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Home > Bollywood Movie Reviews > Sarkar Raj Review Sarkar Raj Review - Gripping Enough For A Sequel APK | June 06, 2008 Rating: *** (***** Very Good, **** Good, *** Fair, ** Average, * Bad) User comments Action: Allan Ameen. Art: Sunil Nigvekar. Background Score: Amar Mohile. Cinematography: Amit Roy. Editing: Amit Parmar-Nipun Ashok Gupta. Mixing Engineer: Leslie Fernandez. Music: Bappi-Tutul. Sound Designer: Debashish Mishra. Writer: Prashant Pandey. Director: Ram Gopal Varma. Producer(s): Praveen Nischol-Ram Gopal Varma. Banner: K Sera Sera. Release Date: 06th June, 2008.  RGV and his eccentric and erratic direction sense is something that the Indian public is now familiar with, and something that the maker revels in. Without a doubt, he is one of the most talented makers we have, and he has set many a trend, some of which he was inspired from international icons and some of the trends which he alone (and still) follows. But we still watch out for his movie, even after a nightmarish self-indulgent, third class fare like Aag; which by the way, he has threatened to make again.Sarkar was a commercial hit and had mixed reviews from the viewers, and the sequel is not bad either. It will also generate mixed reactions, but only those in Maharashtra and others who follow events and news will really understand what Sarkar Raj is about. One thing is for sure, Ramu's obsessed, as always, but this time, it has clicked. Like it or not, Sarkar will make His impression at both the audiences and the Box Office. Plot Sarkar Raj starts off where Sarkar ends. Subhash Nagre is Sarkar, a law onto himself, and on his 60th birthday when the movie starts, it is clear that his son Shankar has taken over the mantle. A power plant project by foreign companies is in the offing, and entrepreneurs Mike Rajan and his daughter Anita are told that only one person can help them set it up in Maharashtra. Sarkar is opposed to the project, but Shankar thinks it will benefit the state. The fact that it will uproot 40 thousand villages gets Somji, a local leader, to turn against Shankar. Money, power and politics all come into the game, and the honest do-gooders are the ones that suffer.  Story, Screenplay and Direction With a few obvious references to the Sena lot and a whole lot of fictionalization, RGV has a ball narrating this story to his viewers. The same close-ups of Sarkar prevail, the same distinct aura and general mood and tone of both the movies is consistently same. Sarkar Raj has additional blur, lights that are totally wonky and a crazed camera that refuses to stay put or actually show faces without us getting to count the pores on them.The no-makeup look of the actors and the glam but bare Aishwarya, Supriya Pathak and Tanisha with their proper Maratha saas and bahu getup round it off nicely. The tilt of the head and the shawl wrapped around like a certain Sena leader, the Big B lives his part. The uglier aspects of the 'power plant project' (en..ron?) is happily glossed over only to have the violence and power politics take over the theme. The dialogues are well-written but seem like they are from an overtly melodramatic play. Some of the lines, however, make up for the heavy monologues and the talking-to-a-photograph part of the movie. Father and Son B have great chemistry together, while Bahu B seems to come alive in their presence, in terms of performance. The father-son dynamics and all the other aspects of the movie are okay-it's the taking that works. Not that it is exceptional, but it is RGV in (not peak) form. Those characters he creates, their subtle (and at times, not so subtle) resemblances to well-known personalities and the fates he puts them through is what really stands out in the movie. There are some surprises in the movie, and just when you think it's getting predictable, those surprises arrive to keep boredom at bay. Except two of the scenes including the one which involves talking-to-a-photograph routine, the rest of the movie keeps your attention alive. Two of the scenes towards the climax, including the one in the hospital, is well-taken and heart-wrenching. The power plant project associates are just shown to be primarily two people, and that just can't be logically right but keeps the plot saddled. The way every scene is composed and every shot is taken gets a bit too much at times, and there is actually no relief to that-typical RGV to try this after all the close-ups of Sarkar.  Performances Big B plays his part, borrowing gestures et al from a particular politico. Abhishek Bachchan frowns a lot and gives his pre-Yuva act, and only in a few scenes do we see the actor in him who learned to go beyond the frowning. Aishwarya is believable and Tanisha is not bad in the cameo. Shayaji Shinde is okay, Govind Namdeo and Kale are convincing. Shringapure delivers a good performance and Supriya Pathak's good as ever.Music The soundtrack is not as irritating as the first part, even though it continues on the borrowed Govinda track which booms out aloud suddenly and dies down just as quickly and then again picks up on the track. Last Word Sarkar Raj is watchable, and is gripping enough for a sequel. Sarkar itself was not really a great movie, and Raj also falling to that category. If anything, some parts it is better than part one, if only in bits and pieces. For those who liked Sarkar, they will like this one too even with some surprises and possible disappointments in the plot. |