'Rockstar' trio Kapoor, Fakhri and Ali cruise Dubai

Lily

B.R
Staff member
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It's difficult not to draw conclusions if you were to watch this scene unfurl. Bollywood heart-throb Ranbir Kapoor and his latest on-screen squeeze, Nargis Fakhri, are on a dhow cruise on Dubai Creek, lost in each other's company and drinking in the sunset. The only piece missing in this titanic tableau was the iconic arms-wide-open scene. Further, the duo is seemingly oblivious to the cameras zooming in on them, underlining Kapoor's proclamation to tabloid! the night before.

"Just because magazines and tabloids keep linking us together romantically, we are not going to act differently towards each other. We will still go out for dinners and have a good time," Kapoor had said.

And a good time they surely had over the weekend as the Rockstar trio — comprising the pair and director Imtiaz Ali — painted the town red. Unlike the hasty Bollywood press junkets, the split-proof team was in town for more than 48 hours to promote their latest drama Rockstar, which chronicles the life of a musician, Janardhan Jordan. Hitting the DJ decks at Chi@The Lodge, a cameo at a university campus and watching the sunset as they cruised in a wooden dhow and interacting with the press were packed into the itinerary. But they made it all look like one extended holiday.

"I hope these two people remain my friends for life," said Fakhri of Czech and Pakistani origin, who is slated to make her Bollywood debut with Rockstar. Rather than talking about her role, she is more intent on crediting her tryst with Bollywood to the men sitting by her side.

Transition

"It's a world that I didn't know and it was a culture shock to me. It was all so new to me. But Imtiaz and Ranbir made that transition so easy. They were so nurturing … that's the word," said Fakhri. She met Ali on a lark in Prague after she got an e-mail from her agent about auditioning for a role in a Bollywood film.

"At that time I was in Denmark, I didn't know who Imtiaz was and I had to google his name. But I decided to meet him in Prague because my mum lived there. But the moment I met Imtiaz there was an instant connection. And when he asked me to come to India to audition, it felt right," said Fakhri. Kapoor couldn't agree more as he regales us with anecdotes.

"When we were in Prague, we used to go for these long walks. And when Nargis used to walk ahead of us, we used to watch the reaction of guys walking past her. Most of the time, they used to turn around to check her out. That was when we turned to each other to congratulate each other on our find," said Kapoor.

Meanwhile, the former model couldn't have asked for a better launch pad. Director Ali is one of the few directors in Bollywood with an impressive track record and has hits including Socha Na Tha, Jab We Met and Love Aaj Kal under his belt. Known for his romantic dramas, it's his first attempt at making a film about the rise of a musician. As far as scale goes, this one is a biggie with Oscar winner A. R. Rahman scoring the music, while the film is set in Europe and Delhi. But he didn't let the pressure get to him, vouches Kapoor.

Mutual admiration

"We had immense respect for Imtiaz and not because he is a successful director. We respected him because we knew he had something to say. On the sets, it was never dictatorship as he was ready to take suggestions from even the spot-boy," said Kapoor. Their camaraderie was further displayed as they kept praising each other endlessly.

"I am so proud that Nargis is a part of the film … I'm also proud that an actor like Ranbir took the time out to get the mannerisms and techniques of being a musician right. It's difficult to praise each other when we sitting in such proximity. But I am so happy with these two," said Ali.

Apparently, the Wake Up Sid actor spent time at A. R Rahman's residence and studio in Chennai during the song recordings to get into the skin of his character.

"For this film, we have a line-up of the world's best musicians. So they are not going to tolerate it if Ranbir gets it wrong. And on Ranbir's part he has done tremendously well," adds Ali.

He may be able to play the part of a musician convincingly, but he cannot sing to save his life. He even demonstrated his questionable singing skills by breaking into a song. Suffice to say, it didn't sound good.

"When I was growing up, my music teacher gave up on me and told my mother that ‘Isko na taal hai, na sur hai' [this boy has no sense of rhythm and music]. I am not the one who can woo a girl with a song." Even if he cannot serenade, he has managed to clinch the title of Bollywood's serial charmer.

"I am in this phase where people love linking me up with anyone and anybody. But I am not too bothered. We are here to do some good films," said Kapoor.

Rocking deal

The Rockstar team is not keen to reveal the budget of the film, but Ranbir Kapoor does some quick maths:

"W e three have an agreement with the producer Hiren, the deal goes something like this. In the first three days after Rockstar opens and we make Rs150 million [Dh11 million] at the box-office, then he takes us to Olive restaurant in Mumbai. But if we make Rs200 million, he will take us for a holiday to Goa, if we make Rs250 million he takes us to Macau. And if we make Rs300 million, he takes us to Dubai and if we make Rs350 million he takes us to Spain to celebrate. And if we make Rs450 million, we will retire for life."
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