Director Shujaat Saudagar, who marked his Bollywood directorial debut with 'Bali' in 2004, had taken a long sabbatical and returns with the much applauded musical franchise 'Rock On 2'. The film is set in the relatively less explored north-east India and has an emotional plot.

Everyone in this film looks so perpetually perturbed, monotonously morose, and uniformly dejected that at some point or the other you wonder if this musical, posing as a sequel to Rock On, is in fact secretly mocking the first part. Of course, consciously, it isn't. The characters look the way they do, because I'm sure they have an expressly full-time, round-the-clock purpose to remain grumpy forever. The circumstances are such, you see.

When Rock On had released 8 years ago, no one expected it be cult hit that it is now. After all it had no major stars, with Farhan Akhtar making his acting debut, and it was directed by Abhishek Kapoor, who made the dud Aryan: The Unbreakable. However they did the impossible, and Rock On became the sleeper hit of the year, thanks to its wonderful performances and catchy songs. The movie even swept away a lot of awards that year, including a National award for Arjun Rampal.

It's been five years Adi (Farhan Akhtar), Joe (Arjun Rampal), KD (Purab Kohli) and Robb (Luke Kenny) rocked the audience with their Magik, the band at the core of Rock On. A tragedy forces Adi to quit Magik and Mumbai, and move to Meghalaya. In the lap of the clouds here in Uminuh, a small village, Adi has set up his home, away from the hustle-bustle and memories of Magik. He has set up a cooperative and helps these small-time farmers make ends meet.

Eight years back, Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli and Luke Kenny had come together for Rock On, a film about a music band, which is still remembered by music enthusiasts across the country. Eight years later, Magik is back again, but with some fresh issues and problems. Following a tragedy for which Aditya (Farhan) holds himself responsible, Magik has disbanded again. Aditya has packed his bags and left for Meghalaya to be a do-gooder while Joe Mascarenhas (Rampal) runs a bar and KD (Kohli) is back to struggling as a musician.

ROCK ON 2 starts off with the voiceover narration of 'KD' aka Killer Drummer aka Kedar Zaveri (Purab Kohli). The story then mirrors upon the distances covered by Magik band's members from the prequel till today. Aditya Shroff aka Adi (Farhan Akhtar) gets settled in Shillong to lead an isolated life as 'repentance' over a certain mistake.

It was as many as eight years ago that the motley Rock On!! band of boys, led by an enthusiastic first-time actor-singer Farhan Akhtar and orchestrated ably by director Abhishek Kapoor, arrived in our midst and struck an instant chord. What that film achieved may not have been earth-shattering. But it still remains surprisingly fresh in our minds. The world, of course, has moved on since. And so, as we learn from the sequel, have the members of the once-thriving rock band Magik.

Eight years after Rock On went on to win hearts and awards, its sequel, Rock On 2, which is a far better film than what its trailers suggest, could follow suit. Rock On ended with Rob's (Luke Kenny) death and the reuniting of the all-boy band Magik. Things have changed since then. Aditya Shroff (Farhan Akhtar) is again delusional. He has left music and does cooperative farming somewhere in the Northeast. Joe (Arjun Rampal) is a reality show judge and a club owner. He appears to be the most successful of the lot.

It has been 8 years since the first film and the sequel takes off exactly from there. Post Magik reuniting in the last film, they start a talent management firm to promote new talent. After a young artist commits suicides due to negligence by Magik, the incident leaves the band in shock.

Aditya (Farhan Akhtar) seeks redemption. A freak incident disturbs him deeply. Unable to let go, he moves to Meghalaya for some soul-searching and immerses himself in humanitarian causes. Back in Mumbai, Joe (Arjun Rampal) now owns a posh club and judges a reality show. He is rich but numbed by succumbing to mediocrity. KD (Purab Kohli) still hopes to reunite with the two once again and make music someday.

It was never about the singing, but it was always about the music. Eight years ago, Rock On!! ticked all the right boxes for its songs and lyrics that spoke about a generation, about love, about growing up, even chasing dreams, quite uniquely, like Sinbad the sailor.

I enjoyed Rock On!! and its 'let's do this, guys' zeal enriched by an untried combination of actors, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's energetic sound and a wholehearted commitment to battling monotony after four estranged friends grab the chance to pursue abandoned dreams and revive their band and relationships. But the sequel doesn't feel like it's about the same guys any more, the headway in the script is marked by contrivances not progression. Rock On 2's frantic mood shifts between art, commerce, philanthropy, politics and personal life weigh down its potential to satisfy on a single front.