Characters rating and review in Sarkar Raj

Rating and Review of The Characters & Director in Sarkar Raj :

BAAP vs. BETA vs. BAHU

Amitabh Bachchan : 9/10

Ram Gopal Varma’s introduction to Sarkar Raj in the film’s publicity catalogue reads: “The film belongs to me, but the power belongs to the Bachchans.” If he was talking strictly about AB Senior’s performance, Ramu was bang on.

In Sarkar Raj, Bachchan’s Subhash Nagre takes over from where the baap of Maharashtra left off in Sarkar. The riveting gaze, the nuanced movements, the signature trait of saying it all with his eyes intensifies in Sarkar Raj. A lot of the sequel has him in the background — an indulgent father looking on proudly as son Shankar takes over the reins of the Sarkar — but the Big B’s presence looms large over every bit of the film. As the helpless father who doesn’t shed a tear in the face of tragedy or the hard-as-nails Sarkar who will not allow politics to come in the way of philanthropy, this is AB’s film. His shift from the sidelines back into the spotlight at the end of Sarkar Raj is a high point of the film. And when he says, “Jaan lena jurm hai lekin sahi samay pe jaan lena rajneeti,” it is Bachchan at his best.

Abhishek Bachchan : 6/10

Sarkar was Abhishek Bachchan’s coming-of-age film. As the US-returned Shankar Nagre who slips into the shoes of Sarkar and begins to chart his own political destiny, Bachchan beta’s act was lauded as much as Pa’s was. Does Abhishek in Sarkar Raj live up to his Sarkar act? Barely. Does Abhishek in Sarkar Raj outdo his Sarkar act? No way.

The Shankar Nagre persona that made Abhishek stand out in Sarkar seems to be missing in the sequel. The body language is not the same and neither is the attitude. He also seems to have taken his Brood B tag too seriously. And to think Sarkar Raj is essentially an AB Baby film, with the beta enjoying more screen time than baap or bahu. There are flashes of brilliance though — like the scene in which he comes face to face with his father after losing his wife (Tanishaa) to a bomb blast or his introduction where he symbolically rests the teacup on the table. Also, don’t go looking for AbAsh fireworks. Their interactions in the pre-interval stages are insipid and dull; they are cold, not crackling.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan : 3/10

For all of Ram Gopal Varma’s claims that Aishwarya’s introduction into the Sarkar saga is the high point of the film, the Bachchan bahu is the weakest link. Aishwarya’s portrayal of Anita Rajan, the CEO of the London-based Shepherd Power Plant, who comes to the Nagres to help her set up shop in Maharashtra, pales in front of both beta and baap. There is none of the spunk or intensity that one would have hoped for. Instead what we have for a large part of Sarkar Raj is a whimpering, helpless business tycoon. There is no fire when she tries to convince Sarkar about the positives of the power plant, there is no vulnerability when she is told that her father has been killed and there is no killer punch when the reins (or rather the teacup) of the Sarkar changes hands.

Ram Gopal Varma : 5/10

Ramu does lay to rest the ghost of Aag with Sarkar Raj, but he doesn’t manage to recreate the brilliance of Sarkar. Like Sarkar, the Bachchans are there all right. Like Sarkar, the Sarkar Raj plot too unfolds in a riveting manner. Like Sarkar, the Ramu signature style is evident in almost every frame of Sarkar Raj. But it is the soul, the spirit that seems to be missing from Sarkar Raj. The powerful play of light and shade doesn’t have the same impact as it had in Sarkar. The central focus on Amitabh is also lacking. In fact, where RGV errs the most is in pushing the real Sarkar to the background. For the Sarkar Raj saga to go on, neither beta nor bahu can replace the old man. Moral of the story Ramu: Power to the Pa!

How would you rate the performances of these characters in Sarkar Raj? Post your comment.

People who read this post also read :