5 reasons why Rocket Singh doesn’t rock...

Ranbir Kapoor’s Sardarji S-A-L-E-S stint is bringing on the whistles, and Shimit Amin’s Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year seems to have hit all the right notes with movie-goers. And yet, this story of the underdog’s triumph doesn’t leave you with a smile by the time the credits roll. It’s a slick, bright film, high on performance that tries to be all heart, but somehow, fails to connect. Here are 5 reasons why Rocket Singh doesn’t quite rock...

1. Too simplistic: How often does a company head overrule the sales team leader to recruit a candidate with rock bottom marks? How often does a supposedly over-worked sales team spend their day hurling rockets at the newly blacklisted trainee? And how often does anyone treat a visiting salesman to a bowl of Maggi? Bollywood generally entails a constant suspension of disbelief, but there are limits and there are limits. Ranbir acts well, but there’s little separating Rocket from Sid, in Wake Up Sid, a considerably better coming-of-age film. Remove the turban and the beard, change the name, and Rocket would be indistinguishable from any other urban, just-out-college youth.

2. Clichés abound: A nasty sales head (played brilliantly by Naveen Kaushik) who started off as innocent as Rocket, throws away a VP position in favour of a barely fledgling business. A high-flying entrepreneur invites a trainee to a meeting with a GM only to run down the former for a good few minutes by calling him a “Duffer” again and again. Later, the same entrepreneur sadistically takes over a rising business, only to do the right thing at the last minute – return it at the climactic point. Thus, a film that tries to steer clear of Bollywood, goes the predictable Yash Raj way with an overdose of sentiment.

3. Humour missing: The fun-filled promos promised a rollicking ride. But Rocket Singh doesn't really make you laugh. There are some smart one-liners. Mukesh Bhatt as Chhote Lal, the chai-coffee man and D. Santosh as the Marathi maintenance guy with a penchant for half-naked women, bring on the smiles. But the film, as a whole, misses out on a lot of possible humour. Having Ranbir as a Sardarji salesman offers great scope for comic moments, through kookie clients or wacky incidents. But having spent most of the first half in developing the characters, Jaideep Sahni’s script later spares little space for comedy.

4. A tad stretched: To the extent that you find yourself wishing for a song at times. The catchy “Pocket mein rocket” could have come much before the closing credits. Had the film been about 30-minutes shorter, perhaps many loopholes would have been hacked off at the editing table. Despite the lack of songs, the film carries on well over two hours. Stronger editing could have made a world of difference.

5. Expectations from Shimit Amin: When the director is Shimit Amin, expectations will rise. And while it’s unfair to expect a Rocket Singh to do a Chak De!, a tighter film should have been in order. Not all is wrong with Rocket Singh, of course. Ranbir shines, as does the rest of the cast. It’s fresh to see the office space providing the setting for most of the movie. Back stories, unnecessary song-and-dance sequences have been dispensed with and the love angle is well fitted into the office scenario. It’s the story of everyman. But it’s hard to root for the folks at Rocket Sales Corp. The nervous anticipation you felt for the Chak De! girls’ team’s success never really shows. You know how it will end, so it’s just an uninvolved wait for the closing credits.


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