Think of an underworld bollywood movie and what comes to your mind first - drugs, extortion, murders, gun wielding henchmen, “bhai(s)” pouting ’’tapori istyle’’ abusive language, raunchy item numbers. Kidnapping and murders committed at the drop of a hat. So predictable and so filmy. There have been so many movies made on these lines in bollywood… that when I went to watch Sarkaar, I was expecting the same “run of the mill” stuff. But I was in for a pleasant surprise...
Amitabh Bachchan plays Subhash Nagare - a “supposedly” middle class Maharashtrian, who ends up becoming a sort of modern day Robin Hood. He is a self-styled messiah, who fights the wrong and helps the needy and the deprived. How he helps is questionable... He is beyond police, law or justice. He is a man of priniciples and in this process, he has friends and enemies.
He has two sons – played by KK and Abhishek Bachchan respectively. While the elder son is a spoilt reckless brat who indulges in every vice you can think of, the younger son(Abhishek) is a US returned, educated bloke who is going steady with his classmate Katrina Kaif.
How Abhishek is drawn into the slush of underworld happenings and how he eventually takes over the mantle forms rest of the story.
While the story line is very predictable and of the “have seen it in the past“ variety what holds the viewer’s attention is the way the story has been handled. The dialogues, sets and cast are natural and very real. The screenplay is crisp. There are no unnecessary melodrama or action sequences. No song and dance or running around trees (ah! What a relief) and no item girls doing a club number, while the goons and dons sway intoxicated!!
Supriya Pathak, Katrina Kaif and Tanisha have nothing much to do in the movie, but provide the needed acting support. Amitabh Bachchan’s character, mannerisms, body language effuses the “Bal Thackeray” feel.
Abhishek Bachchan excels in the movie… his sheer presence, his emoting ability is superb, especially in the second half of the movie – where he communicates with his eyes and expressions and not so much by words. I think, he has come a long way as an actor and this movie is definitely one among his best.
I sure think, Sarkaar is a must watch.