Not long ago(about 20 years back), a director named Francis Ford Coppola made a movie adapted from a famous book written by an Italian Mario Puzo. The movie went on to become the best movie ever made on the mafia and has forever been stamped with the label of a classic. That movie was the Godfather. Then after many film makers have been intrigued and inspired by this legendary movie. If it was a mob movie, they tried to create Don Vito Corleone, Michael Corleone and the like. No wonder, the pioneer of gangster movies, RGV has been inspired from this great movie. He is candid enough to admit in the titles of his movie Sarkar. He claims it to be a tribute to The Godfather. Has he succeeded?
Sarkar is the story of Subhash Nagre(Amitabh), a self styled Robin Hood type politician who does the good thing the wrong way. So the movie starts in true Godfather style with a man lamenting that he wants to punish the people who molested his daughter. Sarkar sends his able men and kills the man to show that he can go to any extent to help the people. He has 2 sons, Vishnu(KK) a film producer who is obsessed with his heroine and Shankar(Abhishek) his american return son. Sarkar though a parallel government, does not misuse his powers for his selfish needs. So we have Selvar Mani(Kota Srinivasa Rao), Swami Vurender, a despotic and corrupt saint who team up with a smuggler Rashid and try to bring an end to Sarkar’s Raaj. How Sarkar, Vishnu and Shankar escape from this crisis and how Shankar becomes Sarkar jr in true Michael Corleone style forms the crux of the movie.
RGV though has loosely adapted the screenplay form the Godfather, has made sure it isn’t a total rip off. For starters, the characterization is extremely different. Sarkar is no where as polished as Vito Corleone, there is no Santino and Fredo. KK plays a combination of the two. (Those who haven’t seen the movie or read the book, please refer to them.) This makes Sarkar appealing to the Indian mindset. The screenplay is fast, gritty and keeps the serious viewer in you gripped.
The camerawork and lighting is superbly done. RGV uses lighting beautifully to highlight anger, hate, love and other human emotions. However, the numerous close-ups do bug you after a while.
Acting forms the heart of such a movie and Sarkar doesn’t disappoint at all. Amitabh as Sarkar is typical himself. He has left nothing to be proven in this film. Kota Srinivasa Rao as Selvar Mani is rather good.(Telugu and Tamil viewers will know him). Katrina Kaif is competent as Abhishek’s American returned girlfriend. She isn’t as bad as was expected. Tanishaa does well with her small and rather insignificant role.
But, the movie belongs to Abhishek. Move over Yuva, Dhoom, AB junior has finally arrived into the top league as Shankar. He delivers which could very well possibly be his best performance till date. I feel Indian cinema has finally found their Al Pacino.
There have been movies and there will be movies by RGV. Sarkar though no where path breaking as Satya and company will definitely occupy a special place