D-DAY! Rockstar is OUT!

Last night, I should have been studying, but instead, I kept pressing the "refresh" button on Twitter and Google News, just waiting to read some reviews on Rockstar. Like most film audiences, I am interested in what the Critics say, but won't decide to watch a movie solely on a Critic's, sometimes biased, rating. Here are some of the inputs of some of the big critics, who supposedly know what they are talking about...sometimes they do! *Gulp*

Gorgeous Poster!

On the whole, ROCKSTAR does not live up to the confidence and expectations from the otherwise very skilled and accomplished film-maker Imtiaz Ali. The film suffers immensely due to a disorderly screenplay, especially in its post-interval portions. However, the silver lining or the comforting prospect is the virtuoso performance by Ranbir Kapoor and the captivating score by A.R. Rahman, which justify that one extra star. 3 Stars.

-Taran Adarsh

I am having a hard time accepting that Imtiaz Ali can write a "disorderly screenplay", but some others are saying the same thing so it might be possible. However, Taran Adarsh is also the man who gave Anees Bazmi's Ready a 4 star rating. Undoubtedly, we have some BIG discrepancies on what a good film is.

Imtiaz Ali's 'Rockstar' is a far-from-perfect film, but it has honesty and depth, which is mostly missing in Hindi movies today. 'Rockstar' is an admirable effort if only for how unconventionally director Imtiaz Ali tells this tale of great passion. The romance at the core of this film is a complex one, and the film offers no easy answers. Not a perfect film, but one that stays with you long after the lights have come back on. 3 stars.

-Rajeev Masand

Well this is a lot to come from Rajeev Masand, a reviewer who rarely gives Hindi films good reviews. He usually sticks to the Hollywood scene, which he reviews fairly well. At least, he is understanding the depth of Imtiaz Ali's films, seeing as he gave Love Aaj Kal, one of my favorites, a measly rating of 2. 

 Intriguing how many male critics are loving Rockstar but female critics, not so much (that includes me). What gives?

-Anupama Chopra

This is from one of her tweets. She still hasn't written a final review on Rockstar, but evidently, she is isn't liking it...

Leave it to Imtiaz Ali to take a love story and present it in a manner that's completely different from run-of-the-mill Bollywood. Romance, under his creative vision, becomes a multi-layered, sensitively nuanced, monumental experience which has more to do with serenading your soulmate rather than a stereotypical marriage partner. With intelligent entertainers like Jab We Met, Love Aaj Kal and now Rockstar, he is evolving as a new age Yash Chopra. 4 stars. 

-Nikhat Kazmi

This article published in the Times of India, is what I am personally expecting from Imtiaz Ali -Romance. Nikhat calls him the "new age Yash Chopra"! That phrase is a very big deal; Yash Chopra is a living-legend and to be compared to him is quite a compliment. I hope Nikhat is right about the romance because it has been a very long time that I have actually watched a romance, that has touched my heart since probably, Chopra's Veer Zaara. 

Overall, the Critics are agreeing that Rockstar is not a masterpiece, but I am not complaining. I have experienced what Imtiaz Ali is capable of and I am sure that I will shed a couple of tears and feel my heart pumping a bit faster than it should in some scenes...that's all I want. I didn't post the full reviews, but Ranbir Kapoor's performance is also gaining lots of praise...from EVERYONE. I am looking forward to seeing a bit of talent for the first time in a while. As much as I love Salman sauntering down the screen in action flicks, there is something different about some real, soulful acting. 

I am going to see the movie tomorrow night. I'll tell you guys my verdict then. Until we meet again, I'll be chanting "SADDA HAQ" at the top of my lungs, hope you all are too!