Rock On 2  review – Ravaged by the past, healed by a touch of Magik

Film: Rock On 2 (U/A)
Rating: 3.5/5

Eight years for a sequel is a long time indeed. In this period, save for the music, the film must have faded somewhat from the memory of all but the most ardent Rock On!! fan. The actors, too, haven't got any younger, leaving fans to wonder what freshness Rock On 2 could bring.

Well, for starters, the film has a new director (Shujaat Saudagar) and two young turks – Shraddha Kapoor and Shashank Arora. Yet, critics, including yours truly, were apprehensive whether the two new members of the cast would speak familiar tales of 'opportunity'. 

Therein lies the rub. Rock On 2 goes beyond individual stories. It is more about rediscovering one's true self.

A tragic episode leads to the disbanding of Magik. No, we are not referring to the death of Rob Nancy (Luke Kenny) in the first film. Adi, Jo & Co overcame that loss to carve their own legend.

It would be unfair to disclose this tragedy for it is this wound that connects Adi (Farhan Akhtar) and Jiah Sharma (Shraddha Kapoor). Scarred by it, Adi quits music and leaves his wife and child to seek solace in working for the welfare of the downtrodden in the picturesque, tranquil hills of Meghalaya.

Joe (Arjum Rampal) earns his big fat cheques from adjudicating a clichéd singing reality TV show. Kedar Zaveri (Purab Kohli) is the happy-go-lucky guy who occasionally performs at Joe’s club. 

KD, Joe, Sakshi (Prachi Desai) and Debbie (Shahana Goswami) pay a surprise visit to Adi on his birthday. An argument breaks out the next morning with KD mocking Adi for being stuck in the past, and Joe for making his moolah from a boring TV show. The trio cool off by bathing in a nearby lake. It is not enough to bring Adi back to Mumbai, however.

A fire destroys Adi’s cooperative farm leaving many dead and breaking his will to live. Jiah, who is on a trip to Meghalaya to get a taste of the folk music of the region, turns saviour. When his eyes open, Adi finds himself in the care of his friends. KD and Joe manage to bring him back to Mumbai this time. 

Adi reluctantly agrees to kickstart his musical label but wants someone to replace him as lead singer. Jiah and Uday (Shashank Arora), a sarod and bass guitar player, make the cut. But ghosts of the past come back to haunt Jiah as she develops cold feet at her first live performance.

It is this common past that has been haunting Adi. Now, while Adi is ready to move on, Jiah is held back by it, fearing that the truth would break her father, Pandit Vibhuti Sharma (Kumud Mishra).

Later, Adi heads back to Meghalaya to seek relief funds and food for the villagers ravaged by the fire, but his appeals are squashed by the bureaucratic, greedy state welfare fund officer Mahendra. The only way to help the needy is, well, by staging a charity concert in the heart of the country's rock capital.

By now, you may have realised that Rock On 2 is not a purely musical film, but it is Magik’s music that provides the healing touch to the villagers and redeems and resurrects the protagonists.

Abhishek Kapoor, who directed Rock On!!, and Pubali Chaudhari have again penned a neatly woven, appealing but more purposeful script that intertwines wonderfully the old characters with the new. The beauty is that even if you haven't watched the first film, you don’t lose much because Rock On 2 is a completely different film. In that sense, it would be wrong to call it a sequel. The first hour is gripping, setting the pace for an emotional and eventful second half.

A good script is half the battle won, easing the task for even modest actors. That is what clicked for the first film with the likes of Arjun Rampal and Purab Kohli surprising us pleasantly with their performances. Akhtar, who made his acting debut with Rock On!!, was perhaps not quite convincing in the first film, but he has grown as an actor and person now. He is sombre throughout the film but is not weighed down by the emotional baggage.

As an actress, Shraddha Kapoor has her weaknesses, some of them visible in important scenes, but the director Saudagar does well to project her beauty the way Vishal Bhardwaj did in Haider (2014). Doesn’t Kapoor look just fabulous in the kaajal and the simple nose ring? Kumud Mishra proves yet again why he is such a brilliant actor and the lucky mascot for many successful films of 2016.

Arjun Rampal, who won a National award in 2008 for Rock On!!, isn’t able to repeat that show. Shashank Arora has limited screen space and is not quite convincing. Prachi Desai does her little part well, but she sports a bad hairdo. The director clearly knew the strengths and weaknesses of his cast and accordingly allocated screen space to each. Saudagar, though, deserves flak for underutilising the talent of Shahana Goswami, who was a revelation eight years ago.

The one man who continues to be an underrated performer is Purab Kohli. He has an appealing voice and his jovial character provided the subtle humour in both films. The fact that Saudagar has used his for voice for narration affirms the director’s faith in his talent.

Another actor who deserves a mention is the man who played the bureaucrat Mahendra. Like we saw with Mary Kom (2014) and Pink (2016), there is immense talent in the Northeast just waiting to be tapped.

There is another pivotal character who is truly impressive and connects Adi and Jiah. But it is best you see it for yourself.

Rock On 2 ticks most of the boxes, but the key criticism against the film is that the sombre stories, though vital, act as a drag on the screenplay at certain moments in the second half. Perhaps the politico-melodramatic parts could have been toned down. That would also have trimmed the nearly two-and-a-half-hour film further.

However, the few clouds of tragedy are cleared by the breathtaking beauty of Meghalaya. You cannot be blamed for losing the plot, for you get swept away by the sheer magnificence of the hills. But if you love Meghalaya’s beauty, you cannot shut your eyes to impoverished reality of the region. Those who crave escapism may not warm to these sights.

Save for the 'Udja Re' track, the music of Rock On 2 pales in comparison to the first film. However, since Rock On 2 is not only about music, what you get to hear is vital to the script and the characters. What clicks for the film is the heartfelt story. So, if you are carrying a shattered soul, Rock On 2 will provide you the Magik healing touch. 

Director: Shujaat Saudagar
Producers: Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani
Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Shraddha Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli, Shashank Arora, Prachi Desai
Runtime: 139 minutes