Covering Bollywood and the Hindi Cinema

With Sarkar Raj Ram Gopal Varama hopes to salvage his reputation as a director after the abomination that was RGV’s Sholay. Here is a recent interview of the director who is visibly excited about the film which stars Abhishek, Amitabh and Aishwarya Bachchan.

Do you feel Sarkar Raj has gone beyond Sarkar?
In terms of scale, scope and span, it goes far beyond Sarkar. Also, it is my first film with a socio-political subtext and it’s character-driven. If you take the Godfather trilogy, they’re all character dramas. Sarkar Raj isn’t exactly a sequel to Sarkar in the sense that it doesn’t take off right away from where the first movie trails off.

So how would you describe it?
Sarkar Raj takes us into another episode in the adventures of the Nagare family’s life. The plot and issues involved make this a far bigger film.

Do the Big B and Abhishek have more scenes together?
I wouldn’t say more scenes, I’d say there’re more shades to  their character. In the first part, the son Shankar got very close to his father because of a crisis. By the end of Sarkar, Abhishek’s character took over   his father’s empire. In Sarkar Raj, they share a pre-given equation.
Is Sarkar Raj inspired by the Narmada dam project?
Not at all. Sarkar Raj does have political undertones. But it isn’t a political drama. At the end of the day, it’s about the triumph of the human spirit and a father-son relationship.

What about Aishwarya?
She plays a ruthless businesswoman, whose only aim is to make money for her organisation. Aishwarya believes in   making money from the people. Abhishek believes in  making money for the people. They are dramatically pitched  against each other. The romantic angle is secondary. Their ideological conflict is  more important.

Would the presence of the Bachchans together eclipse the film’s intrinsic merits?
I firmly believe that once the audience gets into the theatre, the characters will take over.  They won’t look for the Bachchans or be disappointed  by Aishwarya not being part of  the family.

Finally, when is Sarkar Raj releasing?
In the last week of May or first week of June depending on the matches, exams, vacations, etc. There has been a lot of unwanted buzz about the film but the fact is that all of us  Amitji, Abhishek, Aishwarya and I  are happy with the product. Fact is, post-production is on. We’re ready with Sarkar Raj.