Sarkar Raj

I've just got back from watching the movie and I must say I was thrilled with the way the director, Ram Gopal Verma has laid out the film in pure brilliance.

I wasn't expecting much as sequels never do great. I thought the first installment was excellent but this sequel really out-did the first movie.

The three Bachchan's really put in outstanding performances. I must applaud Amitabh Bachchan for just being so natural in the movie, and have never seen a better performance by him in this kind of a role.

So you guys, if you've seen the first film and liked the plot then, I'm sure you'll love the second one. And for you guys who have not watched the first movie (Sarkar) and are planning to just get to this one (Sarkar Raj), get through the first one first, then hit the screens for this one as the film runs in a flow!! My rating ; 8.5/10 Seriously, it was that good!!

To be honest after Ram Gopal Verma's "Aag," I was a bit hesitant to watch this movie even though it had the top actors and also because, normally, I am not very fond of sequels as I believe that they ruin the original.

An overseas based company wants to build a power plant in Maharashtra but the owners, Mike Rajsn and his daughter, Anita Rajan face a lot of opposition and the only man who can help them is Subash Nagre and his son, Shankar. Shankar and his father believe that the plant should be built in Maharashtra and persuade people of the villages where the plant is to be built to accept the plans. But events turn ugly, when one day Avantika, Subash's daughter – in – law is killed when her car is detonated by a bomb.

The movie stars Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Supriya Pathak, Victor Bannerjee and Tanisha.

Not as good as the original, Ram Gopal Verma, still has managed to put in some ghosts of Mario Puzo's "The Godfather" more so with reference to bombing of the vehicle and to some extent, he has put in some ghosts of "Sarkar" as well. What was a bit disappointing was that sound track, "Govinda" has not lived to the expectations as it did in the previous one and this is where, perhaps, the music director, Amar Mohile, could have done more to revive the original version.

Be warned there is violence but never the less a good movie to watch with elder children and adult family members.

Sarkar Raj is disappointing. More so because it is the sequel of Sarkar, which though copied largely from Godfather, was a good film.

Three things let down the film - slow pace, unimaginative cinematography and jarring background score.

Ram Gopal Varma has a story in his hands but it is not long enough to stretch to the duration that he wants it to. As a result, he compromises on the pace. The film is slow and at times just drags on. In this endeavor, the camera comes to his support. Each shot just keeps on moving at snails pace. The camera lingers and moves slowly at acute angles. There is an overkill of the use of lighting, shadows and silhouettes. Add to this the background score which seems to be taken from a temple fair. The energy of the music and the dead slow pace of camera and story are divergent contrasts.

The dialogs are unrealistic, philosophical and indirect most of the times. There was not need to complicate the film with such devices. Do a father and son never talk in straight language? Saving grace of the film is the performances. Inspite of the lighting and camera angles which try every bit to take away the quality from the natural performances of the Bachchans, they manage to survive.

Ram Gopal Varma needs a break. He probably needs to go on a long vacation and then come back to do something completely out of his style - cast Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in a romantic comedy set in Europe or Manhattan. I hope, he will then rediscover his lost touch. I so much want him to, like many of his other fans.

I personally really liked the movie.

True, it may not have been as fast-paced or powerful as the first one, but it definitely leaves an impact, and a big one too. I not only enjoyed every minute of this movie, but learned a lot from it too.

The background music was good, it suited the scenes and the genre and the religious temperament of Subhash Nagre, who after all IS the protagonist. Everything eventually, does revolve around him. Dialogues were amazing. So what if they were philosophical and unrealistic at times? They were meaningful and thought-provoking. I have to admit, even after the movie and during dinner with my family, I was pondering over some of Subhash Nagre's words. I especially loved the dialog "There is very thin line between profuse loyalty and betrayal." Honestly, it made a lot of sense and got me thinking about something I had never realised. Whoever wrote the dialogs deserves special praise! I think they were one of the film's strongest aspects.

Of course, in order to give justice to notable dialogs, you need apt actors who can deliver them perfectly. And thank goodness, the dialogs don't go to waste! Big B, Abs and Aish were all top-notch in this movie. They proved themselves, once again, to be one of the finest actors in the film industry. They also proved their versatility because their roles were definitely not easy and very different to other roles they had taken on in the past. Everything about them was perfect...no criticisms or complaints! The story and plot were interesting and although the pace may have slackened at various points, I would not regard it as one of the film's (if there are any), minus points. I think the slow scenes were a much needed contrast to the fast and violent scenes that the film comprised of otherwise. They made the audience realise that the characters in the film, no matter how heroic or powerful they may be, are humans, with emotions and moments where they simply need to be with each other and express themselves. It added a realistic and human touch to the film. The twists and the climaxes were extremely well executed and definitely had the intended effect on the viewer. All the characters and situations in the film contributed to the happening of the twists and climax brilliantly. Nothing made me question - but how can that happen...or why did that happen? I was satisfied and convinced throughout.

Overall, Sarkar Raj was a remarkable piece of cinema that will have a deep impact on the audience, and although you may not want to watch it again, it will take longer than you think to escape your mind

The new Sarkar Raj sure has RGV's touch to it, Before watching i thought this would be a big disappointment for all 'Sarkar' fans but i was wrong. The movie does not dazzles you but keeps you sit tight throughout, except for the some portions where it gets real slow. you could go out and get popcorns once again :) Performance wise, RGV has dug a lot and got some nice actors for extra roles. some of them are small time soap opera actors but they did well. "Abhishek" and "Amithab" do their best. "Aishwarya" looks smart in formals. Some scenes in the movie are really breathtaking though. Well, the movie is actually full of suspenses thats why i cant say much since i did not mark 'Contains Spoiler' tag. after i finish this review i have to add 'Suspense' in genre of movie. great camera work and background scores are really catchy. the dialogs are supposed to be "legendary phrases", but some of them does not make that sense. In all i thought the movie was gonna blew up like 'RGV's Sholay' but its not that bad. i would go for it.

7 stars from me nirzar