For an industry that has thrived for over a century, Bollywood has quite a few films that have turned the trends and re-written norms. One such revolutionary film that defied conventions when it released nine years ago is Abhishek Kapoor’s Rock On!!.  Exploring a genre, never tapped in Hindi cinema, the celebrated director’s rock musical drama made it to the Academy Film Archive library. Here are five reasons why Abhishek Kapoor’s Rock On!! was a revolutionary film.

Rock On!! marks the debut of Farhan Akhtar: At the time, Farhan was riding high on the successes of Dil Chahta Hai, Lakshya and Don as a filmmaker. An insider confirms that it was Abhishek Kapoor who convinced Farhan Akhtar to debut in the movie and bring his acting skills to the big screen. Surprisingly, not only did the movie enjoy great reception, but the lead actor won a number of awards for his debut including  Stardust, IIFA, Screen Awards  and Filmfare.

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Revolutionary music: Rock On!! was the first film to garner tremendous appreciation for bringing the independent music scene at the forefront. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s compositions resonated with the youth and the lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar were relatable and relevant. The album remains to date, the kind of music that an audience would crowd an auditorium for.

Rock On!! surged Arjun Rampal’s career graph: After portraying the character of Joe Mascarenhas in the film, the industry and audience lauded Arjun Rampal for the acting prowess he showcased. The star also won a National Award for his work as a supporting actor in the film.

Strong narrative: Director, Abhishek Kapoor harnessed the talents of the cast and effectively used it to suit its screenplay.  The characters of the music drama have a strong back-story and are regular people committed to bring music back into their lives as a band. The pace of the film kept the audience wanting to know more. Also, the songs were not just additional elements of the story. They pushed the narrative forward and kept the story in motion.

First-of-its-kind band film: At the time, Bollywood was belting out masala entertainers for the masses. Rock On!! , a story about a band reunion and following your dreams, stood out like a sore thumb. But, riding on the strength of its storyline, fantastic music and talented cast, the rock music drama went on to win a National Award for Best Feature Film Hindi and eight Filmfare Awards.