Review: 'Rock On 2': A rocking sequel

There is a life-defining sequence in the early part of this stylishly-cut film where the excellent Shashank Arora, playing a young struggling musician -- a sarod player in this day and age -- if you must know, pleads with the supremely accomplished Kumud Mishra playing a rigid musician, for a hearing. A request that falls on deaf ears because Guruji is a purist who believes music must not be tampered with to create a contemporary sound.Ironically, this is what "Rock On 2", a worthy resoundingly successful sequel to the 2008 genre-defining musical, attempts. It breaks the barrier of sound and drama to give us an experience that moves the feet and the soul, sometimes in unison. From the first frame, when we hear 'Killer Drums' KD (the very endearing Purab Kohli) trying successfully to regroup our thoughts on the band that we saw eight years ago, the sequel is on a winning streak, creating an immaculate balance between the past and present without straining to give credence to the characters' inner voices.