On Ram Gopal Verma's Sarkar

A movie goer’s perception of Ram Gopal Varma is no more like it was a few years back. A decade ago he made Sarkar. I wanted the Govinda Govinda theme to start playing as soon as I said ‘Sarkar’ in the previous sentence. This tune holds up the omnipotence of Sarkar throughout the movie. Theme songs have always worked in favour of the characters. The theme which plays whenever Maaya bhai and his gang emerges out a winner in Shootout At Lokhandwala or the theme tune in Guru which worked wonders to emphasize Gurubhai's control on the situation in those scenes where the tune was used.

RGV is known for crime based movies like Siva, Satya, Shool and Company. He credits Sarkar as a tribute to the classic film - The Godfather. If Mumbai ka king kaun?.. Bhiku Mhatre is the man who lives life to the fullest for himself, Sarkar is people’s man just like Sultan Mirza but not the one who says Dua me yaad rakhna; Sarkar says, Me kisiko sochne se nahi..karne se rokta hu - such is the power of the character in the movie.

As the movie progresses his son Shankar Nagre – or the to be Sarkar gets involved actively into Sarkari business. Vishnu is the bad boy of the Nagre family who stays with the wrong people and misbehaves with his own people.  But when things go out of control, there is silence - Sarkar is sitting on his bed and is about to take his pill. He stops when he sees the misty-eyed Shankar enter the room. Shankar then walks towards Sarkar and sits beside him and says, “Maine bhaiya ko maar diya.” It is a powerful movie about great power narrated in a powerful style.

I am nobody to comment whatsoever on Amitabh Bachhan but after seeing a constipated and selfish Bhaskor Banerjee in Piku, when I see the powerful and commanding Subhash Nagre in Sarkar, I am awestruck by the amount of legendness that we have experienced over the past four decades.

Govinda Govinda Govinda Govinda Govinda Govinda Govinda Govinda Govindaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..