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In
the picture
Sarkar
Raj****
*ing: Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai
Bachchan
Directed by Ram Gopal Varma
Tagline: Power cannot be given. It has to be taken
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Ram Gopal Varma’s
re-make of Sholay, RGV Ki Aag remains one of the biggest box office
duds in Indian cinema history. With Sarkar Raj, he has risen from
the ashes. And even more exciting is the fact that he has managed
to surpass the prequel, Sarkar.
Sarkar Raj begins where Sarkar ended.
Subhash Nagre (Amitabh Bachchan) known to the people of Maharashtra
as Sarkar is still in power and he is now supported by his son, Shankar
Nagre (Abhishek Bachchan).
If Sarkar was the introduction to Abhishek Bachchan, here he comes
of age as Shankar Nagre, the man who takes the legacy of his father
forward with a vision that extends beyond the capital of Maharastra,
Mumbai.
Anita Rajan, the CEO of Shepphard, a foreign company enters the political
spectrum with the idea of a power plant to be made in the village
of Thakurvadi, a part of the Maharashtra.
Subhash Nagre disagrees while Shankar agrees and so the story goes.
Ram Gopal Varma returns to familiar territory in Sarkar Raj. Not only
is this his reunion with the three biggest actors of Indian cinema,
it is also his comeback to the corrupt quagmire of politics.
First, there is the story. It begins on a familiar note, the power
of Sarkar, dirty politics and so on but come intermission and slowly
it all unravels, leaving one stunned.
In fact, the last half hour is incredible. It proves why Sarkar is
the all-powerful, what Shankar could never read and how foreign-return
Anita Rajan connects with the Nagre family and ethics.
Second is the casting and consequently the acting.
It is the first film since Abhishek-Aishwarya wedding that unites
Abhi, Ash and Big on the same screen. And they work like a charm.
Amitabh Bachchan fit into the role of Sarkar with natural ease. It
is hard to imagine anyone else playing the role of Sarkar.
Subtle gestures, expressions conveyed with eyes than words, the complete
body language of a man in control - Amitabh Bachchan lands one of
his career-best performances.
There is a lot to be said about an actor who gives Amitabh Bachchan
a run for his money. In this film that man is his real-life son Abhishek
Bachchan, who takes charge as Shankar Nagre. He goes neck-to-neck
in the film with his father, onscreen and off screen and on both counts,
he delivers like a pro.
Haunted by the ghosts of the past, Shankar goes forward with responsibility,
decisive ideas coupled with family values. Certainly not an easy role
to play. The constant flux in situations and the father-son debates
heating up, Abhishek Bahchcan finds his ground and holds onto it with
style.
With every film and every performance, Abhishek is becoming one of
the most bankable actors in India. As Guru Kant Desai in Mani Ratnam’s
Guru, he was empowering and in Sarkar Raj, he is mesmerizing.
And then there is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Ash looks fantastic and
between the overpowering shadows of Subhash and Shankar Nagre, she
finds her voice as Anita Rajan.
Ash is like an observer in the film, watching and deciphering the
corrupt world of business and its link with politics through the eyes
of Shankar.
By the second half, she is her own woman and the climax featuring
Ash is going to blow you away!
Third, the music and the cinematography are top notch. The now recognizable
chants of "Govinda" coupled with close-up frames that move
from Abhi to Big B just add more flavour to the gritty drama of power,
betrayal and politics.
The film is said to be based on the real life politicians, Bal and
Raj Thackeray. It is easy to note that if the Thackerays are smart,
they will not like the film.
The resemblance of Bal and Raj is not found in Sarkar and Shankar.
Rather in Somji and Rao, the two men who play games with the best
of them.
But then, films should never be about pleasing certain figures.
After suffering from a seriously flawed film that was RGV Ki Aag,
this film marks the comeback of Ram Gopal Varma and truly reaffirms
faith in his ability as a storyteller.
In Sarkar Raj lies Ram Gopal Varma’s redemption.
– Maheen Sabeeh
*YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME
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