’’....mujhe jo sahi lagta hai, mein wahi karta hoon....’’..says Subhash Nagre (Amitabh Bachhan) with an unnerving smoothness and confidence. So close a statement to every MouthShuttier here....(hamein jo sahi lagta hai, hum woh bolte hain). A flattering comparision may be, this serves as a fitting preamble when you talk your mind about Sarkar - a razor sharp bollywood offering from ’The Factory’.
There’s no point talking about the storyline here. One because, most of us would have seen it. And two, for those who haven’t seen the film, why to spoil the fun. And for those who are upset that it’s a ’..mmmm...poor adaptation of GodFather u see..’’, the film begins with a confession note by RGV, stating that its an inspiration from GodFather. So, he’s not being a Vikram Bhatt. Also, I feel that it really doesn’t sound sensible to compare two films. Both are in a different set up, for a different audience, in different times. Those who feed too much on hollywood should understand this. How many people in India would have seen Godfather? So if an adaptation that comes in a format which they can relate to, and enjoy, we must not look down on it and start clapping - ’cheating!! cheating!!
Sarkar commands a first time watch necessarily on a 70mm screen. Avoid DVDs and VCDs, and the cable TV print - its an injustice to the viewing of Sarkar.
Gripping from the word G, the film surprisingly pleases you for its ’family connect’. After Satya, Company and ’D’, Sarkar was expected to be a good, large scale underworld kind of film - which would strike a chord with a niche audience. But the the magic of Sarkar works impactfully on the saas-bahu tribe as well. Because, if we decode the DNA of Sarkar, it is about a son, who comes to support his father, and family, especially when the elder son of the family fails in his duties. A decade ago, this was a kind of plot where heavy, emotionally over charged dialogues by Kader Khan would have left no room for any cinematic aesthetics. (If anybody has seen films like Daryadil and Jaisi Karni Waisi Bharni, they wud know what I mean)
So, while the set up is about anti-establishment protagonist who cares a hoot for the law of the land, the plot has a strong emotional connect which is very indian, very family oriented.
What to say about the music?! Sarkar is not Sarkar without its music - RGV says in the insert of the audio CD. He couldn’t be more correct and precise. The many variations of ’Govinda’ background score add space rocket fuel to the film, and trigger umpteen goose bumps. Bollywood should thank RGV for showing it what background score means and can be.
I don’t think I am justified in any way to comment on the cameras and angles and lighting etc - it’s just spellbinding! Performances - sorry! no words. But yes, I do want to give a hats off to Kay Kay, as the bad son. Media has been unfair to him, as they couldn’t get their pens and notes away from the Bacchhans’ glare. Watch him. Wow him!
Dialogues - best one liners with a power punch, heard in a long time, and rarely found in Indian cinema these days.
What makes Sarkar an ultimate watchable film with a good plot, tight script, magical screenplay and a very simple, honest narration is - it doesn’t preach. It drives no point at the end of the film. Was Subhash Nagre justified in the way he played with law, is violence right, where our ’system’ is heading to’, or should we do something...blah...blah...It began as Sarkar, talked about the life of Sarkar, and culminated with the birth of a new Sarkar - touching another emotion that every father wishes his son takes up the mantle from him and relieve him of his duties.
Abhishek did just that. And so, the legacy of Sarkar continues...even after the screen goes blank