Capturing the unspoken expressions - Rockstar

“Rockstar” is the journey of an awkward teenager, Janardhan Jakkar to a rock star, Jordan. The movie delves into the reality of being a star - money, fame and crazy fans that the world sees but a vacuum deep-inside that only the star will know. The movie is well crafted; the music, the art direction, the acting, the overlapping scenes, the photography, and the direction. Aarti Bajaj (editor) has played well with the film’s chronology and her non-linear narrative cuts are brilliant.  Overall, the movie is magical and it truly belongs to Ranbir Kapoor. He lived the character of Jordan and dominates every pixel of the screen, from the beginning to end.

After an initial hesitation, Heer (Nargis Fakhri) develops an affection for Janardan (Ranbir Kapoor). She is about to get married but wants to let her hair down once, before she settles down. Janardhan aka Jordan helps heer. He goes to Kashmir for her wedding preparations. It is her wedding day. Jordan enters the room. Heer looks at him through the mirror and something strikes her.

Jordan - “Kya?”

Heer (turns around) - “kya?”

Jordan - Itni senti kyo ho rahi hai?”

Heer - “Shaadi kar rahi hoon.”

Jordan - “Itni takleef ho rahi hai to mat kar shaadi.”

Heer – “Phir?”

Jordan - “Darwaza khula hai, bhaag le.”

Heer (immediately gets ready) - “Chal”

Jordan didn’t expect this and appears confused. 

Heer - “Kuch mat puchna mujhe, warna mai sach bol dungi”

Jordan - ”bol de sach, darta kaun hai”

Heer (after a short pause) - “Haan.”  

Jordan - “Haan?”

Heer changes the topic. Jordan plays along.

Jordan (later) - “Kahi tu mere pyaar vyaar me to nahi pad gayi?”

Both look at each other and camera waits for heer to say yes but she again changes the topic.  She later asks him “bhaag chale?” Jordan doesn’t reply. The scene ends with an unspoken expression of love. Jordan sings his way out with the song “Phir se ud chala.”

Heer replying to the unasked question - Jordan understanding it – the audience getting the message. The emotions are portrayed beautifully through spoken/unspoken dialogues, performances and the direction.  We are left to draw our own interpretations.  We have heard the unspoken and felt the unseen. May be, the director, Imtiaz Ali wanted to continue his rebellion against the conventional way of proposing love, reminiscent of his previous movies (Socha na tha, Jab we met, Love aaj kal).

This is a crucial scene for the movie for two reasons. First, Jordan comes to know that heer loves him and also realizes that he also loves her.  But, neither of them admits.  Jordan’s heart needs to be broken to bring out the artist in him. Second, if any of them had confessed then the movie would have taken a different turn. They might have eloped and married.  Jordan could have become a singer but not a true Rock Star (like Jim Morrison), the one he always dreamt of being.  

Photo source: Onesmallwindow