Just Off-key

Cast: Rajeev Khandelwal,Soha Ali Khan,Mohan Kapoor,Yatin Karyekar,Manu Rishi

Rating: **1/2

What is it like to be able to hear,and create music,all your life,and suddenly lose the gift? What does it feel like to be hailed as the next best thing one moment,and to be reviled the next? Soundtrack gives us a story (based on a Canadian film,that in fact is dutifully part of the end credits) which feels like it is about something: such a relief from the spate of nothing movies that have been infesting our theatres for a while now,even if the result is mixed.

Raunaq Kaul (Khandelwal) is one of those people who have music in their blood. And also one of those lucky ones to whom everything comes quickly and easily. He has a mentor (Karyekar),and a patron (Kapoor),and a girlfriend (Mrinalini Sharma),and endless rows of shrieking fans as he spins tracks in a club. It’s all too much,too soon,and he doesn’t quite know how to handle it. Hubris leads to serious damage,both of the ear,and the spirit,and he is cast out,looking for a way back.

Soundtrack starts off on a high promising note,and then slides into a middle where everything gets muddled,and excessive. Khandelwal is clean-cut,and does much better at later repentance and acceptance than he does in this part where he has to appear out-of-control on a cocktail of too many drugs and too much sex. The film falls into the “let’s do this for effect” trap where it veers between frenzied copulation and substance abuse and a leading man trying too hard to pull it off. Kaul’s imaginary alter-ego hanging about in a mask and the other characters talking about him straight to the camera,both become overused devices. In all this posturing,the most important part of a film that is supposed to be about a musical genius — the music — is forgotten.

Fortunately,for the film,and for us,the second half comes along,and calms things down. As Raunaq deals with his loss,he regains some clarity,and gets some of his charm back. Mohan Kapoor goes full tilt at the rocking producer who recommends being a musician because of all the hot chicks: Yatin Karyekar gets a role which is not bite-sized. Both overplay,with a few nice moments. Manu Rishi,in a tiny part,is effective. So is Soha Ali Khan,who shows up post-interval,as the girl who teaches Khandelwal how to live again. And Khandelwal builds on his promise as an actor who imitates no one (though in the beginning,he sounds irritatingly like Rajesh Khanna),and who is willing to play against his chocolate boy looks. If only the music was better.