The first installment of this Bal Thackeray inspired movie is, according to me, one of the best movies ever made. Powerhouse performances from the actors in the lead roles, a supporting cast that actually does just that, provides excellent support, none of the usual over the top villains who have ugly leering smiles plastered on their faces all the time and no singing and dancing with a 1000 extras in the background, are all some of the finer points of this edition.
Picking up from where he left off in Part 1, Ram Gopal Varma shows us why, despite his innumerable flops, he is still considered an ace director. His camera angles and dark backgrounds all serve to bring out the larger than life personas of the actors. If you are in the mood for a relaxed time at the theatre, popcorn and drink in hand, lazy smile on face, then Sarkar Raj is not the candyfloss you are looking for. It is intense, hard hitting and grips you from the get-go. There is never a lull in the tempo, every scene is full of emotion, dialogue-baazi, scheming and planning or action and here, what is left unspoken is louder than any word!
The story starts with Shankar Nagre (Junior B) having taken over the reins from his aging father. Anita (Aishwarya, looking absolutely gorgeous), from London, comes to aamchi Mumbai with a proposal to set up a power plant in poor Thakarwadi, aimed at delivering Maharashtra from its power woes. But the process entails displacing 1000’s of villagers who live in that area and for this reason the Nagres, who practically rule Maharashtra, are consulted for getting their approval for the plant. At the same time, there is a group of bad guys who want the Nagres ousted aka killed and they decide to use the power plant scenario as their platform. Whether their plan is a success or not forms the rest of the story.
Aishwarya’s clothes are superb and the background score gives one goose bumps. Dialogues are the highlight and punchlines abound, such as this one by Big B where he says, “Jaan lena jurm hai, Samay par jaan lena…Raajneethi hai!!” Amitabh Bachchan in a reprisal of his role as ‘Sarkar’ is, as always, awesome! The rest of the cast, is also very good, except that, pitted against an actor of the calibre of Big B, they all pale in comparison.
At the end of the day though, this sequel is not a patch on the original. But like all successful cult films, for example Indiana Jones or James Bond, this is one movie that I will readily watch another edition of as well. And RGV does just that with the last scene, leaves us with the promise of more to come.