Introduction
I’ve watched countless interviews of Imtiaz Ali discussing the characters from his films. Suppose you’ve watched all Imtiaz Ali movies like me. In that case, every character in his movies has a very unique perception of love, life, dreams, and connecting to the power of their inner being. I’m part of various Facebook groups and Instagram pages. People beautifully write their view on his characters’ psychology, state of mind throughout the film, and why they behaved the way they did in a particular scene. Imtiaz Ali once said in an interview with Film Companion that once he pointed out mistakes in his movie Rockstar, he felt that the people he was speaking to were going to physically assault him! That’s the level of investment his fans make into his films and characters. It’s safe to say that he has taken the mantle off of Yash Chopra on what it means to love and how to love another person. The character whom we will be speaking about today is Jordan from Rockstar.
Jordan
Jordan or Janardhan Jakhar starts off as a young boy going to college in Delhi. In his nerdy avatar, he plays the guitar to people in public only to get beaten up by the police on the streets. His family even resents his musical passions. Jordan always tells people that he has never felt the pain of heartbreak. It is said by Khatana Bhai that when one experiences emotional turmoil after a breakup, the passionate musician within him will arise.
Jordan, from my perspective, was the embodiment of the Leo zodiac. He was passionate but possessive. And throughout, we saw his ambition and the grand plans he had for his life. And like a typical Leo, Jordan would never settle for less.
Heer
I can write volumes about the character Heer. But to keep it simple, Heer is the popular college girl that every guy desperately wants to date. Jordan realizes that if he can get publicly humiliated by the most beautiful girl in college, then he can feel the real pain of heartbreak. Ironically, this scene leads to the formation of a beautiful friendship between the two. And soon, they are inseparable.
I’ve seen many Leo men being quite reserved and closed off when meeting new people for the first time(Not valid for Leo women, though). But Heer brought Jordan’s real fun personality up to the forefront due to the sense of comfort between the two. When we are with someone whom we love unconditionally, everything around us begins to disappear. Heer even asks Jordan to hug her during the chaos of her wedding.
Jordan and Heer have no similarities with each other. Except for the fact that they both love watching adult-rated films. Ha! However, when Heer is getting married to someone her parents think is the proper suitor, she is not happy. But she’s not upset over it either. It’s somewhere in between. Through this, she begins to develop feelings for Jordan that she can’t explain. Yet, they never expressed their true feelings to one another.
During Jordan’s journey of transforming into a Rockstar, it was actually Heer who gave him the new name Jordan. Its as if Heer was aware of the significant changes that are about to happen in his life. His passionate Leo energy is seen in the song “Aur Ho,” where we see his restless nature of making love to Heer. And this is not a sexual craving of Jordan’s. It is because he has now developed a wild spirit of not knowing whether his judgment calls are correct or not. Like Leo, he has developed an impulsive nature that he can’t seem to control.
“Come live and while living, live the dream.. “
Sadda Haq
This song Sadda Haq has become a national anthem of sorts for the younger generation. Still, in this context, I see the next Leo trait of Jordan coming to the forefront, which is his rebellious and questioning nature. When people recognize Jordan as a “Rockstar,” society seems to love and cash in on his violent and aggressive character. Do they love Jordan for his music, or do they love him for the persona he portrays to the public? I don’t have a clear answer to this question, so I read some of the lines from the song’s beginning.
“..If I’m wrong then who is right? Should I send you a request for me to live with my own wish? It means you all have a right over me more than I do. Its my right! Put it here and give it to me!”
When I was a kid, I would love mimicking the tiny monologue Jordan says in the middle of the song. He speaks of how there used to be a jungle in the city. But human beings came and tore the jungle down. They made a place where everything is structured and occurs in an orderly manner. The birds that once resided in the wilderness also flew away. And now Jordan is searching for them. I felt Jordan was conveying that his old jovial personality has disappeared, and he is searching for it again. Perhaps because that personality of his kept him sane? Or is he talking about the sacred space where he can meet Heer and be with her again?
A New Jordan
Towards the end of the film, we see the man Jordan always aspired to be. A Rockstar admired by millions of fans. Shouting his name and going crazy over even his most minor acts. (see below).
Unfortunately, even after getting everything he ever wanted, there is a void within his being he starts to feel. Jordan contradicts his earlier claim in the film of being heartbroken here. His impulsivity has caught up to him. He does not want to be heartbroken now. He only wants to be with Heer. For them to be in their own world, where no one can stop them from living the life they enjoy together. But in the end, it was too late for Jordan. His heart broke, and the innocent Janardan we saw, in the beginning, has vanished. I hope that in some land, Heer and Jordan reunited, and Jordan finally found the flock of birds he was searching for in his life.
Closing Thoughts
I’ve always fantasized about a place where conventions and stereotypes do not exist. Where we are free to run around, scream, laugh, and play however we want with no one’s negative remarks to ever bring us down. If we were ever to get anxious or stressed, we would easily overcome it and continue living in proper alignment with who we are. Because we don’t have societal expectations bringing us down.
At the end of the day, we are spiritual beings who are having a physical experience. Not physical beings having a spiritual experience. The Universe uniquely speaks to each of us. The right way and wrong way of living a happy life is debated to this day. But suppose we collectively can conclude that there is a meeting field where anything is possible for anyone. In that case, there is a way to bring joy beyond our present circumstances.
“Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”-Rumi
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