Sarkar - Movie Review

Published: October 11, 2009

By JENNIFER HOPFINGER

Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Kay Kay Menon, Katrina Kaif, Supriya Pathak, Tanisha Mukherjee

Amitabh Bachchan rivals Marlon Brando as the iconic criminal patriarch in this fascinating retelling of the American mob classic The Godfather. Instead of stroking a cat in his lap as Brando famously did, Bachchan is the cat—cool and regal and ferocious—sipping from a bowl in one key scene like a sleek panther waiting to pounce.

The director, Ram Gopal Varma, tips his hat to Francis Ford Coppola by shooting the film like a chiaroscuro painting in an Italian Catholic church. But here the religious piety juxtaposed with the violence is Hindu—Sarkar the murderous mob boss clutches prayer beads and sports a red tikka smeared on his forehead. The film follows the same basic plot as the original, but there are many key twists that make this version compellingly unique.

In the Indian version of the story, there are two brothers instead of three. The oldest, Vishnu (Kay Kay Menon), is a fusion of Sonny and Fredo, and the character is far more complex than either of the elder Corleone sons. Vishnu is a disappointment to Sarkar, and the two clash about everything from Vishnu’s poor professional judgment to his affair with a Bollywood starlet. The youngest son, Shankar (played by Amitabh’s real-life son Abhishek Bachchan), his father’s favorite, is a surrogate for Michael—a perfect role for the junior Bachchan, who excels at the strong, silent type. He won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his performance.

Shankar has two love interests in the film. Avantika (Tanisha Mukherjee) is an Apollonia-like character: simple, traditional, modest, and madly in love with him. She’s his childhood friend, and his parents want them to get married. She’s crushed when Shankar returns home from studying abroad with a Westernized Indian girlfriend, Pooja (Katrina Kaif), who’s reminiscent of Kay. Shankar plans to return to the U.S. with her and start a business, and his indulgent father gives him his blessing. But Pooja comes from a respectable family and she can’t accept what she comes to learn about Shankar’s family, even though he’s not yet involved in its nefarious dealings.

Sarkar’s wife, Pushpa (Supriya Pathak), makes more of an impression than Mama Corleone. The actress packs a lot of emotion into her small role as a wife and mother resigned to her suffering.

Sarkar’s associates and rivals are an engaging array of underworld bad guys that would fit right in with Clemenza, Tessio, the Tattaglias, and the Barzinis.

The film’s sequel, Sarkar Raj, was released in 2008. It was not, however, based on The Godfather Part II.

Sarkar is rated Must See.

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