For the most part, "Rock On!!", though engagingly realistic and well-acted, is not a particularly rocking movie. Considering it's about a rock band, the film is fairly slow and at times even tedious. There is some depressing feel to it although the viewer may clearly feel the light in the end of a tunnel will certainly come at some point. What I really liked about this film, however, is the portrayal of relationships. I think it was very well done, and it was the film's best-depicted aspect. It was actually the main aspect which pushed the otherwise unmovable narrative forward. The film's concept is interesting, but not really new or unused. It's neither intriguing nor unpredictable.
The performances are good in this order: Shahana Goswami is mind-blowing as Debbie. She is an excellent actress with a very natural and intense style and a particularly forceful dialogue delivery. This clearly is the best performance of the film. Arjun Rampal's is the best performance among the male cast, and he is thoroughly convincing in a role that is essentially a very passive one. Prachi Desai acts very well and she is vulnerable and convincing throughout the film. Farhan Akhtar makes a good debut, nothing outstanding though. He is a bit wooden in some scenes, but otherwise okay, and he actually sings very well. Purab Kohli is effective but does not really get that much of a scope.
"Rock On!!" is a one-time watch for me. It has its moments, it has good acting, the music is excellent, but the story is not very well executed. I felt there was much more to show and much more to tell about the rock band. It is done quite realistically and does not go over the top, but it has its share of clichés, unreasonable coincidences and ancient emotions, which neither move nor impress. Nevertheless, I liked the rather positive ending, which in spite of its predictability was quite efficient. The final verdict is above average according to me. I expected something else, but it's just me, watch it and make your own conclusions.
The performances are good in this order: Shahana Goswami is mind-blowing as Debbie. She is an excellent actress with a very natural and intense style and a particularly forceful dialogue delivery. This clearly is the best performance of the film. Arjun Rampal's is the best performance among the male cast, and he is thoroughly convincing in a role that is essentially a very passive one. Prachi Desai acts very well and she is vulnerable and convincing throughout the film. Farhan Akhtar makes a good debut, nothing outstanding though. He is a bit wooden in some scenes, but otherwise okay, and he actually sings very well. Purab Kohli is effective but does not really get that much of a scope.
"Rock On!!" is a one-time watch for me. It has its moments, it has good acting, the music is excellent, but the story is not very well executed. I felt there was much more to show and much more to tell about the rock band. It is done quite realistically and does not go over the top, but it has its share of clichés, unreasonable coincidences and ancient emotions, which neither move nor impress. Nevertheless, I liked the rather positive ending, which in spite of its predictability was quite efficient. The final verdict is above average according to me. I expected something else, but it's just me, watch it and make your own conclusions.