Movie Review: Sarkar Raj

[Caution – some spoilers ahead!]

So, I watched Sarkar Raj over the weekend. What do I think? I think its a good watch. And I have my reasons for it.

Amitabh Bachchan is out there to prove why he is better than 5-10 great actors put together. The versatility of this man is mind boggling. From being the father who has passed the throne on to his son, to the hapless father mourning over his dead elder son, to the father trying to give that last smile to his dying other son, and to the man who is Sarkar. The way his spine straightens, sleeves fold and the voice resembles the sign of authority that would have defined a Sarkar in the last 15 minutes of the movie is stuff that legendary actors are made of.

I think Abhishek has, after Guru, finally managed to deliver the goods. Its a movie that belongs to him for the first 3 quarters, and he does not disappoint.

Phenomenal Camerawork. I would like to request all readers to watch out for camerawork nuances. My favorites – the poignant discussion scenes between AB and AB Jr., and the shot where Ash and AB Jr are talking about the most difficult decision of his life. The way camera apes a swing with the subtlety of emotions in a doldrum is poetically beautiful. Use of lights, sepia tint, panoramic views (when Somji is delivering his speech)… the movie is littered with classic camerawork. There should be at least 50-odd stills from this movie worth turning into posters.

Good editing. Proof – The movie is just about 2 hours long. Songs are in the background; there isnt much time wasted on digressing romantic stuff and unnecessary politics. The movie maintains a good mix of extremely fast paced events and adds a deliberate touch to them. Its like a painter trying to give a body to city chaos without using loud colors.

The movie has some amazing one-liners- kisi ko maarna jurm hai, magar sahi waqt par maarna.. Rajneeti! Or, paas ke nuksaan ke liye door ka faayda nahi bhoolna chahiye.. Or, Log log hote hain, sambhaal loonga

And this movie looks as good, or even better than Sarkar. Sarkar was good, but was longer, meandering and multiple sub-plots.

Bad thing – Ash. And the fact that RGV picks Ash to be the next heir apparent of Sarkar, before Cheeku comes in.

All in all, I think its a good thriller to watch. And not to miss out on the suspense angle. Its one of the better disguised suspense angles that I have seen in the recent times.

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