Why do we watch movies?

Why some movies are good and some are bad?

I think the answer is we want to have a different experience in those 90-180 min movies. We wish to forget our regular world and pray that the storyteller of the movie grabs all our senses and takes us into a different world all together.

If a cinema does that its a good cinema, if it fails, its not one. It is as simple as that.

Why did Sarkar connected us to the protagonist Nagare family so much? Why do we feel the power should be with Sarkar, why do we feel he shall win?

This is another aspect of good and bad cinema. The characters of the movie shall fulfill some underlying wish of ours which is hidden deep inside. We like the dialog “Muze jo sahi lagta hai, main woh karta hun” because we get a pleasant shock out of it. It is a mixed feeling like “Can anyone live life like this?” and “Can I do something like this?”. It is the hidden wish of a person to be able to say so which Sarkar DOES! That is what connects us to that character.

Whenever such connect happens, it is a good cinema. If it doesn’t, its a bad one.

While narrating the story, the magicians of cinema weave a new wonderland for the “Alice” in us. In this process, they create some symbols, some protocols, some new identities which becomes rituals for us. If there is bound to be a sequel of the story, we hope it shall not destroy those symbols, shall not deviate it self from the protocols which the first movie created and has set in our mind.

If the story of the sequel properly manages the balance of keeping the symbols, protocols, identities intact and still surprises us with a new experience (which we want at least as good as first), the sequel is good. It it fails to do it, it is bad.

Why I am getting into all this before actually writing the review? I will reveal it at the later part of the review.

Coming to the story of Sarkar Raj, the new King of the Raj, Shankar Nagare (Abhishek Bachchan) is doing well. He is better than his father (Watch the scene when Amitabh declares this and after that Shankar weaves his had to the Aam Junta. You we bend in knees watching the expressions given by Senior Bachchan).

Anita (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) , the director of a Sheppard Power corporation wants to setup a power plant in Maharashtra. She is informed that it can happen only if she is able to make Sarkar a party for this project. Sarkar is reluctant to do this project as it involves shifting villages comprising 40,000 people. But Shankar believes in the project and feels that it make Maharashtra’s progress speed up further. So he convinces Sarkar.

He makes it clear that he wants the people to take decision about this project by choice and not by pressure. So he rally around all potentially project affected villages to convince them and succeeds in that. But Sanjay Somji who is local leader does negative publicity about the project and the things get out of control.

What happens after that, you can watch it in nearby theatres.

The biggest highlight of this movie is Performances. The lead characters from Bachchans are bound to raise the expectations sky high and they deliver the job fantastically. Apart from main leads, the surrounding characters have been pillars in Sarkar and so it does in Sarkar Raj also. There is splendid performances by Govind Namdeo, Sayaji Shinde, Upendra Limaye. Rajesh Shringapure as Somji is ok.

The background music of movie is again good. Cinematography is excellent except the blue tinted scenes which came in between instead of sepia toning.

Dialogs are good and entertaining in first half.

First half of the movie is better than the prequel. We get happy that RGV is back with all his form. We are delighted to be part of the experience. We expect things go same way in 2nd half if not better. I had personally given 4 star in my mind to the movie before interval and was expecting that RGV manages to get another half in 2nd half of the movie. I  was back to the screen with excitement and eagerness after the interval, but ……

RGV takes a total U turn and the movie goes down spirally and finally gives us a below average 2nd half. He has given totally unwanted twists to the movie and has presented a dull fair which makes us wonder …. WHY?

Coming back to my initial discussion, why am I getting into all this before actually writing the review?

Because I feel bad about what happened to the story of Nagare Family in Sarkar Raj. Because it has broken the symbols which it created in our mind in first movie. It does not follow the expectations of the audience (each one can have different expectations, so people can differ) properly. Audience already has a story line in mind for the sequel and expects it to be better than what is in its mind…. RGV has done total injustice to the story….. which has left me frustrated and I am not able to get over that frustration. I am totally exasperated.

Everything was going fine in the movie… everything was perfect…. they why this lack of imagination? Why this lack of creativity? There was no connectivity of the audience to what is happening on the screen in second half.

What happens in second half is as bad is getting HIV after giving a Blood Donation….

But do watch this movie for the first half. I strongly recommend the first half.

May God bless RGV with creativity!

BR Rating: 2 (4 star for the first half, 1 star for the 2nd half)
BR Verdict: Excellent First half, Bad second half.
BR Recommends: Watch it for the first half. It is a must watch. Can not say anything about Second half. You decide yourself and do post comments. I really need comments on this movie and my review this time.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, June 7th, 2008 at 6:54 am and is filed under Hindi Films Review, Bollywood Films Review, Indian Films Reviews, Indian Movie Reviews, Hindi Movie Review, Bollywood Movie Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.