Director: Ram Gopal Verma
Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Kay Kay Menon
‘A Captivating Classic’
Not many actors in Bollywood earned praise of Amitabh Bachchan. Following his rise to fame amid the 1970’s, Bachchan has transformed in a legendary Bollywood icon. Whether it’s inspiring teachers, frustrated fathers or patriotic leaders, Bachchan has played many strong characters. Arguably, Bachchan’s best strength as an actor has always been his strong commitment to his craft. He is one of those rare Indian actors that has always had strong presence which has elevated every movie he is in. Through his capabilities to create characters which audience can easily relate to, Bachchan has become a celebrated Bollywood icon that audiences value. Although he is best known for roles in Bollywood, Bachchan has proven he excels in every genre. Despite reaching an age of retirement, Bachchan has never lost long lasting passion for entertainment. Throughout his illustrious career, Bachchan has produced countless movies which are absolutely worth talking about without any doubt.
I’m a huge fan of Bachchan and adore all the films which he has made in his career. However, “Sarkar” definitely stands out as his most compelling film. Released in 2005, Ram Gopal Verma’s movie offered a strong remake of The Godfather. Packed with bold production, strong storytelling and engaging acting, it’s a superb Bollywood crime drama. At the centre of it all is a bold performance by Amitabh Bachchan, who portrays a crime don facing tension. Although “Sarkar” is an engaging crime drama, ultimately it isn’t a flawless film. It suffers from uneven pacing, lacking the compelling momentum of The Godfather. Nevertheless, it offers engaging entertainment which would satisfy fans of Amitabh Bachchan.
“Sarkar” tells the story of a notorious crime lord that runs a parallel government with a high bar. Amitabh Bachchan plays Sarkar, an authoritative gangster having a control over his city. Sarkar has always excelled at running his country where crime is surging in popularity. However, Sarkar’s life changes when he becomes a target of murder. As his life is put in grave danger, Sarkar turns to his son to save him from pressure. Shankar (Abhishek Bachchan) is a strong gangster showing devotion to his family’s traditions. Faced with a dilemma, Sarkar questions if it’s possible for him to become a successful gangster in India. With all the odds stacked against his favour, Sarkar wonders if he can become a gangster.
Ram Gopal Verma has often been drawn to the crime genre. A fantastic Indian director. Verma has crafted engaging movies about gangsters in danger. His iconic film “Satya” offered a portrait of gangsters which face trauma in India. With “Sarkar”, however, the filmmaker made his first remake. It was the director’s first attempt to remake a classic Hollywood gangster movie but he pulled it off effectively. Using bold cinematography, Verma captures a gangster embarking on a journey to control crime in India. Emulating Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather”, the filmmaker expertly uses closeups to capture gangsters of great stature. For instance, the closeups enhance the gangster offer scene. During this intense scene, Sarkar strives to delivers a speech during a gangs meeting. Using stunning closeups, Coppola creates a portrait of gangs that’s engaging. Closeups are complex techniques. As Aditya Chopra’s “Mohabbatein” proved, closeups enhance Bollywood movies about college. However, it works immensely in this film. Using stunning visuals, Verma captures the tensions gangs are facing.
Another admirable aspect of “Sarkar” that merits appreciation is the production. While it isn’t easy to remake a classic Hollywood movie, Verma succeeds. Taking inspiration in Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas”, Verma effectively uses costumes to capture lives of gangsters facing dilemmas. Throughout the film, Sarkar’s costumes showcase his strong position of authority. For instance, costumes elevate the revenge scene. During this sad scene, Sarkar and his son plot a murder of a political leader. Through stunning costumes, Verma created a portrait of gangsters that’s engaging. Furthermore, the musical score is magnificent. It gives the movie an engaging atmosphere capturing a heavy burden that gangsters bear. Using stunning production, Verma captures the lives of gangsters that face tension.
Storytelling is one of the many reasons why “Sarkar” is a Bollywood come movie that’s engaging. The movie is beautifully written, and effectively uses silence to capture the hardships which gangsters experience. For instance, silence enhances the death scene. During this heartbreaking scene, Sarkar is faced with a state of grief when he uncovers sad evidence of a friend’s murder. Through silence, Verma creates a portrait of gangs which audiences can relate to. Silence is a tricky technique to use in movies. As Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Black” suggested, silence often elevates Bollywood films about blind women. Nevertheless, it works immensely in this movie. Through a brilliant screenplay, Verma captures the lives of gangsters that face a price to pay.
One appreciates amazing performances.
Amitabh Bachchan delivers one of his best career performances as Sarkar. Bachchan earned appreciation for playing heroes in classic Bollywood crime films. With “Sarkar”, however, he took on his most complex role. It isn’t easy to portray a gangster that has a position of authority but he succeeds. This is the actor unlike you have ever seen him before: intense, charismatic and emotional in his most memorable role. With engaging expressions, he captures the angst, bravery and strong spirit of a gangster experiencing tensions. It’s a powerful performance by one of the finest Indian actors that’s working in Bollywood today.
While the movie is mainly a showcase for Bachchan, the supporting cast is equally worthy of recognition. Abhishek Bachchan is brilliant, capturing the dedication of a son seeking to run a crime profession. Kay Kay Menon is magnificent, bringing charisma to a gangster that faces a painful price to pay. Lastly, Katrina Kaif merits appreciation. As a woman in love with gangsters, she is terrific.
Despite its strong performances, however, “Sarkar” can’t quite capture the tension of gangsters in India. If there’s a shortcoming to the film, it lacks strong pacing. Verma’s decisions to integrate subplots about lives of politicians into the movie is bold but it hinders the pacing. Due to this problematic technique, scenes capturing the lives of Indian politicians aren’t as engaging as the gangster journey. The film can’t quite live up to the momentum of “The Godfather” which is a far superior movie in every way. Therefore, “Sarkar” can’t quite honour a legendary gangster film that audiences adore.
Nevertheless, fans of Amitabh Bachchan will absolutely love “Sarkar” and so will movie-goers seeking tense entertainment. A riveting Bollywood crime drama, it honours a beloved actor in India.
Nearly 20 years following the release of a groundbreaking Bollywood film about an authoritative gangster seeking to rescue a family in danger, it’s a riveting reminder of an outstanding Indian actor that has built an enduring legacy by playing compelling characters throughout his illustrious career in memorable movies that audiences have grown to treasure.
4/5 stars
The Film Buff 