We were prepared for the muted response: Rock On 2 director

A still from Rock On 2; (inset) Shujaat Saudagar, director of the film

Back in 2008, Rock On ticked all the right boxes to become a big hit, especially for its soundtrack.

However, the sequel to the multi-starrer musical drama has made little noise. Debutant director Shujaat Saudagar admits the film's team had, more or less, expected the tepid response.

"We were prepared for the muted response. Currently, there is no popular song in the film, but I am convinced that the music will catch on once the film releases," says Shujaat, adding that the songs carefully in keeping with the narration, instead of coming up with music to make the film commercially viable.

"The tracks in Rock On 2 are much evolved and intrinsic to the storytelling. Besides, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have a lot of finesse and have really pushed themselves to deliver a fresh soundtrack."

While comparisons with the catchy music of the 2008 film are inevitable, Shujaat points out, "Rock On songs also caught on after the film released, and garnered positive word-of-mouth buzz. That film was more about a garage band.

This one takes the story forward of how those boys, now men, are fighting their inner demons. We have two new characters (Shraddha Kapoor and Shashan Aroroa), too, so I am pretty confident of the prospects of the film and its songs eventually."