Imtiaz Ali’s directorial Rockstar is definitely among the top favourites of this generation even though it was released a decade ago. The film which has reached the milestone of 10 years achieved cult status over the years as it is still with discussed by movie connoisseurs and fans across platforms.
Talking Rockstar, Ali says, “If a film is being discussed and its characters and situations are being dissected ten years after its release, that’s great. I think that a film belongs to its viewers more than its makers. I know there are people who own the movie much more than I do.”
Ranbir Kapoor’s character Jordan left an impression in everyone’s mind. However, Ali reveals that Ranbir was not his first choice. “I began trying to make Rockstar even before Ranbir became an actor. So, I was thinking of other actors to play this part. When I met Ranbir, he strangely knew the story of Rockstar. When he began telling me the story, I saw Jordan in him,” he reveals.
Along with its story and fantastic acting another thing that the movie holds a special place in fan’s hearts is because of its sound track. The music album of the film, including songs like Phir Se Udd Chala, Katiya Karoon and Kun Faaya Kun, among many others was composed by legendary AR Rahman.
Ali recalled the moment when AR came up with the first scratch of the movie’s music track “It was the scratch of Phir Se Udd Chala. At that point, I didn’t think whether it’s a good song or people will remember it after so many years. All I knew was I felt something, almost like an experience. And that experience lasted throughout the making of the film,” the filmmaker remember.
Ali also revealed that the extremely radicalised reaction from audience overwhelmed him “Prior to Rockstar, my films were known to be pleasant. Jab We Met (2007), Love Aaj Kal (2009) and Socha Na Tha (2005) had nothing deeply disturbing about them. People took Rockstar very personally. But the film could have never ended on a happy note. If I were to look back and change the ending, it would have been even more tragic. The film, in a way, is about the myth that good music comes out of a broken heart. The broken heart was necessary at the end of the film,” he says explains.
When asked if he is planning a sequel to the film the 50-year-old filmmaker says that while discussions continue about a sequel to Rockstar, the possibility of one is unlikely. “There has been a lot of demand for a sequel to the film and sometimes, we just mention it among ourselves, mostly as something to talk about but there has never been a serious plan to make a sequel. Long back I had said that if we go into making a sequel, it should only be ten years later in the life of Jordan. Though a decade has passed, there is really no plan,” he concludes with a smile.
