Cast – Amitabh Bachchan, Amit Sadh, Ronit Roy, Jackie Shroff, Manoj Bajpayee, Yami Gautam, Rohini Hattangadi
Directed by – Ram Gopal Varma
Produced by – Rahul Mittra, Anand Pandit, Gopal Dalvi, Krishan Choudhary, WeOne
Written by – P Jaya Kumar
Dialogues – Ramkumar Singh
Screenplay by – Ram Gopal Varma
Story by – Nilesh Girkar
Music by – Ravi Shankar
Cinematography – Amol Rathod
Edited by – Anwar Ali
Production House – Alumbra Entertainment, Wave Cinemas, Company Product, AB Corp Ltd
Duration – 132 minutes
Genre – Drama
Censor Rating – U/A
Expectation: A fragrant biryani with the choicest of ingredients, slow cooked by experts and served to a famished crowd.
Reality: The best of ingredients cast together in a senseless medley, lack of seasoning and overcooked. Served stale and cold.
This is the truth of Ram Gopal Verma’s third installment from the Sarkar franchise.
Ram Gopal Verma’s once famed directorial skills have been failing us over the past few films. So, it is with some sense of trepidation that we looked forward to the release of Sarkar 3. And yet, our love of Amitabh Bachchan and our unfailing optimism that we might yet be in for another helping of the glorious drama, the gripping awe, fear, respect, and love that makes Sarkar special drew us to the opening show of the film. But as they say – the greater our expectation, the more colossal our disappointment.
Plot Or Lack Thereof
‘Sarkar’ Subhash Nagre (Amitabh Bachchan) is now a frail old man. Despite his age and having lost his two sons, Shankar and Vishnu (in the previous films) Sarkar manages to dominate the political scenario of Maharashtra. His two trusted aides Gokul (Ronit Roy) and Raman (Parag Tyagi) keep him going.
It is at this time that Vishnu’s son, Shivaji (Amit Sadh) chooses to return and join his grandfather. Shivaji aka Cheeku seems to harbour some animosity against Sarkar because of his father’s death but his intentions are not clear initially. His love interest Annu (Yami Gautam), however, is out to seek revenge on Sarkar for the death of her father.
Vallya (Jackie Shorff), a Dubai based businessman, controls Indian goons and unscrupulous politicians such as Govind Deshpande (Manoj Vajpayee), each of whom makes an attempt to destroy Sarkar.
The plot, a completely lackluster and predictable affair, revolves around Sarkar’s ability to out think his rivals despite his age.
What’s Good, What’s Bad…
We must hand it to Ram Gopal Verma. He picks an exceptional cast and finds the best of actors to make a poor, nay shoddy, movie! Not many can manage this feat. From larger-than-life actors such as Amitabh Bachchan and Jackie Shroff to stars with exceptional histrionics such as Rohini Hantangaddi, Manoj Bajpayee, and Supriya Pathak, and with young charismatic actors like Amit Sadh and Yami Gautam – Verma had it all in a platter. And wasted it all with an intrinsically weak plot (if it may be called that), unnecessary verbosity killing any suspense or fear or awe, and exceptionally poor directorial skills.
If there is one thing that simply left Sarkar 3 devoid of a soul, that is the unnecessary need for dialogues. Shubash Nagre aka our own Godfather is a man of very few words, a man whose ability to predict the moves of his opponents is legendary, a man whose unflinching loyalty and tolerance of pain makes him the undisputed king of our hearts. That is not the Subhash Nagre we find in Sarkar 3. Here is a man who talks and talks and then talks some more. Who feels the need to swear to kill someone when a dear friend dies, who feels the need to invite his arch nemesis home, and explain details of his plans himself before doing away with him. His stoic trusted aides are no better – they may kill without batting an eyelid but will hide their face and shed immature tears in Sarkar 3.
Ram Gopal Verma did not need a strong plot. He had exceptional characters in his story. The parody that Manoj Bajpayee was meant to be, his overbearing mother and political mastermind with whom he shares a complex relationship, an exceptionally honest CM, a Nagre heir apparent with his own dark shades, a dying wife who has lived in Sarkar’s shadow, a trusted aide gone rogue, a bewitchingly beautiful girlfriend with ulterior motives of her own…. Each was a saga waiting to unfold in the hands of a better storyteller, a more capable director. The little suspense that the background score (“Govinda, Govinda”) and the sepia toned cinematography managed to build up fell flat, much like the movie’s climax. We wish RGV had focused less on dolphins and drones, surprisingly stupid politicians and bikini-clad women. We wish he had brushed up his storytelling skills. We wish…
Sarkar 3 – Music Review
The music offering of Sarkar 3 is rather average. We have come to love the Govinda, Govinda track which peppers the songs in the movie. Add to it the near mandatory Ganapati Aarti in Amitabh Bachchan’s voice and that’s about all you’re likely to take back from the soundtrack.
Songs –
Song – Angry Mix
Singers – Mika Singh, Sukhwinder Singh
Length – 5:07
Song – Sarkar Trance
Singer – Niladri Kumar
Duration – 3:18
Song – Ganpati Aarti
Singer – Amitabh Bachchan
Duration – 4:04
Song – Sam Dam
Singers – Kailash Kher, Saket Bairoliya
Duration – 3:30
Song – Thamba
Singer – Navraj Hans
Duration – 5:03
Song – Gussa
Singer – Sukhwinder Singh
Duration – 5:05
Song – Shakti
Singers – Sukhwinder Singh, Saket Bairoliya, Adarsh Shinde
Duration – 4:32
Our Verdict
The only reason you may want to watch this movie is AB himself. Amitabh Bhachchan is now a legend; his movies are few and well-spaced. The temptation to watch him sip tea from a saucer as the unpretentious but overpowering Sarkar may be too great to resist. If you do plan to spend your time and money on this movie with any intention other than soaking in AB’s presence, be ready to be bitterly disappointed.
Ratings – 2 ½ *
