Short Movie Review # 9 : Sarkar Raj

There is one crucial diktat, that directors  must follow when making a sequel. It HAS to, and I mean HAS to be better than the first part. ( take for example, Lage Raho, Dhoom 2 and Krrish). There are no ifs and buts to this. 

Very simply, Sarkar Raj isnt.

RGV has tried almost the same story line as Sarkar, with the additon of an utterly confusing issue of a power plant. The movie starts of in Godfather-1 style, with Sarkar's 60th birthday celebrations at the Nagre household. Within the first 5 min itself, the villians this time around, Sayaji Shinde and Govind Namdeo are shown to be plotting the Nagre downfall. Another bad-un joins them later.

Then, almost as if in a hurry, the powerplant proprosal comes to the Nagres's , brought by Aishwarya Rai (who by the way looks stunning throughout the movie.) Amitabh dissaproves it while Abhishek is convinced it will serve the greater good of the people of Maharashtra in the long run. Amitabh agrees to support his son.

The plot moves to Thakarwadi, where they meet with Rao Saheb (Dilip Prabhavalkar), Amitabh's political mentor, to garner his support. He agrees but  his nephew, Sanjay Somji ( bearing a striking resemblnace to Raj Thackeray) opposes the power plant project and begins instigating the villagers against the Nagre's. Then begins the fight for Abishek to complete the project, which has now become his dream. But at what cost?

To reveal more of the plot would be letting out quite a few spoilers. The drawbacks of the movie are:

- the same basic plot as Sarkar: a few bad guys plotting throughout the movie to finish off the Nagre's, and the revenge formula  in the end.

- The govinda-govinda track is over used

- The second half is way too slow

-  The extreme close up technique that was so effective in Sarkar gets a little tiring towards the end

-You really dont feel as if you are seeing something different ( the same asasination attempts, the visits to the hospital, the revival, the revenge)

Where Sarkar Raj redeems itself is :

- an almost natural chemistry between the father-son duo. One of the highlights of the movie is when they hug each other just before the interval, trying their best to forget Vishnu Nagre. The father, a stiff, but broken man. The camera pans to both their eyes , which speak volumes without saying a word.

- Amitabh in top form. Consider this as a hint, but if you thought this movie was about Abhishek, think again. Its Amitabh all the way. He carries on from where he left off the last time. His expression after seeing the wrecked, bombed car has to be seen to be believed.

- Aishwarya- always a sincere perfomer, she really gets to show her acting histronics towards the end.

In the end, you somehow wish RGV shoudnt have been so brave. Far too many experiments, and one really big one, which goes against the very concept of the Sarkar legacy. 

Traitors where u least expect them, the predictable villanous looks with dirty teeth, more punch lines than normal sentences, it gets all a bit too heavy in the end. 

The last 20 min of the movie is a complete drag, a big contrast to the last part of Sarkar, which was the high point of the movie.

And yes, like you cheered during the final frame of Sarkar, dont be surprised if a loud chuckle escapes from your mouth during the final frame here.

After this one, we can all truly say: "Sarkar Khatam".

Rating : 2.5 stars