Andhra Pradesh

A lacklustre sequel

Film: Sarkar Raj

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan

Direction: Ram Gopal Varma

Our dream merchants are not renowned for tackling politico-business dramas. But doing exactly that is Ram Gopal Varma. He attempts to impart a new sheen, a new soul to his earlier success ‘Sarkar’There is interest, there is curiosity. And there is a feel-good factor post-Sarkar. All that, however, is not sufficient to rescue Sarkar Raj. As long as you are inside the hall, there are times when Varma gives us glimpses of what made him the entity he is. His ident ifiable camera angles, the interplay of light and shadow, the close cropped visage shots-these are all there.

This time, we have Bachchan Senior as an aged figure, whose throne is virtually being run by his son, Bachchan Junior as Shankar. He is a man who believes in action and does not brook a ‘no’ for reply. There is a confrontation boiling with a new mega power plant project mooted by Anita, a CEO of a power MNC. There is plenty of scope for Varma to dwell on and build a story. Not to be so. The film has a dark feel which does not get compensated with enough shots of sunshine or daytime.

The camera is an intrusive companion at times and you long to get the complete picture.

Sorry, Sarkar Raj is unlikely to rule either at the box office or tug at your heart strings.

ZIYA US SALAM

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