SARKAR

Just watched it…..Its still lingering about…just refuses to fade away….it continues to ebb….. simmer….just like its characters!! Ever watched a heap of coal after the fire that sets it ablaze has been completely engulfed by it….it glows with an orange hue…..the orange that if you stare at it too long, it will make your eyes its temporary residence!! Imagine that hue emanating not from burning coal….but from a man's eyes….well, who is the only human God-enough to personify this brilliance…..Amitabh Bachchan! His first look is so blazing….it chills your spine!! What a contradiction….but that's exactly what this man is capable of! When Istepped into the theatre, I was carrying 'The Godfather', as a reference copy, in by brain. Just gauge what AB Sr. was pitted against….possibly the best performance the world of cinema has ever witnessed….the towering image of Don Vito Corleone, forever framed bythe magnificent Marlon Brando. Par apna Ilahabad ka bhaiya kisise kam hai ka!!!

His baritone cannot be matched…..just a question: Who are the single biggest losers of India?......what…you need a clue…..even my three year old bro knows this…All India Radio…those idiots refused 'The Baritone'!!! But their loss is our gain….wot say?? Nahin to ABSr. would be still saying…."Yeh Aakashwani ka Kolkata prasaran kendra hai…aap sun rahe hain Cibaca Geet Mala….hainnn!!!"

Heat can melt the strongest of metals. The coal just did its job…it melted a crude metal…and transformed it into one hell of a toughie….glistening after its ordeal!! Well then, it's evident….I'm ranting about Abhishek Bachchan!! To underplay a character and excel at it is just like scoring a home run without swinging the bat!! A smashing personality, great voice…and those eyes all maketh a star! And the star has shone again. AB Sr. vs. Marlon Brando was round one….AB Jr.vs. Al Pacino is one hell of a lipsmacking duel…..I'm dying to watchSarkar-II!!!!

If Vito Corleone & Michael Corleone are done, can the fiery Sonny Corleone be left behind!! Hats off to RGV, I couldn't have thought of a more fitting actor to play Sonny….KK just slipped into character so snugly…..he stole a good deal of the show!!Arre….woh faltu mein mera favorite actor nahin hain….!!! Truly the perfect trio.

Selvar Mani was awesome!! He had everyone in splits without resorting to slapstick gimmics. His laugh (grunt) was particularly hilarious. Another character who stood out was Sarkar`s right hand man…kya awaaj hai bhidu….maan gaye!! The way he ordered the goons to break the guy`s bones was menacing yet simple….great screenplay.

The wife in the Godfather was a neglected character. But has gainedone on the original by giving life to this role, played well….and mind you mostly by emoting through mannerisms. Her make up and Marathi diction was splendid. Well done Supriya Pathak.

Now for my five best scenes:
1) The bashing up scene at the start.
2) When Abhishek runs in the jail…what a brilliant shot!!
3) KK sitting in the corner after Abhishek beats him up.
4) The way Abhishek finishes off the 3 conspirators, the way they smash the window pane and then shoot through the hole was ingenious…but the best is AB Jr`s dialogue with Rashid on theboat…."Tumhe marne ke liye mera yahan hona zaroori nahin tha…par tumhe marte dekhne ka maza main khona nahin chahata tha"…wow!!!
5) And the top one….when the CM says that he'll be out of the jail within two days…Abhishek says.."Main bhi yahi chahata hoon…!"….is one of the last and the most lingering dialogue of the film!!

I was completely sucked in by the movie…..how about you??
-Neeraj Iyer (Iyeranna)