In these times of instant gratification, here’s a film that makes you think. Not a perfect film, but one that stays with you long after the lights have come back on.

‘Rockstar’ looks as if there may be something in it, despite the familiar post-teen love tropes that Ali sets up. We’re still trying on new girl Fakhri for size, just as her hero is, and keeping an open mind.

From its start, to the way it progresses, you can tell, the film’s been through various stages of editing and several second thoughts. Sometimes the patchiness shows. It’s a stretch. Anything that’s 18 reels long (close to three hours) in a flickering world of low attention spans would be. Something fizzles out towards the end. You still don’t begrudge a movie that’s been this engaging, entertaining thus far.

Rockstar isn’t entirely above flaws though. The irregular narrative could do with some smooth editing avoiding the uneven, jerky feel to the proceedings.

Rockstar has a Sufi soul. If only it had been set free and allowed to go the whole hog!

Rockstar rocks you but only partially thanks to the star called Ranbir Kapoor.

While good acting is always an incentive, it’s a director’s vision that makes a film truly watchable, and Imtiaz makes Rockstar stand out from what the mainstream churns out every week.

On the whole, Rockstar will be loved by one section of the audience – mainly the youth in the multiplexes of the big cities. But there will also be a section – mainly the single-screen audience, masses and small-centre audience – which will find the drama dark and depressing. Given the film’s high cost on the one hand (around Rs. 60-62 crore) and its lovely start on the other, crossing the average mark shouldn’t be a problem.

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.

If only Imtiaz had curtailed his obsession and let some scenes go, ROCKSTAR could have achieved cult status like ROCK ON.

Rockstar is one of those films that surpass the regular fare offered at the cinema each week, as each performer here has given their all and have come up with a grand and operatic film that proves a risky gamble for winning people over but it just works here. The movie is that game-changer for Imtiaz Ali and Ranbir Kapoor, who attempt to scale the artistic highs and prove to the world what they can achieve within the commercial love story genre by pushing all the boundaries. A must watch!

‘Rockstar’ is one of the best performances by Ranbir Kapoor and as for Imtiaz Ali, it’s his artistry which infuses soul in the film and makes it a truly watchable film.