Re-reviewing the music of 'Rock On!!' 
By Joginder Tuteja, September 8, 2008 - 09:22 IST
Now this one is unprecedented.
Never before (yes, actually never before) have I got such a strong instinct of
revisiting a review/article/analysis done by me a few weeks or months back. There have
been hits and misses but just like the filmmakers, I have moved on as well. However, in
case of Rock On, it was different. In fact very different. The moment I saw the film
and clapped along with 300 odd other people in the packed auditorium and a smartly
placed caption came on screen ('Buy Original CDs. Don't Download' - am I putting it
right Farhan?), I knew that the music of Rock On had indeed arrived.
'Now that's the confidence of the makers; they know that patrons would want to pick up
the film's audio the moment they step out of the auditorium' - I said to myself.
So why am I writing this piece? What is it actually all about?
Well, a few weeks back when the music of Rock On was played to me for the first time
ever, I dismissed it right away (ok, so I am embarrassed now but then the fact is - I
truly, rightly and wisely dismissed it!). No I am not a 50 year old grandfather, as some wanted to believe the moment they read my music review out here. Some said - 'This guy is stuck in the music of 80s and the 90s, he doesn't quite have the
sensibilities of reviewing a new-age album like Rock On'. Well, just for all to know,
I am a 'normal' (whatever that means) 30 something guy who did love the music of Life…In A Metro (wasn't it new age as well?). Of course it was softer but then hey, this piece is not at all about me justifying the reasons behind Rock On not quite appealing
to me in the first few listening. And that's exactly the reason I was truly stunned when
I saw these very tracks gel into the narrative so well!
Did I just say 'jell into the narrative'? Now now now, it wasn't just about 'jelling into
the narrative'; it was actually about 'being the narrative' itself! In fact it won't be
wrong to state that if Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Javed Akhtar wouldn't have created the
soundtrack of Rock On, it wouldn't have been the movie it is today. And this is where
the strength of the music lies. Going truly by the genre of the movie and elevating the
mood created by the situations and the characters, the music works and how!
In fact I remember how producer Ritesh Sidhwani messaged stating he wasn't quite
bothered with the poor review. He was confident about the music and was more than 100% sure that it would work, as had the music of his earlier films. 'Errr, he is being a
little too overconfident', I said to myself. How can he really be sure that a number
like 'Sindbad The Sailor' would make the audience go 'jhoom' while they would actually
be interested in hearing something to the tune of 'Pichle Saat Dinon Mein'?
"But it would have been good had you actually given it some more time; the music grows
on you", remarked Shankar Mahadevan in his characteristic sweet manner. Well, the review was already out by then, I had moved on to other assignments and even though I did give Rock On a few more listening in days to follow, the moment 'Zehreeley' used to come, I tended to feel a lot repulsive. Well, this is where the team of Rock On actually
succeeded (as I realize now) because 'Zehreeley' is 'meant' to be repulsive (The number
is performed by the rival band and is meant to invoke hatred and a sense of over
confidence).
Thankfully (I mean it), I wasn't turned off by soft numbers like 'Tum Ho Toh', 'Ye
Tumhari Meri Baatein' and 'Phir Dekhiye' when I heard them first. Last I checked, after
watching the film, I was humming at least the first two tracks all the way to home. The
numbers worked well in getting that 'thehrav' in the story and how!
So what am I trying to achieve putting this piece together? Nothing actually! It is
primarily a reflection of my mind as I sunk myself into my chair the moment end credits
started rolling. The concert look and feel during the film's climax actually had a
'magical effect' (no, this hasn't been said just for the effect) which actually
transported me to a setting with a live performance around me. It was the moment where I missed my dancing shoes the most and wanted to cry out loud along with the rest of crowd around me.
It was that euphoric moment where I actually wanted to scream hard - ROCK ON!!!
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Subhash K Jha speaks about Rock On!!
