Spoilers ahead…
The narrative is that the filmmaker named Ram Gopal Varma has lost it, and on the basis of Sarkar 3, it’s a relief to report that this isn’t entirely true. Consider the fine mirror scenes that depict a couple of assassination attempts – on the mafia don Subhash Nagre, aka Sarkar (Amitabh Bachchan), and on a smarmy politician-wannabe. The film opens with this note: Real power is not about fear – it comes out of respect. And the Jackie Shroff character (a Dubai-based tycoon named Michael Vallya, whose name, perhaps not accidentally, rhymes with that of a Bangalore-based tycoon famous for an equally king-sized life) says that men like Sarkar are who they are because of the love and respect of people. Politicians can be replaced. Sarkar cannot.
To no one’s surprise, the assassination attempt fails, but the point isn’t what happens but how. Men wrap themselves around Sarkar like armour. Guns keep blazing, bullets keep slicing through the air – but these loyal men (including a very solid Ronit Roy) will have to fall first if Sarkar is to fall. Now take the attempt on the politician-wannabe’s life. It’s a similar scene – only, a less “human” one. Sarkar was seen swerving through crowds. This man swerves through rows of parked cars. The more crucial difference. He’s inspired no loyalty, no love, no respect – hence, he’s alone. He’s just a man. Sarkar, on the other hand, is a man of the masses.
Or maybe a monument, built from the screen presence of a legendary actor and a director’s barely suppressed adoration of him. Few filmmakers have used Bachchan the way Varma has. In the Sarkar films, he’s enshrined the silent smouldering, the stillness, from the Zanjeer/Deewar days – the dialogues are practically redundant. (When Varma shoots other actors this way, there’s no equivalent history that comes into play, and they just look like they’re posing.) The larger-than-life framing suggests a billboard come to life. Varma likes to decorate his frames with statues of bull dogs and laughing Buddhas, but his biggest “prop,” if you will, is Bachchan himself, photographed in a series of near-stationary poses.
But a movie isn’t a modern-art installation. It needs to move, and in interesting ways. The most interesting thing about Sarkar 3, unfortunately, is not what happens on screen – more about that later, but let’s first look at what does happen. In the Thalapathy chapter of Conversations with Mani Ratnam, the director said, “You take any part of the Mahabharata and you instinctively find a film within that.” In terms of sheer recyclability (though not philosophy), Mario Puzo’s similarly mythic novel, The Godfather, along with Francis Ford Coppola’s film adaptations, come very close. Sarkar 3 gives us the Don telling Sonny not to let others know what you are thinking. It gives us Tom Hagen’s kidnapping. We get the hothead punk (Amit Sadh) who joins the Family from The Godfather – Part III.
But these quotes just hang in the air – every scene is a cliché, every character an abstraction. There are many villains lurking in the shadows, and they needn’t have been given names. Varma could have called them Bad Guy 1, Bad Guy 2, Bad Guy 3, and the drama would have played out no differently. Why introduce the borderline-Oedipal angle between the Manoj Bajpayee and Rohini Hattangadi characters if nothing’s going to come of it? Who is Govinda and why do they keep shouting out for him in stereophonic sound? Why is there not even a mention of the Aishwarya Rai character (from Part 2), who became the new Sarkar?
And what is Yami Gautam doing in the wings? Varma shoots her face through the handle of a coffee mug. Surely this means that something’s, um, brewing inside her, and that it’s just a matter of time before she wakes up and smells the, um… But no. Maybe the metaphor is simply that her character arc could be contained in a bean.
Part of you wonders – okay, indulge me here – if Varma is making some grand artistic statement, like there’s nothing new anymore and so he’s stripping scenes and characters to their most generic essence, the way (again, indulge me here) Bresson stripped his actors of all emotion, reducing them to “models.” Because remove the high-decibel drama on the soundtrack, and even a bedridden character’s death is filmed not with the closing of eyelids or the fall of a raised hand, but – instead – through the shaking of the mattress. (The camera is behind the headboard grill. We don’t even see this character.)
The other part of you wonders if Varma is simply dicking around with us. As proof, I offer the gangster-type guy (no, the name is of no consequence) who takes his leave of Sarkar with the words, “Love you.” Or better still, Michael Vallya. In a late scene, before Vallya enters a room, the camera snakes up the trunk of a giant Ganesha. (This movie can be boxed and sold as a party game called Make Your Own Metaphor.) You can hear Varma saying, “I dare you to see this with a straight face.”
Michael Vallya hangs out with his latest girl-toy, who wears very little and likes to be in or around water – a hot tub, a pool, an aquarium. Vallya keeps talking to her in mind-melting lines that could be called ice-cream koans. Sample: Agar tu aur main donon samajh liye, to samajh ka kya matlab? (If we both understand it, then what does understanding mean?) Every time he leaves the scene, we think, “What the fuck just happened?” Michael Vallya may be the film’s ultimate metaphor, a stand-in for the director. Every time Varma makes a movie, these days, we think, “What the fuck just happened?”
Copyright ©2017 Baradwaj Rangan. This article may not be reproduced in its entirety without permission. A link to this URL, instead, would be appreciated.
adits90
May 13, 2017
They should make more and more bad films to give you more opportunities to write these hilarious reviews
—Every time Varma makes a movie, these days, we think, “What the fuck just happened?”
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Vikram s
May 13, 2017
Why…why doesn’t he stop making this stuff…and who is bankrolling all that self-indulgent film-making….
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Saurabh
May 13, 2017
The film does not stir any emotion whatsoever inside you. Scene after scene with all those dynamic angles, background score and brooding performances come and go without even raising one bit of emotion of any kind whatsoever.
And just on the basis of my last paragraph, I am inclined to believe that RGV is attempting something different. Because it is so obvious that the film does not work on any level that RGV has lost it appears to be too simple an explanation.
Although, what he is attempting is not clear to me at all. But, it appears to me that stitching together the “key” moments or high points of every scene one after the other (if he is attempting that) is perhaps not a good way of telling a story. The key moments of a scene are key moments because you build up to them. The rhythm is missing. The roller coaster ride is missing. It works the other way round though wherein you pick up very few scenes (skipping everything in between) but you zoom into those key scenes and play them out in great detail.
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Amit Joki
May 13, 2017
Agar tu aur main donon samajh liye, to samajh ka kya matlab?
This looks like a line that could be used when the condom snaps halfway.
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Dk
May 13, 2017
Apropos of nothing, could you please watch and review Meri Pyari Bindu? I need someone to see beyond the tropes of tortured artist and his MPDG muse, even if they don’t like it. You are the best bet for it 🙂
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Ratiah Ravindran
May 14, 2017
There was a time in the late 90’s till 2005 when we used to eagerly wait for the arrival of an RGV movie. His movies were trendsetters and unpredictable. Sad to know that he has lost his mojo and his movies are the butt of jokes.
I don’t know why indian directors lose their film making abilities with age unlike the west where clint Eastwood or martin scorcese makes brilliant movies even in their older age.
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Madan
May 14, 2017
“I don’t know why indian directors lose their film making abilities with age unlike the west where clint Eastwood or martin scorcese makes brilliant movies even in their older age” – Maybe they should start acquiring scripts from script writers (or adapt novels) rather than trying to write their films as well. A comfortable majority of RGV’s films, including the epic dud Aag, have also been written by him. Many of Scorcese’s films were not written by him. Eastwood does more writing but again regularly has films where somebody else came up with the script. After all these years, in both Hindi and Tamil cinema, we still don’t appreciate the value of a good script.
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Radhika
May 14, 2017
What happened to that Chandraswami-like character who used to intone “Sarkar ek soch hai”? I just loved that line. It became a meme in our family long before memes became a thing on the net. It’s applicable in all sorts of situations.
Don’t like bhelpuri with tomato/coconut/carrot? Chaat Ek Soch Hai
Bemoaning the trend towards blingy sarees? Handloom Ek Soch Hai
Eeeks, now I’ve gone and given him the idea – his next movie could be “Ram Gopal Varma Ek Soch Tha”
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sravishanker1401gmailcom
May 14, 2017
Radhika : New DD serial “Bharat Ek Soch” LOL
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babablacksheepweb
May 14, 2017
Agar tu aur main donon samajh liye, to samajh ka kya matlab?
Such a brilliant line – there is no value to the word ‘understand’ if everyone understands everything. Jackie Shroff delivers it so well. Shroff is good in the entire movie. He is much better looking and stylish than most of the current heroes and is a great (underrated)actor too. Parts with him worked the best for me in this movie.
In fact, all the actors are so good – big b, amit sadh(worthy contender to big b’s angry young man title), manoj bajpai, the guy who plays Gandhi, ronit Roy and of course, jackie – so many power packed performances in one movie. RGV is definitely able to extract the best out of his actors. —- (1)
The camera was delicious in this movie. RGV is one of the few directors who has a sense for ‘mise en scene’ , like bhansali. —-(2)
I found it a relief that this movie tried to be all metaphoric — with dialogues and camera angles — though not always successful, here’s a director who is trying. ——(3)
Where this movie fails is with the plot — which is too ordinary. But the execution is good. Therefore I feel the bashing this movie is receiving on social media and in reviews is mostly due to the hate against RGV, for his creepy persona on Twitter + the RGV bashing that’s been fashionable since Aag. Points (1) + (2) + (3) definitely prove that RGV’s still got it. Ppl don’t give him credit for something as awesome as rakhtcharita, so this one’s definitely gonna get a bashing.
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babablacksheepweb
May 14, 2017
Sir please review the latest malayalam release ramante eden thottam.
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Ratish Ravindran
May 14, 2017
Madam – you are probably right. But there aren’t many good screenwriters and good novels to adapt like a Devdas or Guide.
Hence the directors are left to do all the heavy lifting themselves – story, screenplay, direction and like in RGV’s case even production.
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Prashila
May 14, 2017
Yes BR, Meri pyaari Bindu please. Like the Yogi Babu character said in Kaaka muttai, I am waiting(too).
And for Sarkar 3 why could RGV not continue from the promising end of S2 where Aishwarya Rai (who I thought was amazing in that pretty stockish character) seemed to become the “son figure” for Sarkar but then Chiku would grow up and this whole blood being the only relation one can trust angle you mention above that Sarkar might eventually face?
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Madan
May 14, 2017
“But there aren’t many good screenwriters and good novels to adapt like a Devdas or Guide.” – I don’t necessarily agree with that. But the other problem with the way the Indian film industry is organised is they can’t easily take up subjects outside the usual love etc formula. Hindi cinema has matured in the last few years on that count but RGV is probably still stuck with FFC/Sholay homage. Again, the reason why maybe he should take up a good script to direct rather than doing all the heavy lifting himself. And in RGV’s case, I reckon one of the reasons why he is trying to do everything is to control the entire project. He WANTS to make a movie about a particular subject so he will set out to write the script and then also direct and produce the film. Which is a risky and fraught endeavour.
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Tambi Dude
May 14, 2017
The last movie of RGV I saw was Sarkar (2006).
There are only two movies of RGV which I can call as great. Satya and Company. Satya was written by Anuraag Kashyap (who has a lot of things to say about RGV as a person) and Company by Jaideep Sahni.
I am now wondering whether we are giving too much credit to RGV for these two movies?
Or was he genuinely great in that period?
For me, Satya/Company remains the bar in the desi gangster movies. It makes Nayagan look positively mediocre.
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Madan
May 14, 2017
“For me, Satya/Company remains the bar in the desi gangster movies. It makes Nayagan look positively mediocre.” – Agree almost entirely. I mean, I wouldn’t say it makes Nayagan look ‘mediocre’ but the thing is Nayagan feels too polished and sanitised. Satya brought the underbelly of Mumbai to life.
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Arun Pradeep
May 14, 2017
I think if you take away the bgm the movie won’t have a leg to stand on. (Spoiler alert) I don’t know why they had to do away with Manoj Bajpayee, though it made for a fine interval. Jackie Shroff jus starts laughing at the end when he realises he’s been played. It’s the laugh of a man who knows there are no more hands to play. I am afraid that goes for Varma too.
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sravishanker1401gmailcom
May 14, 2017
Was Nayakan about gangsters ? I thought it was about the common man’s disillusionment with the offucial machinery. Godfather was more King Lear than the Cosa Nostra.
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Madan
May 14, 2017
“I thought it was about the common man’s disillusionment with the offucial machinery” – Ah, but Vardabhai WAS a gangster so it becomes a little difficult to separate that from the AB angry young man like riff Mani was going for. I wonder if crime journalist S Hussain Zaidi has ever written about Vardabhai. Probably not, since he was a before Zaidi’s time. Because from reading Zaidi’s accounts of real life gangsters including the big names, I found that most of them were drawn into the line by greed and/or ambition and were pretty far from the avenging angels that our films made them out to be. As to why the films chose to do so, the funding thereof especially in those days is an open secret.
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Tambi Dude
May 14, 2017
I feel that Satya and Company were more closer to Goodfellas than Godfather. Nayagan had that Godfather feel, thanks to generous inspiration.
@madan: I meant mediocre in the sense that the movie holds no repeat value for me (*). I did see Nayagan 3 times in 1987-88 time frame. Tried to watch it in 1996 and could barely watch about 45 min. Made another attempt 10 yrs ago and the result was same.
As for Godfather and Goodfellas I watch them every 2/3 yrs and enjoy it every time. Same is true for Satya and Company. There is something remarkable about Satya, which makes it to the top of Hindi movies for me, matched only by some of the early Goving Nihalani movies like Aakrosh, Ardh Satya.
(*) For me, repeat viewing has always been the acid test of the greatness of the movie. Indian movies generally do bad in that category, even those acclaimed as great. Nayagan comes in that category.
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sravishanker1401gmailcom
May 15, 2017
Tambi Dude : Thats an interesting point you raised about repeat viewing.
I tried the same with Citizen Kane. I could barely watch it ONCE. That doesnt mean it isnt a great movie. It introduced a lot of firsts in the way a story is told.
Its still a great movie but Nayakan and Citizen Kane fall under a category of movies called “game changers”. But once the game changes and you go back to see these movies you dont feel that they are above the game. In that sense they are like catalysts – they get destroyed in the process they help create.
Tamil movies were dragged kicking and screaming into the ninties by Nayakan.
No wonder Time magazine listed it among the Top 100 movies of all time.
The Godfather had a lots of sub texts. Among other things it was an indictment of American Capitalism and had liberal doses of Italian family culture AND…….it had a strong newcomer in Al Pacino.
Unfortunately, Nayakan didnt have the depth of subtext that Godfather had.
Its a wonder both movies got made in the first place coming as they did when the entire industry was struggling with lack of direction
https://thezolazone.wordpress.com/
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Madan
May 15, 2017
I agree with sravishanker140. A film may be great on account of its impact on the film scene as a whole even if it is found to be flawed by some critics/movie goers. From the point of view of Tamil cinema, Nayagan is a great film. To me, it is flawed and even conceding that most films are flawed (or parts thereof don’t work for everyone), the moral justification sought to be provided for the path taken by Velunayakar is troubling to me. My family doctor was shot dead in point blank range in the hospital by extortionists so I have difficulty wholly accepting the sympathies filmmakers seem to sometimes express for gangsters. Also, the same issue is handled more deftly in Godfather II where the young Vito Corleone is shown as pushed into a corner but also revealed to be wily and ruthless. Maybe Mani tried to condense both the adventures of young Corleone, the stately aging don of the first film and the troubled later years of Michael Corleone into one film. From that point of view, Ardh Sathya is a lot more convincing imo. But then, it was parallel cinema and offered viewers a scrawny Om Puri rather than Kamal Haasan. Once a filmmaker decides he wants it to be reasonably mainstream even if stopping short of total masala, compromises have to be made.
Let nobody assume from the above that I don’t enjoy Nayagan at all because I have seen far too many times that if I choose to elaborate on an aspect of the film that doesn’t work for me (or it could be a song, a soundtrack etc) it is taken as rejection of the entire work which it is not. No, I do enjoy Nayagan, warts and all.
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An Jo
May 16, 2017
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The Ghost Who Walks
May 30, 2017
Watching RGV continuing to free fall is nothing short of tragic for me. As a kid, the first time i realized there is more to a movie than its actors was when i watched a series of films (Shiva, Kshanakshanam and Gaayam) that i was captivated by and some one pointed out that the only thing common to all those films was a bloke called Ram Gopal Varma and he is something called a ‘Director’. I think this is why a lot of telugu speaking people from my age group have a special soft corner for him. We cheered when he scaled further heights because he was the guy who dunked us head first into the pool called cinema. That’s why its difficult to not let my hopes up a little every time his movies come out.
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Upnworld
May 31, 2017
Superb “hatke” review.
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Sami Qahar
May 31, 2017
Michael Vallya may be the film’s ultimate metaphor, a stand-in for the director. Every time Varma makes a movie, these days, we think, “What the fuck just happened?”
Sad. This guy made Company. And Satya.
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