I was in awe of Imtiaz Ali after his first 3 movies viz Socha Na Tha, Jab We Met, Love Aaj Kal. However after watching his last two films (Rockstar and Highway), I have started doubting his directorial capabilities.
Socha Na Tha was a been there-seen that kinda cinema. However it was beautifully penned. Really loved the refreshing storyline and fresh characters (Abhay and Ayesha). Though the movie didnt do exceptionally well, it was loved by the young brigade. Thanks to its smart humor. At this point, I started seeing Imtiaz as one of the promising directors.
Jab We Met sealed his position as one of the top notch filmmakers in the country. Was an excellent film (his best). Great screenplay, beautiful music and ace performance by Kareena. Kareena's comic timing was noticed for the 1st time and which she enhanced further in some of her subsequent attempts (barring Golmaal series). Imtiaz now was amongst the top 5 directors in the country.
His next directorial venture Love Aaj Kal too didnt disappoint. Though not as smart and refreshing as Jab We Met, it still was an entertainer. Thanks to Saif-Deepika excellent chemistry. I didnt think Imtiaz lost any brownie points coz of this movie.
And then the downfall started.
Rockstar was marred by a bad plot and even horrible screenplay. The movie kept fluctuating between past and present at uneven pace. The editing was really bad. His pick for the lead actress was faulty and so was Ranbir's character. The movie didnt earn big bucks at the ticket window. However it was a disappointment for me.
I thought that Rockstar was just an aberration in his directorial cap and hoped that he would come back aces with Highway. That was not the case.
The writing failed him again. Alia was moved from one state to another without depicting it clearly where she was on a given day. At times I was confused whether she was in WB, Sikkim or Himachal, Showing her journey via map or some timeline would have helped. It was also never shown her duration in captivity. Her kidnapping scene itself was poorly executed. Why the heck couldnt she jump into the car on seeing the goons. Delhi girls are smart, man. Also she had another opportunity to escape when the kidnappers left her in the car. Also I had serious reservations with respect to the movie length. It could have easily been cut by 20-25 mins. Some of the scenes were dead boring.
After his last 2 attempts, I am not sure I will eagerly await his next movie. However I sincerely hope he strikes back and proves me wrong.
P.S: He is able to pull exceptional performances from some of his central characters (Abhay in Socha Na Tha, Kareena in Jab We Met, Ranbir in Rockstar, Alia in Highway)
