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Sarkar Raj - A short review

By: Santosh :+: Under: Entertainment
On: ⋅ June 13, 2008 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment
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“Sarkar Raj”, the much awaited (not really, but it sounds poetic) sequel to “Sarkar”, which was inspired by Coppola’s “The Godfather”, is a dark brooding crime drama/political thriller. For those who haven’t seen the original “Sarkar”, it features the father-son duo of Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan in a political crime drama that has the lead character as a cross between “The Godfather” and the real life politician, Bal Thackeray. The sequel is much the same, but also stars AishwaryaShekRaiBachchan to complete the unholy Bachchan family trio.

The story revolves around a power plant project in Maharashtra, ***cough***Enron***cough***. AishwaryaShekRaiBachchan is the daughter of a rich NRI industrialist who is heading the project. The older Bachchan initially opposed to the project, changes his mind when the younger Bachchan, faced with an option between sleeping on the couch or in the arms of TMBWITW, convinces the older Bachchan otherwise. Throughout the movie, there are references to some phantom project plans and the project itself benefiting the state of Maharashtra. The movie itself seems to be a tribute to the Thackeray dynasty, which is weird considering the recent tiff between the Thackerays and the older Bachchan. Maybe that was a publicity stunt for this movie?

The ambiance of the movie in general, is dark both in the characters and lighting, save a few sweeping shots of the rural Maharashtra countryside. Characters routinely ham (See #6 and v.intr). There is widespread usage of the jerky handycam technique, ala “Ocean’s Twelve/Thirteen/Ninenty Nine/whathaveyou” but thankfully is used less and less as the movie progresses. There is plenty of double crossing with characters, including some important ones, getting whacked routinely, a trademark of the director, RGV. There are longish dialogs with close-ups are thrown in liberally until you begin seeing the sweat and nose hairs. To top the ultra-close close ups, the dialog writing is weak.

One thing is to be said for the movie, actually two things: no naach-gaana and no tale of two halves. The movie is shorter in duration than most Bollywood movies making you wonder about the need for an interval. Are we really that weak bladdered of a race? Even after the interval there is no marked departure from the basic theme of the movie. As for the acting, after a circumspect first half (and a hangover from Bhootnath), I was left wondering if Amitabh was just a shell of his former self. But he picks his performance up a notch in the second half, which also has you realize his character in the first half was intended to be that way. Abhishek holds his own but him, and the movie in general, could’ve done with better dialog writing. Whereas Abhishek played the role of Michael Corleone to Amitabh’s Vito in “Sarkar”, in the sequel he plays more of a Sonny Corleone, sans the womanizing **hint hint**. I’m unable to decide if I liked AishwaryaShekRaiBachchan’s performance because of the abundant usage of glycerine in the second half.

The verdict: Typical RGV movie. It is a political crime drama that is dark(+), brooding(-), violent(+), very little time or scope for romance in the plot(+), no naach-gaana(+), some good and lots of over acting(-), low brow humor in parts(-), predictably unpredictable(+) and an overdose of Bachchans(-). Even though “Sarkar Raj” has been widely panned, I’ve seldom agreed with popular movie critics. I’m going against the grain and grading it “watchable”.

p.s Follow the DP link above to the unintentionally hilarious post by RGV panning his critics. All I can say is “Don’t take load, man”.

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