I still have not quite mastered the art of writing a review without narrating the whole story. So even though I saw the film a day ahead of the good folks in India I held my horses. I knew that a swarm of critics would erupt on the mediascape the moment it hits the screens in India and they could then have the entire ‘credit’ for giving away the whole story!
I went to see the movie only with some hazy, residual memories of the first Sarkar in my mind. I dislike this whole business of killing movies by comparison alone. Even if the director has made it as a sequel I prefer to see it as a standalone movie and enjoy (or hate) it for what it is before plunging into the morass of equal, sequel and sequel ka sequel.
So as far as I am concerned the latest offering of Ram Gopal Verma is a total paisa vasool. Considering what all comes out of Bollywood studios, in the name of entertainment, this film stands head and shoulders above all competition, if there is any, that is.It is a gripping movie from start to end without any silly songs and dance sequences to slacken the pace.
I know some of the tele-critics, of national fame, have been going hoarse telling us about how the film is flat, how the screen play is weak and how it does not live up to the original Sarkar but I refuse to let these paid, pseudo-guardinas of our good taste spoil the fun for me every time. Without further ado let me tell you what works in this movie. Much has been said about this being the Bachchan parivar’s coming on screen together, for the first time, since the Rai-Bachchan merger.
That does not cut much ice with me. I did not go to see this movie for a sasur, bahu aur beta kind of entertainment. To me all three are fine actors in their own right and we do them disservice by lumping them all together under the Bachchan tag. All three have given sterling performances in their respective roles. Abhishek, perhaps keenly aware of the large shadow of daddy Bachchan looming over him, very intelligently, goes for a low key performance that stands out in the final analysis.
He does not compete with Amitabh; he shares the screen space as an equal. The script also lends him a hand in this as he is supposed to be a ‘sarkar’ in a modern mould. Amitabh is menacing in his dark dhoti- kurta and Ramu has exploited his talent to the full by giving us tight close ups all through. Big B emotes with subtle flexing of his facial muscles and without resorting to exaggerated mannerisms that seem the standard tool of most ‘baddies’.
Aishwarya does well in the role assigned. There is not much demand for heavy duty emoting from her and that fits well into the framework of her histrionic abilities. She has a small role really but will get all the mileage of a hit by simply being a part of this film. She looks stunning and, personally, I think this kind of simple, understated couture brings out her beauty better than the ‘Christmas tree’ look many directors inflict on her.
The other assorted baddies in the movie are quite menacing but it’s the standard fare of bulging eyeballs, strained veins in the forehead and the inevitable scars. The surprise ‘baddie’, though, is bapu of the Munnabhai fame. He is gentle, lovable, and grand fatherly and uses his frailty to lull us into a false sense of security. The narration is tight, the camera work skilful and the paucity of colors enhances this tale of violence and betrayal. The background score is apt and used judiciously. The use of new faces from the world of theatre has helped Ramu. They bring freshness to the movie while letting the performances of the main characters stand out. The only weaknesses in the movie are related to the script. The over emphasis on the concern that Subhash Nagre ( Amitabh) and his son have for the state of Maharashtra and its development is jarring. It seems to be Ramu’s attempt to pussyfoot around the powerful Thackerays. Amitabh’s character is so strongly fashioned after Thackeray senior that I am sure Ramu had no choice but to be (slightly) politically correct. No matter how hard Abhishek tries to justify the whole issue of taking the farmer’s land for the sake of development it does not wash with the audience. The violence of the whole Nagre clan is too well etched in the memory from the first movie for us to buy this do-gooder avatar of the son, Shankar. Having said that, I must add that the sheer technical brilliance of the movie coupled with the strong performances and crisp editing make up for this drawback in the script and one gets full value for money. Paisa vasool , as I said earlier. Rating: Good Recommendation: Must see (not for kids though).