Rocket Singh – Rocket and his Fuel don’t Quite Agree
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Rocket Singh held a sold-before-release premise for me – Shimit Amin directing a Jaideep Sahni script about an academic under-achiever-but-savvy-otherwise protagonist. I had to see what the sage-duo take on an entire middle and lower India is all about.
Harpreet Singh Bedi (Ranbir Kapoor) comfortably wakes up to the fact that he is a low-scorer in academics and that somehow marketing is his natural calling. Despite a wobbly performance, he gets the first job he interviews for. Bedi is seen amiably settling in a world full of double-speak and marketing gimmicks, when suddenly he baulks off to report a corporate client who is asking for his regular kickback before a big sales can be commissioned to his company. The reaction by his bosses is unusually harsh, and Bedi becomes an object of ridicule in his office. As a way to get back, he form his own company by nicking away at his parent company’ resources and yet believing that he has worked out a business model that is both more efficient and honest!
Rocket Singh’s narrative unfolds in series of such uneven plots making it somewhat a cock & bull story. Had Rocket Singh been a simpler, slapstick comedy (as Ajab Prem Ki… was) and carried a befitting treatment, I would have had much less problems with the film. Shimit Amin treats the film with an air of seriousness and gravity, and, as a result one keeps looking to get some real glimpses into the lives of people who are ambitious but are forced to live in the lower-rung, or how mini-corporates conduct businesses with their quirky models or even get to know something about Sikh youth culture and ethics.
So what are my take aways from what’s offered by the ‘salesman of the year’ – the nerdy, porn-addict hardware engineer (D. Santosh) and the ballsy receptionist (Gauhar Khan) come out well. As Bedi’s boss, Purie is a true menace in the office while his senior colleague, Nitin well plays the part of a troubled sales manager. If Jaideeps story is dissatisfying, his characters and dialogues are not. They are consistently even and help to keep the film together (my take away dialogue – ‘we have elements in us that will make us successful and others that will make us fail – it all depends which one you make to work for you’). And finally there’s Ranbir Kapoor who gives an effortless and natural performance, though one ached to see the ‘darker’ side – both business and socially – of someone who claims to be the salesman of the year.
TP Abid’s production design is very detailed, at times so much so that it attracts attention (faded pen marks on telephones to burnout electric switchboards in an otherwise plush office, walls painted orange and pink for an entire house). The lighting is sometimes over the top as in tele-films even in sequences where people are boozing and partying (the DoP, Tassaduq Hussain came to mind to come to rescue and counter the brightness!). In all, Rocket Singh has an assured air about itself and yet the form and content never quite seems to match.
Shimit Amin is one of the finest directors working in the country today. If other people including his audience find similar or other criticisms, I hope that he takes them on the chin, uses his ‘success granting’ elements better, and makes more satisfying films.
Tags: Jaideep Sahni, Padmaja Thakore, Ranbeer Kapoor, Rocket Singh, Shazhahn Padmasee, Shimit Amin, T.P. Abid, Yash Raj films
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Rahul Dholakia
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Varma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Sachin Kundalkar
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Good review; i havent seen the movie but atleast i get why you didnt enjoy it; the writing was clear and concise unlike some of the other magazine review – Raja Sen bascially liked the movie because it wasnt like other Bollywood movies??
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Spoilers ahead: (as it discusses a spoiler laden review)
@ Ms. Padmaja
1. Is putting a spoiler alert at the top too much of a task?
2. Too closely watched, I think. That was not his first job interview – there was clear indication (crossed out ads in newspapers, cuts of him shaking hands) that he had gone through many and then landed in this one.
3. And ….”even get to know something about Sikh youth culture and ethics”. This made me laugh and cringe for many reasons:
a) You clearly seem to indicate that “Sikh Youth Culture” is a unique, hidden identity which needs to be exposed via well-intentioned films.
b) And what is ‘sikh youth…ethics”? Please! Do you really feel there are distinct ‘hindu/muslim/christian/parsi youth ethics’ in today’s Metros or even smaller towns? And why would you go in a Hindi commercial film looking for these? Or did you write it down just for effect….”let me sound ‘classy’ here” trip?
4. “Shimit Amin is one of the finest directors working in the country today.” You just trashed his third film (meaning your views are based on a sample space of 2, of which we have no idea what your views are) and then use a loose, uncertified line like an authority on Cinema….contradictions as well as too much self-importance. No?
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So yes, it was a review of a review. And like any self-respecting reviewer (like Ms. Padmaja) – I will be defending the allegations of casual nit-picking.
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A very constructive reply and very valid points raised. THIS is constructive criticism. Thanks Varun!
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And, Padmaja’s response is very well thought out and well spoken. These constructive types of conversations are the reason I love PFC!
Now if I can get out of my sick bed and watch the film to offer my .02 cents…
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Spot on sir.
Never understand when reviewers start talking about how the film should have been, which genre…I know there are different ways of telling the same story but then that’s a decision the writer (and to some extent, the director) has already taken for the one that you’re seeing. Tell us why it works or doesn’t, don’t tell us how it could have been better or should have been done. Because, surely, the same applies to the review.
And yes, the Sikh culture bit puzzled me no end. Did Shimit or Jaideep or anyone else say they’re getting into that space? You pre-judge the film, then watch it and judge them on what you didn’t find based on your earlier judgement and come out disappointed. Doesn’t make sense even as I write it, wonder how it makes sense any other way.
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And Varun, let’s forget the spoiler warning bit. It’s a lost cause taking that up, IMO, with reviewers :p
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@ Varun
& Oz (the reason I’m responding to this ‘constructive and valid’ criticism)
Hi. I thought ‘spoiler ahead’ now goes understood with my reviews ?
Re – “That was not his first job interview – there was clear indication (crossed out ads in newspapers, cuts of him shaking hands)… ”
Now, possibly if crossing out ads by Bedi ‘shaky’ hands meant that he had appeared for other interviews then I’ll be wrong, but give me benefit of doubt here –crossing out ads in a DAILY newspaper may NOT necessarily means that he has appeared for job interviews but that they are not meant for him. Does this sound like a possible scenario? I may be wrong – but I don’t recall Bedi’s grandfather referring to his previous interviews either.
Re – “… even get to know something about Sikh youth culture and ethics”. This made me laugh and cringe for many reasons… ”
And I am embarrassed at your naiveté – the answer is YES the Sikh youth culture and ethics are unique as any sub-cultures would be in a given place and time. There is nothing necessarily hidden or perverse about this but the minutiae of how an ethnic group behaves will differ from others (even in a metro metlting pot despite the influenced by other cultures ; put a Bihari, Marathi, Gujarait, Muslim and so on under a microscope and there would something to comment on their uniqueness).
Early Spike Lee films show Blacks youth culture in New York area; similarly Danny Boyle’s/ Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting highlighted the Scottish subculture so much so that it made depiction of youth subcultures popular and hip subjects for the larger media. Even in Shimit Amin’s own Chak De… there was a hint on the diversity among Indian youths in the introductory scenes. Now it is not Shimit’s burden to dissect Sikh subculture in his film – only that this particular treatment of the film that has a Sikh protagonist alluded to an expectation.
I know we are just too used to the neutral, all unifying twang of Bollywood. Just because we all stand up to a national anthem does not mean India or its metros are made of a homogeneous group. (that I might get to sound a little more informed and classy is relative. Innit?)
Re: “Shimit Amin is one of the finest directors working in the country today” …you just trashed his third film …”
Rereading, I find this bit a little patronizing – but I’m here to recommit that I am already looking forward to Shimit’s 4th film.
p.s. Was happy to read Ajay Brahmatmaj’s review. Concur with him.
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@Padmaja
1. ‘Spoiler ahead’ with your reviews may go unsaid for PFC regulars (only because u say so) but for unsuspecting new visitors, it surely is needed. And I think that should be a part of the format, esp. at community-blogs where each reviewer may have individual style and preference.
2. Benefit of doubt given.
3. Again, I agree that films may successfully show subcultures and their inherent nuances. Also agreed that Sikh subculture may have nuances worth delving upon. But what ticked me, and i guess u’d gladly reply to this, is to realize that this film (through its promos, crew interviews, name/banner/other feelers) never promised such an analysis at any point, so finding that ‘missing’ should not be quoted so explicitly in a review.
In fact, Shimit repeatedly said in interviews that Sardar character is just incidental to the story. He could very well have been a Parsi.
I think the most consistent turn-off i find in hindi film reviews is reviewers not understanding the film’s ‘promise’ (genre, cast, banner, promos, first few scenes – all help in deciding that for me) and going on to mark the film on many criteria not even applicable for that film.
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not really. kurbaan was a horrible movie, you made it worse for me! and i stumbled onto your kurbaan review. please include spoiler ahead notes on your reviews.
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Review was good.
Many a times during words being scribbled/ typed while writing on any topic…our mind subconsciously incorporates thoughts/ vision………based on our own deciphering of works ( films/ literature)
This is what gives us each one his perspective and rarely we all sync.
Fill it, shut it , forget it.
Don’t waste energy on reactions……… May be few nuggets can be imbibed.
Only RGV can make a living on reactions to reactions…. Cheers,
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??? ??, ???? ?? ????? ??????? ?? ?? ????. ??? ?? ????? ?????.
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plz ignore the message above, its just a mistake.
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There is not much to say when a critic wishes the plot had a simpler treatment and makes AJAB PREM an ideal film..Maybe every film is unique, and one should try the to enjoy the uniqueness and try to reach where the director is going instead of wishing the director does what you want and try to satisfy you.
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@ Varun – accusing a reviewer of ‘let me sound classy here trip…” reeks of low self-esteem and socio-economic resentment on your part…Padmaja sounds perfectly normal,just like any young, literate and urban person today does..
Also, two films give one ample material with which to judge a director by..I really don’t think there was anything ‘self-important’ about it. In fact you’re the one that sounds pompous and self important with your so-called ‘review of a review’.
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