Rock On Producer: Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani Director: Abhishek Kapoor Starring: Farhan Akhtar, Prachi Desai, Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli, Luke Kenny, Shahana Goswami,Koel Puri Music: Shankar Ehsaan and Loy Lyrics: Javed Akhtar Singers: Farhan Akhtar, Suraj Jagan, Raman Mahadevan, Caralesa Monteiro, Dominique Cerejo Audio On: BIG Music    Number of Songs: 9 Album Released on: July 2008

Reviewed by: Atta Khan  - Rating: 8.0 / 10

More Reviews and Analysis by PB Critics:     • Review by Aakash Gandhi -  Rating: 7.0 / 10

Not content with just producing and directing movies, the talented Farhan Akhtar returns to the big screen shortly in Abhishek Kapoor’s (debut) directorial Rock On. But in what capacity you may ask? Well several actually; co-producer, actor and would you believe….SINGER!? But why the need to multi-task? Well apparently Farhan has always held ambitions to star in a movie and singing has also been his dream. Rock on was thus a timely project that achieved both these. The film itself is a youth orientated story about four members of a rock band who reunite after going their separate ways, in particular how they try to recapture the hearts of their fans. Farhan plays the lead member but what’s more remarkable is the extent of training undertaken by these ‘band members’ to make the whole thing appear as realistic as possible. Says the director:

“To give the movie and its characters authenticity, the actors underwent personalised training for their portrayal of the band members”….

So Purab Kohli trained with Lindsay D’Mello on the drums, Arjun Rampal trained with Chandresh (from the band Dream out Loud), Luke Kenny worked with Loy Mendonsa and Farhan trained with Shankar Mahadevan for vocals and Ehsaan Noorani on how to strum a guitar….WOW that is dedication for you!

Training and acting aside, surely the single most important aspect of such a movie like Rock On is its music? But is there anyone with the expertise of creating distinct, contemporary rock sounds in India? Well listeners, with our favourite trio SEL at the helm, frankly anything is possible! Add to that their jodi with Javed Akhtar and you have the perfect platform. And to make things all the more interesting, Farhan is lead singer in FIVE tracks from the soundtrack, a huge gamble in anyone’s books but would this bold move pay off? Let’s 'Rock On' and find out….

Any initial doubts are compounded with the first track Socha Hai in which Farhan sounds pretty amateurish! In fact when you listen to it closely you get the impression that despite wholehearted efforts, his vocals are not suited to this genre at all, especially with his ‘mouse’ quiet singing. Put simply his voice does not emit the power or energy to be heard above the rock instruments on display. That said this is a peppy track so you can appreciate to some extent the challenge he faced as singer. No such criticism of the musicians however who do a good job to get the album off to a decent start. The light rock melody is pretty much text book in its execution. Furthermore SEL compensate for Farhan’s weakness by turning the volume down to allow his vocals to be heard. Lyrics by Javed Akhtar are equally strong. All in all a decent if unspectacular start.

But thankfully Shankar’s training pays some dividend as Farhan picks up confidence and performs much better in the next track Pichle Saat Dino Mein -one of the highlights of the entire album! There is a unique style present here that is only aided by the singer’s eccentric vocals. What helps him further is the slow pace created by SEL, in particular Ehsaan’s electric guitar play is addictive to say the least. The lyrics by Javed saab are crazy and hatke but the effect is spot on. The whole essence of a talented band is portrayed through this enlightening little number, let’s Rock On! Incidentally, the Live Version which comes later on in the soundtrack acts as a reprise but is extremely realistic in its execution particularly the start and ending which contains Farhan’s short interaction with the ‘crowd’…interesting listen for sure.

Ehsaan Noorani cranks up the rhythmic guitar in the mindless but bright and breezy title song Rock On and the effect is nothing short of splendid! Farhan is now gaining confidence but as a listener you are also getting used to his vocals so he is no longer as off putting. Furthermore, the vocals appear to be enhanced for added effect. Lyrics are just as zany with a “live your dream” attitude. Overall this is another must listen for all you young and hippy rockers!

If on the other hand you are getting sick of Farhan then don’t worry as a timely break awaits you with the next track Yeh Tumhare Meri Baatein which is soft rock heaven personified into a tune. All the rock instruments are here but enacted in a totally different way (listen out for the guitar strings as a case in point) to create a relaxing lounge number that you can chill to when your heart so desires. The singing is rendered professionally by Dominique Cerejo. Lyrics are not so immediately impacting but have the desired effect. This is a very cool and timely respite for the next track…

Zehreelay on the other hand sits in the opposite ends of the spectrum and is a truly hardcore rock anthem whose unrelenting ferocity will have you reaching for your mute button in trepidation! Loud, obnoxious and completely in your face are just a few more words to describe the track. So to conclude that the singing emits more venom (pun intended) than the music is all credit to Suraj Jaggan (who made a telling debut for SEL in Johnny Gaddaar) who does a phenomenal job! Like it or loathe it you have to appreciate the manner of execution on display here.

Farhan Akhtar returns to provide THE performance of his career in the gorgeous little romantic essay Tum Ho Toh. Accepting that the slow pace of the music allows him to control his vocals better, Farhan has nevertheless outdone himself here and all credit to Shankar and the team for working on his vocals, practice makes perfect and how it shows! Otherwise the music takes a back seat and is completely lounge territory. Lyrics are touching without going over the top. Tum Ho Toh provides more variety to the OST which is improving all the time!

In the penultimate track, Sinbad the Sailor, Farhan is joined by Raman Mahadevan to give another ‘hatke’ twist to the soundtrack but the effect is ultimately disappointing because the music is heavily diluted by synth instruments, something largely avoided in the previous tracks. Having said that it’s one of the few breezy numbers so make the most of it and the switch toTum Ho Toh around the 4:36 mark is extremely welcome, ending the song on a high note! Any lyrics about ‘Sinbad the Sailor’ would appear to be odd but there is an underlying meaning to virtually everything that Javed Akhtar writes, just give it a chance to grow on you.

Without doubt SEL have put some genuine effort into this OST and Phir Dekhiye is a fine way to end it. Having noted that the rock instruments have been slowly winding down in the last few songs, here they are all but laid to rest. Instead we have a heavenly little track portraying the harmonious relationship between an acoustic guitar and piano…enacted by two friends and co-musicians; Ehsaan and Loy. The softly softly approach to singing by Caralesa Monteiro works wonders on your mind and warps you into a different world altogether…and well before you realise, the track has concluded…and with it Rock On OST….

After a disappointing venture with YRF (Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic) SEL would have been looking to bounce back in some style. With Rock On, not only do they deliver a soundtrack that befits the ideology of the movie, but one that is almost as unique as the trend setting Johnny Gaddaar from 2007. The only question is, was Farhan Akhtar the right choice as lead singer for the majority of the songs here? On first reaction, it’s very easy to be negative because clearly he is no KK or Shaan. However is it not the case that by selecting established singers the authenticity of the soundtrack would have been diluted? Just think, do amateur singers sound like professionals? Consequently, Rock On sounds very “real” because of its imperfections and never ever tries to be a classic.

However, SEL have been bold and daring in their execution. Again. Farhan has lived his dream. The only thing that remains is for listeners to open their ears to a unique genre especially if they have been drummed with too much regular stuff from Pritam / Anu Malik and dare I say it Vishal and Shekhar…try something different and give this one a go, if nothing else it will put most of what you have heard this year, into context.

All that remains to be said is….KUDOS SEL! Keep up the good work.

And I think it’s sure worth a dekko.

I recently bumped into a bassist from a city band and he told me about this little war between Delhi rockers and director-turned-actorturned-singer (phew!) Farhan Akhtar.

So, there is a war of sorts on one of the social networking sites, which talks about the loopholes in the movie from the musicians’ perspective. From Facebook’s Rock On group (also Rawk On) to Rolling Stones community and even rsjonline.com, people have a lot to say. Some feel it’s a bad narration of how Indian rock bands are or have been; others talk about the movie being closer to the Hindi rock bands that are coming up.

To start with, one can very well hear a bass line but the band in the movie, called Magic (jeez), has no bass player. The most interesting of all posts was the one that talked about Anil Kapoor being the invisible bass player in the movie (Mr India, lol). And Arjun (Adonis) Rampal has been under fire for trying too hard — or maybe not trying at all — to fit into a guitarist’s role.

On a serious note, what the movie has done is that it has brought Indian rock to a totally new audience and probably made a whole lot of them take this ‘cult’ movement seriously. Some of the posts suggest the same.

For a mainstream audience that doesn’t understand the ‘r’ of rock, there is enough to love in Rock On. The film did manage to get some stuff right, for purists’ sake, although overladen with dialoguebaazi and drama. But then, what is Bollywood without drama?

Nevertheless, a gig this Saturday by Rock On composers Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy ‘featuring Magic’ has got several takers. At their first concert in Mumbai, they managed fairly decent reviews. And come September 6, Delhi will have its share of Magic, too. The concert will be held at Select City Walk mall, Saket, from 7 pm. At least you’ll be spared the typical Bollywood dance numbers! Dance numbers reminds me of the Saskia Laroo gig last Thursday. As a part of Chivas Live Alive nights, this Dutch jazz trumpet player got everyone moving with her band, which played everything between modern jazz and reggae, and then some. Her brand of ‘dance jazz’ worked very well, but it was her emcee that stole the show with his mouth percussion techniques and the vivacity that he carried with him.

malvikananda@hindustantimes.com

You are young and life is long

And there is time to kill today

And then one day you find that

Ten years have got behind you

No one told you when to run

You missed the starting gun

A still from Rock On.

That is -- as we're sure you know -- from Pink Floyd's rock classic Time, just before David Gilmour tears into that heart-wrenching solo.

And that's pretty much where Rock On starts off, with a flashback about four friends -- Aditya Shroff (Farhan Akhtar), Rob Nancy (Luke Kenny), Joe Mascarenhas (Arjun Rampal) and Kedar Zaveri aka KD for Killer Drummer (Purab Kohli) -- winning a battle of the bands talent competition.

The movie flits between them as they are now, and then, and what went wrong.

You've seen them before: Aditya is an investment banker making potloads of money helping the rich get richer by banking on a booming India; KD sits in inefficiently at his father's jewellery business; Joe clutches his guitar as a failed musician would -- and does pretty much nothing else anyway -- when his wife Debbie (Sahana Goswami) yells at him in a typical Anglo-Indian family. Only Rob has stuck with playing music, doing sessions for directors like Anu Malik (who puts in a cameo as himself).

Aditya's wife Sakshi (Prachi Desai) senses something is wrong with her husband and their picture perfect life together.�Aditya is a tormented soul, as are his bandmates, flung apart by fate, ego, and formula-fixated music industry execs who would not recognise quality music if it danced naked in front of them.

Sakshi�discovers Aditya's musical past through a clutch of old photographs. And she tries to get the band together again, because in those photographs she has seen her husband for real: A far cry from the workaholic zombie he is now. But, as always, there are past demons to be battled, new challenges to be overcome.

As far as the story goes, there is not much. The theme and most key plot points are suspiciously similar to Farhan's explosive directorial debut, Dil Chahta Hai -- separated friends coming back together when their lives have changed; tension between two buddies over one past incident.

What sets director Abhishek Kapoor's sophomore film apart is the attention to detail, some great ensemble acting, and pure heart. It's a movie that will make you laugh and cry, and realise why man has discovered water on Mars but not been able to discover a 13^th note.

But then, it's not just about music; it's about holding on to what makes you live.

So in the beginning Magik -- yes, that's what the band is called, and don't smirk, because most 20-somethings name bands after some violent neurological disorder or something equally corny anyways -- would play rock versions of Sahso Ki Zaroori Hai Jaise at Navratri dandiyas to make money to buy equipment. They would dream of that one big break.

Now, they must turn back the clock, and the stakes are much higher than the recording contract of 10 years before. The backbone of the film is Shankar Ehsaan Loy's music, and though some� learned critics disagree, I thought it is quite refreshing and true to a raw-band movie, despite Farhan Akhtar's voice.

But what Akhtar lacks in singing, he makes up for in acting. He portrays superbly a man tortured by the blues after selling his soul to the corporate devil at life's crossroads.

In fact, all the actors put in very good performances. Kenny as a sessions musician whose heart is elsewhere, Rampal as the poor idealist who never learned that self-promotion is more important than music in a remixed world, Kohli as the livewire who never grew up.

In particular, Goswami and Desai -- the former playing Joe's wife who killed her fashion designer dream to support Joe's family fish business and the latter playing a sensitive wife who realises her husband has withdrawn into a cocoon -- take a bow.

There are flaws; dandiya gigs can't pay for the wireless transmitter Joe uses on his guitar. Real audiences don't react to songs they have not heard before the way they do in the movie. Life is not as miraculous as it is in Rock On (and every Bollywood movie -- even a realistic film like Taare Zameen Par).

But Rock On works�-- and how -- because of some fine, understated work from all departments. The camera never lingers long enough on Rampal's fingers to show that he is faking it (to his credit, he has learned chord shapes. And maybe I am prejudiced, having seen the Karzzz trailer where even from his silhouette it is evident Himesh Reshammiya can't hold a guitar even if his life depends on it). The best songs -- Tumhari Meri Batein and Sindbad The Sailor -- are reserved for key plot moments. There are delightful little nuggets of humour. The dialogues are very realistic and refreshingly witty.

Because I am not a know-it-all movie guru, I will not hazard a guess about whether the movie will work at the box office, but as a failed musician (I offer two websites, www.summitattempt.in   and www.prayagzone.com, as proof), I would like to thank the makers of Rock On for making such a sensitive movie with music as a metaphor for life.

And for underlining life's two key themes: One, that the journey is more important than the destination; and two, as Aditya says to his wife: Compromise toh karna padhta hai.

The 'Rock On for Humanity' concert, to be held in Mumbai on Oct. 31, is an initiative by Akhtar and Rampal, both of whom starred in the Bollywood hit ‘Rock On' -about four friends who form a rock band.

Rampal said the idea for the concert came about while he, Akhtar and ‘Rock On' producer Ritesh Sidhwani were reading about the film's success in newspapers.

"At the same time, the papers were also full of all these terrible things that the floods were doing in Bihar," Rampal told reporters.

"That's when we thought we should do something about this."

Funds raised at the concert will help set up rehabilitation camps for women and children in some of the worst affected areas in Bihar, where nearly 300 flood-related deaths were reported.