Review of Roy

Cast: Arjun Rampal, Ranbir Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Anupam Kher, Rajit Kapoor

Direction: Vikramjit Singh

Produced by: Bhushan Kumar, Divya Khosla Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Freeway Pictures, T-series

Written by: Viramjit Singh

Music: Ankit Tiwari, Amaal Mallik, Meet Bros Anjjan

Background Score: Sanjoy Chowdhury

Cinematography: Himman Dhamija

Edited by: Dipika Kalra

Distributed by: AA Films

Release Date: 13^th February, 2015

Duration: 147minutes

Language: Hindi

Roy, Vikramjit’s debut movie, seemed to be a promising movie when its trailer was released. It hasn’t received very good reviews from different corners. The main challenge with the movie is that its pace is hyper-slow. There are lot of pauses in between dialogues. Also, first few frames are not introduced with lot of clarity. Still I felt that the director has experimented a new style of storytelling through this movie. You may not like this movie, if your parameter to define a movie is on the basis of its entertainment quotient or laughter quotient. You may like this movie, if you want to watch a movie with a different presentation style.

Arjun Rampal plays the role of Casanova film-maker as Kabir Grewal. He is in news for his films as well as girls (had 22 break ups). His two movies Guns Part -1 and Part -2 on Roy (Ranbir Kapoor)- a thief’s story were very successful and now he is on his mission to write the sequel to these and complete the trilogy on the same. According to Kabir, the film is the dream of the filmmaker which is there in his mind and has to put it in words properly. In search of a story, he goes to Malaysia, where another filmmaker Ayesha Aamir (played by Jacqueline Fernandez) is also there for her film Malacca Diaries. He finds a story in Ayesha, and starts shooting for his movie. You may get confused with the initial frames wondering and struggling to understand whether Kabir is shooting, narrating his story of Roy or he himself has become part of his own story. One needs to make out who is Ayesha and who is Tia- the double roles of Jacqueline.

Kabir and Ayesha’s story moves parallelly with Roy and Tia’s story. Further frames of the movie talk about how a rude, obnoxious (as defined by the world) Kabir falls in love with Ayesha, how a thief Roy falls in love with Tia. What happens to their love? Do they manage to get their love?

It is also the story of a filmmaker who makes extravagant movies, full of colours, is actually a loner.

I was wondering why Kabir has still to use his typewriter in this hi-tech world. Why so much of gravity to introduce such a beautiful concept of love? Light moments are not there in the movie. Kabir makes his protagonists also appear very serious. Malaysian FM channels are full of bollywood grapewine, which seemed a bit misfit.  

Certain frames are simply beautiful with its vintage feeling. Certain minute details are covered very nicely. Hoarding projecting the image of a successful filmmaker, and with passage of time, another filmmaker takes his place. Yes, it is difficult to retain success, unless and until, we consistently and continually strive to excel. Father (Anupam Kher) & his son- Kabir’s informal friendly relationship are projected nicely, though I wish, Anupam played a bigger role.

Though dialogues are less, certain dialogues have very much deeper meaning. Khamoshiyon me bhi shor hota hai (There is noise in silences as well). It is difficult to bear the noise of silences. Ayesha’s ballet on the beach is classy and has impeccable styling. There is a scene, where Kabir, sitting in a restaurant, finds lot of happy people around him enjoying, and he is wondering why all these people are happy, what actually is making them happy and are they actually happy at all? Another situation where Roy expresses to Kabir that if Kabir has lot of questions, then the answers are also with Kabir himself. Yes, we have answers within us for the questions which we have in our lives. Another special mention by Roy: Sawal vahi hote hain, lekin waqt ke sath jawab badal jate hain (Questions remain the same, but answers change). Kabir is amused with the noise in silences of his life and shares with his colleague that he is confused whether he left people or people actually left him.

Though I wished that the movie was paced at a better level, I could see a different aspect in this movie – the struggle of an artist, a creative person to tell his story to the world. And it also happens that, trying to get over the writer’s block and in search of a story, he / she becomes part of the story knowingly or unknowingly. I could also feel the lonely journey of a successful person, who just wants to retire to his own shell away from the glamour of fame, and success. One needs to feel secure in love and also wants to have a ‘wanted’ feel by the other. One expects to be asked for, and another feels that what if, the other person said no. How wonderful it would be to atleast try to one’s own satisfaction to get back the love before actually bidding good byes or vanishing into oblivion.

The last scene is very beautiful, where two halves of a picture is combined to give the complete scenic beauty. It is important to combine the broken pieces together.

I don’t know, how to rate this movie, some of you may not like it, but I am sure, some of you may like certain shots of the movie. A treat to music lovers.

On Valentine day’s eve, Roy conveys to us to complete the portrait of our love life. Seek the answers within for the questions as well.

Rating: 3/5 (Good)