Rocket Singh
Directed by: Shimit Amin
Producer by: Aditya Chopra
Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Shazahn Padamsee, Sharon Prabhakar, Gauhar Khan, Prem Chopra, Mukesh Bhatt (1), Manish Choudhary
Music Dir: Salim Merchant, Sulaiman Merchant

Well 'Rocket Singh - Salesman of the year' wasn't eagerly awaited only 'coz the title is intriguing. The biggest reason behind the intrigue was the Bollywood's latest young and charming actor Ranbir Kapoor who seems to have delivered yet another hit on the big screens on Friday, December 11, 2009.

The movie introduces a tale of professionals in the competitive world of today that the audience can relate to. Ranbir Kapoor plays Harpreet Singh Bedi who is just out of college but his test scores are embarrassing. Well, our man Rocket has lady luck on his side, as test scores don't impede his dreams of an exciting and adventurous career. He lands himself a sales job.

In India it's considered a cool career for all smart people who fail to scrape through the entrance exams for entering medical, engineering or business schools. To him, a sales career is the best idea in the modern business world.

Rocket ostensibly believes in the adages that a smart salesman can sell an ice to Eskimo and a lifetime mobile connection to a dying man! He inherits nothing but a modest scooter from his die-hard grandpa played by Prem Chopra. Well, Harpreet aka Rocket sets up his very own 'AYS Sales' team at Rocket Sales Corp.

He hires the 'best' talent for AYS including sales shark team leader Naveen Kaushik, perennial lech techie Giri (D. Santosh), hot customer relations manager Koena (Gauhar Khan) and an office boy Chhote Lal (Mukesh Bhatt). Harpreet wins the heart of AYS boss (Manish Choudhari). But, he soon finds his ideas clashing with the strange ways of professionals and bosses.

Somehow, despite the all the misgivings, he has trust in the salesman's anthem "Pocket mein Rocket". So much for the set up of the story!

The USP of the movie is Ranbir Kapoor's changed new looks. This movie marks a special turn for Ranbir, a journey from his debut 'Saawariya' to 'Rocket Singh". He's done well in 2009 with Konkona Sen Sharma in the hit flick 'Wake Up Sid' and later with Katrina Kaif in the romantic comedy 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani'. But, this is yet another look.

His love for and with sales, and in a new avatar looking like a typical Sikh youth complete with a turban and beard, is yet another achievement.

Yash Raj Films' Aditya Chopra has produced the movie, Shimit Amin has directed and Jaideep Sahni wrote the screenplay. Reportedly, Shimit wanted to make the character as real as possible so Jaideep and he held workshops for 30 days with the entire cast and crew.

Ranbir is very happy about the movie and the character he plays. Ranbir's maternal grandmother hails from a Sikh family. She is thrilled to see him with a turban and beard. Ranbir firmly believes that just like Shimit Amin's last film 'Chak De! India' title song, turned into a sports anthem, "Pocket main Rocket" will also become a salesman's anthem.

Well, the cynics and critics in Bollywood would believe that a film based on marketing devoid of massive promotion won't go very far. But, what you see on the screen is good work. Shimit Amin says major promotion don't ensure success.

The mantra for this flicks it's salesman character and his song. On the performance, Ranbir excels as an actor. He has established he is versatile and good. Everyone in the cast, including Prem Chopra, Mukesh Bhatt, D. Santosh, Gauahar Khan, Naveen Kaushik and Manish Chaudhari, deliver good roles.

Jaideep Sahni's crisp story and dialogues and Shimit Amin's apt direction lend full support to Ranbir in performing exceedingly well. Of the two female actors, Gauhar Khan has fares better than Shazahn Padamsee.

Music and background score by Salim-Sulaiman is pleasant to the ears. Overall, the director and the screenplay writer deserve special mention for infusing a new sense of professionalism in Bollywood for holding a workshop for the entire cast to help them perform very well.

The movie does well in all departments is the whisper in the theater as critics leave the review session. This one is a must watch family entertainer.