This rocket misses the target!

There was very little hype surrounding Rocket Singh. YRF probably thought that they could cash in on Ranbir’s hit record and popularity and didn’t promote the film aggressively. Also, the trio of Ranbir, Jaideep Sahni and Shimit Amin seemed very promising. Surprisingly, Rocket Singh doesn’t live up to the high expectations one has from the team (Jaideep and Shimit) of Chak De! India.

Ranbir plays Harpreet Singh Bedi, a happy-go-lucky, honest and scrupulous Sardar who has scored only 39% in his final exams. He lives with his grandfather (Prem Chopra) and wants to become a salesman. He joins AYS Computers as a trainee but discovers that there is no place for honesty in the field of sales when his boss and colleagues insult him. So he decides to secretly set up his own sales firm, Rocket Sales Corp. With his sincerity and excellent after sales service, he secures clients. He also recruits people from his existing firm ranging from the porn-addict engineer to the chai-wala to the disillusioned receptionist and even his unscrupulous senior. Everything is smooth till his boss finds out tries to make a deal with him. Will Harpreet stick to his values or succumb under pressure is what the rest of the film is about.

The basic premise of RS is borrowed from Cameron Crowe’s Jerry Maguire as it is about a guy who breaks away from the corrupt system to work on his on his own, scrupulous terms. It’s a film salesmen will identify with. The cut-throat competition, the corruption and the pressure to sell a product at any cost are well-portrayed.

The problem with RS is that it isn’t a bad film by any standards but it in nowhere in the league of Ab Tak Chhappan and Chak De! India. Sadly, it is not a fabulous, must-see film that matches the expectations you have from its team. It’s mediocre and lacks punch. The first half of the film is slow and the length could have been shortened.

The dialogue is lame at times. Sample this: ‘Idli ka idla bana dunga’ and ‘Itna frustrate ho jayega toh castrate ho jayega.’ Some terms relating to sales are hard to understand. There is no mention about Harpreet’s parents. We assumed they have passed on. You also wonder if it was mandatory for the lead character to be a Sardar. Probably it was for the sake of doing something new; showing Sardars in a new light.

On the bright side, Ranbir Kapoor excels as Rocket Singh and lends an unmatched sincerity and authenticity to his character. He is effortless and ably carries the film on his shoulders. He adds another feather to his cap of versatile performances. He is sweet, honest, dedicated, righteous, enthusiastic and good-looking.

Pretty Shazahn Padamsee’s role could have been done away with. She has just about six scenes with not much scope to perform. She talks and looks like a teenager and it’s hard to take her seriously. We wonder what the hype surrounding her debut was all about!

Gauhar Khan has quite a meaty role as the dolled-up, ‘item girl’ of a receptionist who doesn’t mince her words. With her blonde hair, loud make-up, husky voice and attitude, Gauhar does justice to her role and shines in her debut film.

As his doting grandfather, Prem Chopra is quite a delight. The actors who have portrayed the chai-wala, the greedy senior and the porn-addict engineer are excellent and breathe life into their well-defined characters.

The film is shot in studios and around Bombay. The lack of glossy locations in a Yash Raj film is a welcome change. The production design of Ranbir’s middle-class house is particularly authentic with frames of Guru Nanak, old wallpapers and mirrors. The AYS office is sufficiently cramped with files, broken computers and sharks in suits.

Ranbir’s previous movies, Wake Up Sid! and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Shimit’s Chak De! India and Jaideep’s Khosla ka Ghosla were entertaining, heart-warming and left you buzzing with joy. Rocket Singh is a watchable, sweet and simple film but you don’t feel euphoric when it is over. Watch it only for Ranbir without any sky-high expectations.

Janhvi Patel/Hill Road Media