"Everything is subjective": Shankar Nagre
Now, that’s one of the simply put dialogues that stays with you once Sarkar Raj ends on a grim-n-sombre note. Yes, these can also be the sentiments of director Ram Gopal Verma who was torn to shreds for attempting a Sholay remake. And now Verma is back-with-a-bang for critics are once again doing a ’subjective’ analysis of his brilliant works like Satya and Company deconstructing the artistic close ups, raw camera movements of Amit Roy and some gut wrenching performances with Senior B leading the pack with a carefully careless swagger.
The story starts from where it left in Sarkar. Subhash Nagre (Amitabh Bachchan) prefers to pay heed to the youthful dexterity of son Shankar (Abhishek B) in matters concerning the ’prosperity of Maharashtra’. In an Enron Power Project like situation, NRI Anita (Aishwarya Rai) has a power project that has the capacity to bring a revolutionary change. Divinely styled Anita is surrounded by kick-back hungry cronies which are cleared off on Shankar’s behest. And then follows the gruelling bitter power game.
Subhash Nagre’s guru Rao Sahab (Dilip Prabhavalkar) gives consent but his grandson Sanjay Somji (Rajesh Shrirangpore) opposes the project shovel-n-spade. Heated public debate follows with violent protests and snake-pit politicking. While the expensive wine flows in five star deals-n-discussions, blood floods out on mean streets of self centredness. Shankar looses his wife (Tanisha) in a bomb blast and one can’t trust the close allies any more. There’s a thin line between strength and weakness. And the one that is agile enough to survive leads in the battle of supremacy.
Sarkar Raj has a taut first half while the second half regresses into monologues and long silences. Yes, most of the thrills are also featured in the second half but at times they become too many to handle. Rajesh Shrirangpore as Sanjay Somji is a character based on rabble rousing Raj Thackeray. He has a towering presence but then he is suddenly silenced and he ends up being a mere prop. The transformation left something to be desired. The real hero of the film is Amit Roy’s exceptional camerawork that captures the essence of the sinister drama. Even the dusky colour tone is interesting and doesn’t lose continuity at any point of time.
Amitabh Bachchan as Subhash Nagre is first rate. You just can’t count him out. They who thought that he must be playing a second fiddle to Abhishek are in for a surprise. Abhishek Bachchan needs a stylist badly and a physical trainer who can tell him the virtue of looking less bloated than what he does. He sleep walks through the film. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looks cool and except for a remarkable weeping session in the hospital she doesn’t have much to do except looking good sans makeup. Dilip Prabhavalkar is neat while Govind Namdeo plays the mean streak to perfection. Amar Mohile’s background score is impressive.
As for Ram Gopal Verma, well, he should stick to his terrain and desist from entering arenas that are alien to him. Sarkar Raj is a good comeback (if not the best) for him. The simplistic theory of Abhishek’s character regarding ’Maharashtra’s tarakki’ is naive. Also how the hell can you get away with killing a deputy chief minister and that too in his own office. Still, Sarkar Raj is one of the better films to have emerged from Bollywood in the recent times for its sheer lack-of-compromising spirit. It requires a strong conviction to stick to your beliefs and that’s exactly what Verma displays in ample measures. The scene where Abhishek is on death bed with Amitabh holding his son’s hands has been shot in the most unassuming yet different way devoid of the filmi melodrama. And that’s where Ramu scores.
Sarkar Raj: Worth a stroll to the nearest multiplex in spite of the rains!