Feline Musings

I am too bored even to write a review. A 2-hr movie had that effect on me. During the movie I lost the patience even to decipher the “who, why, what, when, where” that is unraveled nearing the end. And now I have to really motivate myself to write about the same. The movie under scrutiny is Sarkar Raj!

To begin with the good aspects, the movie promises out-of-the-box characters, on the lines of the prolific characterization in the prequel, Sarkar. As an audience one cannot deny the screen dynamism of the Bachchans - they are the first family of Bollywood and they do capture maximum footage and screen attention. A sincere audience is almost desperately waiting for some semblance of brilliance and novelty, and it is here that the Bachchans fail to deliver.

Amitabh’s wise-old man look and idealistic speeches add to the boredom of the script. Abhishek has filled Papa’s shoes by adorning the role of the angry young man. He is perpetually angry and stern in the movie, even when inquiring from his wife about her visit to the doctor. And Aishwariya’s green eyes steal the show by diverting the viewer from the emotions that she is trying so hard to portray - with the pursing of the full lips, and the flaring of the delicate nostrils, and the quiver of the mascara-laden eyelashes, and oodles of artificial tears! Each one is playing their part, rather too well, almost overdoing it!

When I think of it, I realize that the full close-ups of the prime characters were actually major diversions. The larger than life close-ups have you peering more into the facial contours and skin colors that glare, through the make-up, rather than allowing you to concentrate on the display of emotions and the dialogue delivery.

The movie, which is about a lot of power and politics, failed to pack a punch, because the “low-budget” cinematography and production was evident, reducing the melodramatic effect. The play of light, shadow, effects and even the background music adds to the confusion of the script. Things are just happening, dialogues are just being delivered and amidst all the very-slowly unfolding melodrama, the female protagonist is “unnaturally” omnipresent.

Unnaturally, because where family members and friends are conspicuous by their absence, the pretty female lead manages to find a place - be it on the village tours, or the business meetings, or in the hospital, when Sarkar is ailing, and then later when Shankar is hospitalized, when the goondas are being bashed up, and even as a confidant of Sarkar! An intelligent mind will question, not once but many times, as to why this lady has so much access in and around the premises of Sarkar! The director has tried very hard to cash on Ash and the enigma of the new Bachchan bahu!

And as the last scene draws a full close-up of Aishwarya, I am left wondering what the “evident promise” of a sequel will mete out to the audience, who still desperately believe in the brilliance of RGV, and are still awed by Big B’s larger than life screen presence. I would have loved to love Sarkar Raj, had it not been such a half-hearted effort at movie-making.

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