the casting of Kumud Mishra as Khatana bhai and Piyush Mishra as the outragious Dhingra from Platinum Music. There's a scene in the film where a bare bodied Piyush is getting maalish done in his lawn. Imtiaz told me that it was a hot day and there was oil on Piyush's body. The scene took a long time for shooting and Piyush must have felt very uncomfortable because of the combo of oil and harsh sunlight but he pulled off the scene very well. We spoke about the experience of working with Rahman and how Mohit Chauhan was the right voice for Jordan because of his disregard for the conventional.

Talking about his forthcoming films, Imtiaz will be the creative producer on the official remake of Korean film 'My Girlfriend Is An Agent' which will be directed by Bosco and UTV are the ones who are backing the project. Ali has also written the story of Homi Adjania's film 'Cocktail' starring Saif and Deepika but he is not writing the dialogues for this film. Ali says he is commited to do a film for Sajid Nadiadwala. He deinied about Hrithik being a part of it. Ali says that there has to be a story first and then the story decides the casting.

Its a long interview, around 40 mins. I'll try and transcribe it in text. I hope you guys will relish it as much as I enjoyed doing this interview.
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"Dedicate My Life Entertaining People": Shahrukh Khan

It finally happened after a long wait but it was worth it nevertheless. Did a short one on one interview with Shahrukh Khan at the Go Jiyo event today in Bombay. He is happy with the response to Ra.one so far. There are chances of a sequel which may be called G.one but no confirmation yet. Khan says that his team has explored the technology abd they'll see how it can be developed further.

"Dedicate My Life Entertaining People": Shahrukh Khan



At the Dubai premiere of Ra.one we saw a girl desperately trying to get close to Shahrukh to click a picture, she finally managed it, screamed and hugged him. I asked SRK how does it feel to get such love from fans all across the world. He said that he hopes to entertain people for a long time to come and values their love tremendously. Shahrukh's Bollywood Hungama exclusive interview will be live tonight. I really wished for a longer interview but maybe sometime soon for Don 2. SRK was very nice and the best part is that he is an attentive listener and doesn't take anything lightly.

At the press conference that followed Shahrukh disclosed that he'll be soon going to Poland and that he will be going for Marakesh Festival as well where a retrospective of a few of his films will be showcased. SRK confirmed that he will be at the inauguration ceremony of IFFI in Goa on November 23. Khan will also be shooting for a song for Don 2 for a couple of days shortly. There will be some activity of Don 2 in Dubai in December (he didn't spell out the exact details) in later part of December.

Post the SRK Go Jiyo press conference, I interviewed Puneet Issar who is writing directing and acting in 'I Am Singh'. I started off the interview by asking him about the infamous accident on the sets of Coolie where he accidentally hit Mr Bachchan. Issar recounted how Big B assured him that it was not his fault. Puneet spoke on being the Duryodhan of Mahabharat. He remembered directing Salman in Garv. He said that on the first day of its shoot, he was very nervous. The shoot had to start at 7 and he received a call from Salman at 4:30 am to cancel the shoot as the accident had taken place in American Bakery in Bandra. Talking about 'I Am Singh', Issar got emotional and said that the Sikh community has not been showed in a proper light in the film industry. He also doesn't approve of the Sikh portrayal (appearance wise) in Akshay Kumar's 'Singh Is King'. It is an interesting interview for sure.

Satisfying day. Hope you guys are doing well.
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Haan Naaz Hai....A Song On My Wife Aarefa's Birthday

Hi There

Check out a new song 'Haan Naaz Hai' that has been written,composed
and sung by me. The music arrangements have been done by my good friend
Navneet Kedar. Hope you like it



LYRICS


Chai ke do cup
Subah ho gayi,
whats up
Smile mein koi raaz hai
Wah kya unique andaaz hai
Naaz Hai....Haan Naaz Hai
Naashte ka time hai
Mausam sublime hai
What to eat, what not to eat
That is the question
Or maybe
Not eat at all...
SMS ki khushboo se mobile mein hulchul hai
Sannaton ke shor mein
Saath tumhara har pal hai
Shaam ki kashti, raat kinara,
Sukoon patvaar hai
Mehnat tumhaari, khismat hamaari,
khushiyon ki bharmaar hai

Naaz Hai...Haan Naaz Hai

Chaand Zameen
Gehna hai aasma
There's an angel
Haseen usse samaa
This is not an illusion
This is my reality
I Am So Lucky

Naaz hai....Haan Naaz Hai....

First Promo Of Aamir's 'Talaash' To Be Showcased With SRK's 'Don 2'

As confirmed by Farhan Akhtar on Twitter, the first trailer of Aamir, Kareena and Rani's 'Talaash' will be launched along with Don 2.

FarOutakhtar
@sushantld the first trailer of Talaash will be released with Don 2.


This is in consonance with the promo strategy followed by Excel since their first film 'Dil Chahta Hai'. The first promo of DCH was launched six months in advance. 'Talaash' is slated to release on June 1, but the promo will be breaking much before the release.

Shahrukh Khan will be interacting with the Go-Jiyo contest winners on Friday November 18 at a hotel in Bombay. It has been promised to be a fun event.

Finally saw 'Tintin' today. Loved the technology and the eternal charm of the boy with the puffed hair refuses to die down.

Anurag Kashyap and Madhu Mantena launched the first film under Phantom films' named 'Lootere' at an event today. The film is starring Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha. It is directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and Balaji Telefilms are the co producers. The film is based in the 1950s. At the event, Ranveer came on a Bullet while Sonakshi came in a red car. Motwane earned a lot of critical acclaim for his debut film 'Udaan' which didn't star any known names. It will be interesting how he fares in his second film starring commercial actors who can boast of good potential as actors too.

Son Of Sardar, The Dirty Picture On The Move, Phantom, Baby Girl For Ash

Ajay Devgn's 'Son Of Sardar' is going to release on November 30, 2012.

'The Dirty Picture' team will be going on a long city tour within India to places like Kolkata, Bangalore, Nagpur, Patna, Pune, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Indore and Lucknow.

There's a press meet today Nove 16 to launch Vikramaditya Motwane's 'Phantom'. Anurag Kashyap along with stars Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha will be present at the event.

Aiswarya has been blessed with a baby girl today. A big congratulations to the Bachchans!!!

Shahrukh At IFFI Inauguration Ceremony on Nov 23?

According to a reliable source, Shahrukh Khan will be a part of the inauguration ceremony at the IFFI, Goa on November 23.

Rockstar has put in impressive numbers at the Box Office. The urban youth are patronising the film. It will do wonders for Ranbir's career. But not the best film of Imtiyaz Ali at all.

I am at the Delhi Airport on my way back to Bombay after a short trip to Aligarh. Abba is not well. It's tough to see your loved ones in discomfort and helplessness. But still, Abba's spirit is fantastic. Doesn't complain about anything and always tries and put up a brave front. Weather in Delhi-Aligarh carries a tinge of delightful chill.

I recorded the song 'Haan Naaz Hai' on Aarefa's birthday during my trip to Aligarh. I've written, composed and sung the song while my good friend Navneet Kedar has done the music arrangements. It has come out very well. Shall share with you guys soon.

So much for now. Catch you guys later.

Impressive 'Rockstar' But A Flawed Love Story

Nargis Fakhri has a Katrina Kaif (of Mere Brother Ki Dulhan) hangover as she zooms off on Rockstar Ranbir's bike to 'machaofy some gandh' before she settles down in matrimony with someone else (the 'gandh machaofy' fetish continues post her marriage too). The bonding between the lead pair is fun but the heights of passion that director Imtiaz Ali must have aspired to project to his audience is missing. Moreover, at 2 hrs 45 minutes, Rockstar is a tedious watch specially when the proceedings become too dark.

Imtiaz Ali is one of the finest writer-directors in the Hindi film industry in the present era. There were a lot of expectations from Rockstar. He sketches some wonderful characters but the love story lacks the depth, intensity and reasoning. Also, the narrative goes for a toss in the second half. Janardhan Jakhad aka Jordan(Ranbir) is a simpleton who loves music. His family doesn't support this passion and throws him out of the house. The remnants of love that he felt for Heer (Nargis) and the hardships of life while living on his own in the Nizamuddin Auliya Dargah brings out the spiritual side to his personality. Khatana Bhai (Kumud Mishra, restrained and believable) makes him understand the importance of heartbreak to make lasting music and how to keep the sanity under check at various points of the rockstar's life. Ustaad Jameel Khan (Shammi Kapoor, incredible charmer), a renowned Shahnai player (based on Ustaad Bismillah Khan sahab's persona), is an Indian classical musician who recognises the immense potential in Jordan. Dhingra (Piyush Mishra, superb) owns a successful music company that values profit and subservience.

While Imtiaz constructs impressive characters of Jordan, Khatana bhai, Dhingra and Ustaad Jameel Khan, he fails to underline the reasons for the lack-of-depth in Heer's (Nargis, looks great, is fun but falters as an actress several times) character. At one moment, she can't stand Janardhan Jakhad and after a convenient change-of-heart, goes to watch a sleazy film with him, washed up by desi daroo and long bike rides in hills on the eve of her marriage to someone else. When they meet up again in Prague post her marriage, they go to strip clubs, red light district, dance on roads, long bike rides and then they kiss. After, all the salacious stuff that they had been sharing, she suddenly turns moralistic and tells Jordan to stay within limits. At the dinner, Heer's husband suggests that she should join Jordan's troupe in Prague as a volunteer as he seems to be having a good impact on her (Husband ho toh aisa). During a performance, Jordan goes backstage and plants a kiss on Heer's lips. Since she is suffering from a serious ailment, Heer's parents allow Jordan (known for mood swings, having spent time in jail) to spend time with her. Jordan gets Heer pregnant leading to hazardous complications. Kya mohabbat hai!

Ranbir's journey as a rockstar is not filmi at all. He is shown to be portraying a free spirited musician who is summed up by Ustaad Jameel Khan when he tells Dhingra that Jordan is a free bird who won't remain confined to his cage since he is meant to fly high. Ranbir is one big reason to watch a film that has several flaws. Just watch him transform from a geek to a Greek God. Effortlessly. There are several scenes where he stuns you with the growth in him as an actor. Here are a few such examples:

* When he tears the music contract and throws at Dhingra
* Unabashedly laughs when Dhingra is being fixed by his maalishwala
* Tells Nargis, "tu marni waali hai..." and suddenly changes the context of what he wanted to say
* Interactions with Khatana bhai as he was the only one whom Jordan really trusted or respected.
* Sexual dalliance with journo Sheena (Aditi Rao) and the way he withdraws from performing the act.
* Very convincing as a singer-musician. You could feel that he is actually singing from his gut and when he played the upper strings of the guitar, you know that a lot of research has gone in observing what a rocker does on stage.

Jordan's constant altercations with media is blown out of proportion. The repeated parts where journo-cameramen pounce and jump on Jordan is far from the reality (a nice way to hit back at the media eh!). The first half of the film is fun but the second half gets convoluted, dark and stretches needlessly. How many permutation combinations of Jordan's artistic madness can you suffer? It becomes too much after a point of time. Why was a word like 'Chutiya' beeped while 'Haraami' goes scot free. Jordan tells Heer that he has kissed and has had sex before too, but the word 'sex' is beeped out. Why? What's the big deal? The 'Free Tibet' banner finds 'Tibet' being blurred. It's a shame both for the Censor Board as well as the makers.

'Sadda Haq' is brilliantly picturised. But during the film, one doesn't get to see Jordan expressing his thoughts on environment or other social issues. Hence, in the context of the film, 'Sadda Haq' is out of place. Rahman's music is fantastic but there are way too many songs in the film that derails the narrative further. Mohit Chauhan as Jordan's voice is very effective. A voice that defies anything that is obvious. Anil Mehta's camerawork is exceptional. The scenic Kashmir, Himachal in India and Prague in Europe have been captured beautifully. Imtiaz' dialogues, as expected, are good. Jordan's brother tells him, "ab kya daantne ke liye bhi appointment len..." (should we take appointment for scolding you?). Quirky and different. Aarti Bajaj's editing has two sides to it. The back-n-forth flow of narrative is charming but the slow pace and a sudden, thanda finale spoils the story flow.

In the final analysis, Rockstar is a film that has a lot of heart but the soul is missing. It will test your patience, but it's watchable.

Star Rating: *** stars