Sarkar 3
Year: 2017
Director: Ram Gopal Verma
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Amit Sadh, Yami Gautam, Jackie Shroff, Manoj Bajpai, Ronit Roy

With Sarkar 3, Ram Gopal Verma’s ambitious Sarkar-trilogy comes to its final conclusion- or does it?.By RGV’s own admission, these films were inspired by the famous Godfather-trilogy and Amitabh Bachchan’s crime thrillers in the 80s. It is also obvious that the central character in the film is inspired by Balasaheb Thakre, the firebrand Marathi leader.

The first Sarkar was released in 2005; the second Sarkar Raj in 2008 and the current Sarkar 3 comes after a 9 year- long gap.

To give a quick recap, the franchise is based on travails of Subhash Nagare, a morally upright don who has a tremendous mass appeal. He is an uncrowned king of Mumbai, who doesn’t need any official title, except the sobriquet ‘Sarkar’, which is bestowed by his fawning followers. Sarkar’s sociopolitical connect and his genuine concern for masses make him a thorn in the side of his amoral enemies, who range from politicians, union leaders, businessmen, gangsters and godmen. The rivals coming together to plot Sarkar’s downfall or demise; and his comeback after initial setbacks form the crux of the story in each film.

The first film was about Sarkar’s elder son trying to wrest control from his father. The second was about Sarkar’s younger son and daughter-in-law coming into the ‘family business’ and now the third is about his grandson coming into the fray.

Cool Sarkar, kitschy characters, coups, counter-coups and cold-blooded murders- the plotline has run its course in the first two films and the third one has nothing new to offer. The side-characters have precious little to do. The twists and turns are fairly predictable. RGV’s signature shadowy lighting and quirky camera angles too have lost their novelty. A grand Ganesh Visarjan culminating in violent action is one very well-constructed scene, though.

The only reason Sarkar 3 holds interest is Big B. The great man essays the iconic central character with his typical understated dignified manner. Some of his dialogues and expressions are priceless, but he cannot salvage a wafer-thin plot, which has been done to death!

Overall, the Sarkar- franchise is amongst RGV’s better works but one sincerely hopes that now, it has finally ended!

Rating

2.5 stars