First of all, It's been a long time blogging. It took a while to blog about Rocket Singh which I saw 3 weeks ago.
Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year is a sweet movie, which should be watched for its good intentions, its decency and for Ranbir Kapoor's performance, which firmly establishes him as the best actor in his league.
Starting with the titles, the creators have created wonderful little details - so Harpreet's grandfather, played nicely by Prem Chopra, rattles off a check list before Harpreet goes for a job interview, which includes the question: motion clear hua.
Let us start at the very beginning, Ranbir plays Harpreet Singh Bedi, an idealistic young graduate who lands a sales job in a computer firm run by a boss who sets unrealistic targets for his team. His skills of selling at the interview is good to watch.
The movie is so realistic and almost shot in one Office. An office party scene is filmed with colleagues drinking out of plastic cups, loosening their ties and dancing to songs being played on their computers. Even the film's opening credits sequence in which the camera lovingly floats over a middle-class home's bric-a-brac is evidence of the makers' commitment to authenticity.
He is taken to an office during his training where the trainer kinda teaches him how to bribe the security guards to get the info of their rivals. So, when he gets his first assignment, the MD of the company asks him to grease his hands. But,instead of doing something good he actually lodges a complaint which gets him into a great humiliation, He is actually congradulated with a demotion. He is stopped from meeting any of their clients.
You should Watch his eyes in the scene in which he first discovers that honesty doesn't pay in this company or his body language in the scene, in which his grandfather has to come to jail to get him. He is outstanding.
The only thing he can do in the office is call up people and convince people to book their computers. His colleagues throw Paper Rockets to humiliate him. Determined to do it his way, Harpreet forms his own company within the company. He names the company Rocket Sales. Other disgruntled employees also find their way to Rocket Sales - a place where even the chaiwallah is an equal partner because he brings talent to the table. The business which he forms is totally based on Honesty and Equal Share.
Harpreet and his band of rebels show us that eventually honesty and hard work is a sound business decision.
The drama here is more restrained. The obstacles seem more ordinary. The characters are wholly believable.
A street side tea stall becomes the conference room of the fledgling company and even the telephone on Harpreet's desk has just the right amount of grime.
The supporting characters in the film are interesting especially Giri, the babe-obsessed computer whiz, and Koena, the fashionable but ambitious and smart receptionist played by Gauhar Khan, who is my favourite. But none of them are as sharply etched or as memorable as the Chak De Girls.
But the trouble with Rocket Singh is that it never engages you fully. The first half is especially slow but even in the second, the film doesn't grab you by the gut.
There are long stretches in which the restrained story-telling becomes indulgent and topples over into sheer boredom. And there are several moments at which you wonder if this is more information about salesmen and their difficult lives than you ever needed.
The script of Rocket Singh is its real star. Seeking inspiration in real life and real people, the film avoids stereotypes and goes for characters and situations that are refreshingly familiar. Rocket Singh touches a chord because it's that rare film that urges us to examine our lives and to question the rules by which we live it. It has a life-affirming quality that will appeal to every one of us who has ever hesitated before taking the easy way over the right way.
Remarkable casting has resulted in some fine performances by key players, although even the bit parts are filled out convincingly. D Santosh as the affable maintenance guy, Mukesh Bhatt as the tea-man with computer-repair skills, Naveen Kaushik as the oddly sideburned team head, and Gauhar Khan as the cutting receptionist pitch in commendable performances. Padamsee once said in an interview that her role has edge over Gauhar, which is totally untrue.
Of course it's topped off by Ranbir Kapoor's compelling, effortless portrayal of Harpreet Singh Bedi. Ranbir adds the little touches that make all the difference: combing the beard, tucking in the turban, lifting the 'kada' further up his arm before dipping his hand into a bucket of wet clothes. He's an actor you can't take your eyes off.
In the end, Rocket Singh is a clean, honest film with noble intentions. It requires patience to appreciate it fully, but deserves a viewing because films like this are hard to find.
Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year is a sweet movie, which should be watched for its good intentions, its decency and for Ranbir Kapoor's performance, which firmly establishes him as the best actor in his league.
Starting with the titles, the creators have created wonderful little details - so Harpreet's grandfather, played nicely by Prem Chopra, rattles off a check list before Harpreet goes for a job interview, which includes the question: motion clear hua.
Let us start at the very beginning, Ranbir plays Harpreet Singh Bedi, an idealistic young graduate who lands a sales job in a computer firm run by a boss who sets unrealistic targets for his team. His skills of selling at the interview is good to watch.
The movie is so realistic and almost shot in one Office. An office party scene is filmed with colleagues drinking out of plastic cups, loosening their ties and dancing to songs being played on their computers. Even the film's opening credits sequence in which the camera lovingly floats over a middle-class home's bric-a-brac is evidence of the makers' commitment to authenticity.
He is taken to an office during his training where the trainer kinda teaches him how to bribe the security guards to get the info of their rivals. So, when he gets his first assignment, the MD of the company asks him to grease his hands. But,instead of doing something good he actually lodges a complaint which gets him into a great humiliation, He is actually congradulated with a demotion. He is stopped from meeting any of their clients.
You should Watch his eyes in the scene in which he first discovers that honesty doesn't pay in this company or his body language in the scene, in which his grandfather has to come to jail to get him. He is outstanding.
The only thing he can do in the office is call up people and convince people to book their computers. His colleagues throw Paper Rockets to humiliate him. Determined to do it his way, Harpreet forms his own company within the company. He names the company Rocket Sales. Other disgruntled employees also find their way to Rocket Sales - a place where even the chaiwallah is an equal partner because he brings talent to the table. The business which he forms is totally based on Honesty and Equal Share.
Harpreet and his band of rebels show us that eventually honesty and hard work is a sound business decision.
The drama here is more restrained. The obstacles seem more ordinary. The characters are wholly believable.
A street side tea stall becomes the conference room of the fledgling company and even the telephone on Harpreet's desk has just the right amount of grime.
The supporting characters in the film are interesting especially Giri, the babe-obsessed computer whiz, and Koena, the fashionable but ambitious and smart receptionist played by Gauhar Khan, who is my favourite. But none of them are as sharply etched or as memorable as the Chak De Girls.
But the trouble with Rocket Singh is that it never engages you fully. The first half is especially slow but even in the second, the film doesn't grab you by the gut.
There are long stretches in which the restrained story-telling becomes indulgent and topples over into sheer boredom. And there are several moments at which you wonder if this is more information about salesmen and their difficult lives than you ever needed.
The script of Rocket Singh is its real star. Seeking inspiration in real life and real people, the film avoids stereotypes and goes for characters and situations that are refreshingly familiar. Rocket Singh touches a chord because it's that rare film that urges us to examine our lives and to question the rules by which we live it. It has a life-affirming quality that will appeal to every one of us who has ever hesitated before taking the easy way over the right way.
Remarkable casting has resulted in some fine performances by key players, although even the bit parts are filled out convincingly. D Santosh as the affable maintenance guy, Mukesh Bhatt as the tea-man with computer-repair skills, Naveen Kaushik as the oddly sideburned team head, and Gauhar Khan as the cutting receptionist pitch in commendable performances. Padamsee once said in an interview that her role has edge over Gauhar, which is totally untrue.
Of course it's topped off by Ranbir Kapoor's compelling, effortless portrayal of Harpreet Singh Bedi. Ranbir adds the little touches that make all the difference: combing the beard, tucking in the turban, lifting the 'kada' further up his arm before dipping his hand into a bucket of wet clothes. He's an actor you can't take your eyes off.
In the end, Rocket Singh is a clean, honest film with noble intentions. It requires patience to appreciate it fully, but deserves a viewing because films like this are hard to find.
