Rock On 2
Year: 2016
Director: Shujaat Saudagar
Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli, Prachi Desai, Shraddha Kapoor,  Shashank Arora, Kumud Mishra

In 2008, Abhishek Kapoor-directed Rock On told a story of a group of young friends who rediscover their passion for music and go on to form a rock band called Magik. It was a well-knit film which found success with young urban audiences, where Shankar-Ehsan-Loy’s new wave music played an important role.

The talk was on for quite some time for a sequel, and finally it comes 8 years later! So how is it?

What’s the plot?

After enjoying a successful stint, the rock band ‘Magik’ gets disbanded following an unfortunate mishap. Scarred by that event, the lead singer (Farhan Akhtar) goes off to Meghalaya and involves himself in the local farming. The lead guitarist (Arjun Rampal) moves on to become a successful night club owner and a reality show host. The drummer (Purab Kohli), who is working in the corporate world, still keeps dreaming about bringing the band together. A natural disaster in Meghalaya becomes the social cause for Magik’s reunion. This time, they also include two new young talents in the fold- a singer (Shraddha Kapoor), fighting her own inner demons, and a sarod player (Shashank Arora). As the revamped band gets ready to perform with other leading rock bands in Shillong for the disaster relief concert, there are more troubles waiting in the wings!

What’s the verdict?

Almost 2 and ½ hours long Rock On 2 tests patience with its slow pace, muddled characters, unengaging story (for which the original Rock On-director Abhishek Kapoor fought in court to get a co-credit!), slack direction (by a new director Shujaat Saudagar), lukewarm performances and uninspiring music. It is not rank bad in any way but it just fails to hold interest.

It is not a reunion to remember!

Rating

2 stars