Imtiaz Ali’s cult musical drama Rockstar (2011), starring Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri, is remembered for its intense love story, powerful performances and unforgettable music. The film also left audiences emotional with its tragic ending, where Heer dies, leaving Jordan heartbroken even as he achieves rockstar fame.However, the filmmaker recently revealed that Heer’s death was not part of the original script.
Imtiaz Ali says Heer was meant to live in the first draft
At a recent fan meet-up in Mumbai, Imtiaz shared that in the earliest version of the story, Heer was supposed to survive. Reflecting on the original draft, he said, “I wanted her to be alive. I wanted so many different things in Rockstar. In fact, I had written a full draft, but unfortunately I lost it.”He added that when the opportunity to make the film finally came years later, he tried to locate that script but couldn’t find it. “Years later when I got the chance of making Rockstar, I tried looking for it and I had lost it. It wasn’t in the computer,” he recalled.
How the story changed while rewriting the film
According to Imtiaz, when he sat down to write the story again, the narrative naturally evolved in a different direction, partly inspired by the classic Punjabi love story Heer Ranjha.Explaining how the ending changed, he said, “So I wrote it again. This time when I was writing, I don’t know what happened. At the end of it, Heer was no more.”He further connected the decision to the influence of the legendary romance. “I think it was also because I was following Heer Ranjha a lot. That is why the girl’s name was Heer and that she dies before Ranjha, so the movie ends before the death of Jordan,” the director shared.
The tragic ending that became iconic
In the film’s final moments, Ranbir Kapoor’s character Jordan performs at the Verona Arena in Verona, Italy, after losing Heer. Her death leaves him in a permanent state of grief even as he reaches the heights of stardom, echoing the turbulent journey of his idol Jim Morrison.Over the years, the bittersweet ending has become one of the most talked-about aspects of Rockstar, adding to the film’s cult status among fans.
