Rocket Singh : Salesman of the Year
In 2009, Ranbir Kapoor became a star in the true sense. His "Wake Up Sid", "Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahani" and "Rocket Singh", all released in that same year and he became a household name at least due to the first two. The last one, which released toward the end of the year, somehow slipped under the radar for a majority, including myself. But it was the best of the lot in my opinion, and that's saying something since the first two were in a league of their own too. In hindsight, RK has picked up projects that many would not have at his age, and has a very impressive portfolio today. His "Rockstar", "Barfi" and "Jagga Jasoos", "Rajneeti" and "Tamasha" are also very different kind of films. He shines in each of them, he gave his 100% to them all. He is truly one of the best actors we have in Bollywood today, with or without "Animal" (which I have not watched and don't intend to).
But this post is not about RK. It is about his film "Rocket Singh" that was well before its time but so relevant today! The protagonist is a below-average student but his passion in life is to be the best salesman ever. His feels that persuasion is the best skill for this profession. He even lands a job in a reputed Sales organization to fulfil his dream, despite his low marks. His lawyer friend tries to dissuade him from this profession with the argument that only those who failed to make the cut in the more elite professions, became salesmen as a last resort. But Harpreet Singh Bedi(HSB) is focused on his dream. His grandfather, played by Prem Chopra, supports him in his own way. But HSB's illusion about the Sales business is soon shattered when he witnesses the reality. Its a cut-throat world with unrealistic targets, questionable ethics and selling products with high mark-ups go hand in hand with profits. His grandfather's tenets of honesty and ethics become a barrier for him to get a foothold in the corporate jungle.
As I started watching the movie, the initial scenes disillusioned me. I felt it was about how to adapt your value system with the corporate you are working for. The movie slowly pivoted and it felt exhilarating that even in a function like Sales its possible to retain your values and still do business. Passion, hard work, sincerity and goodwill truly do pay off. My faith in humankind was restored. There are a few cliches about the "sardar" community too that felt as if the director was skating on thin ice. But somehow the director was able to keep the train on the right track till the very end.
The characters of his various colleagues and bosses are extremely well-etched and also performed remarkably well by the supporting cast. Both RK as well as Manish Choudhary (playing his big boss) deserved awards for their roles but neither received any. How Harpreet Singh Bedi becomes Rocket Singh, how he manages to not only survive in the toxic work culture but also manages to marry his dream of being the best salesman with that of running is own Sales startup without compromising his ethics, forms the gist of the plot.
All in all, a must-watch film especially for those looking to follow their passion while lost in their corporate jobs.
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