Movie Preview : Rocket Singh – Salesman of the year

I remember my 10th and 12th class boards and the pressure was bad then. It’s worse now. But what do folks who can’t make good do ? According to this film, they become salesmen (or women). Meet Harpreet Singh Bedi, skinny Sardar, and failure extraordinaire. He’s passing (or is that failing nowadays ?) B.Com with 39% marks and that’s an improvement on his school performance. But he’s full of confidence, and out to make it in the world of sales. Is it any wonder that the title song goes “Pocket mein rocket . . .” ?

Ranbir Kapoor plays this zany Sardar, and from the promos it looks like he’s doing a great job. He does have Sikh roots (his mom Neetu Singh is a Sardarni) although I’m not sure if that’s what’s doing it. For one thing with a beard, he looks like such a typical young Sikh boy; button down shirt, long stringy legs, and a nice bright pagdi (turban) all neatly tied. Well Ranbir as Bedi gets a sales job, and the film apparently is about the way his “traditional” values clash with the contemporary values of the professionals working with him, and how being the hero types, he works it all out.

This film stars a bunch of newcomers – model Gauhar Khan (yes – she of the wardrobe malfunction), fresh and dewy-eyed beauty Shazahn Padamsee (daughter of well-known ad-film director and voluble NDTV talk-show guest Alyque Padamsee and singer Sharon Prabhakar). It is directed by Shimit Amin (of Chak de India fame) with screenplay by Jaideep Sahni. With all the talent in this film, it should be interesting.

Rocket Singh (Official website) opens in a theatre near you Dec 11th 2009.