Sarkar 3
Sarkar 3 is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language political action thriller film directed by Ram Gopal Varma, serving as the third and final installment in the Sarkar franchise.[1] The film stars Amitabh Bachchan reprising his role as Subhash Nagre, a powerful figure navigating political intrigue and family conflicts, alongside a supporting cast including Manoj Bajpayee as Govind Deshpande, Yami Gautam as Annu Karkare, Amit Sadh as Shivaji Nagre, and Jackie Shroff.[1] Released theatrically on 12 May 2017, it explores Nagre's confrontations with corrupt officials, industrialists, and internal betrayals following the deaths of his sons, emphasizing themes of power dynamics and revenge.[2][1] Despite Bachchan's commanding performance, Sarkar 3 garnered overwhelmingly negative reviews for its convoluted narrative, weak screenplay, and lack of originality compared to predecessors.[3] Critics noted it as a derivative effort reliant on the lead actor's presence rather than substantive storytelling.[4] Commercially, the film underperformed, with a reported budget of approximately ₹55 crore and nett collections in India around ₹12.27 crore, marking it as a box-office flop.[5][1] The production faced minor controversies, including disputes over sequel rights with original producer Pahlaj Nihalani and debates about the character's inspiration from real-life political figures like Bal Thackeray, though the filmmakers denied direct basis and no formal objections materialized.[6][7] Overall, Sarkar 3 is regarded as the least successful entry in the series, which draws loose inspiration from Mario Puzo's The Godfather, failing to recapture the impact of the 2005 original.[3]Background
Relation to the Sarkar series
Sarkar 3 serves as the third installment in director Ram Gopal Varma's Sarkar franchise, which originated with the 2005 film Sarkar, featuring Amitabh Bachchan as Subhash Nagre, a patriarchal figure combating corruption through extralegal means in Mumbai's underworld.[8] The original film drew inspiration from Mario Puzo's novel and Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather, adapting its themes of family loyalty and power into an Indian context influenced by real-world political figures like Bal Thackeray, though Varma emphasized it as a tribute rather than a direct remake.[9] [10] Subhash Nagre, often called Sarkar, embodies a moral code prioritizing justice over institutional law, establishing the series' core motif of a Don-like anti-hero navigating systemic graft.[11] The 2008 sequel, Sarkar Raj, extended this foundation by broadening the scope to statewide political machinations in Maharashtra, centering on a controversial power plant project that ignites rivalries among corporations, politicians, and local gangs.[12] It deepened family dynamics, with Shankar Nagre (Abhishek Bachchan) assuming greater responsibility amid betrayals and assassinations, while unresolved power vacuums and intra-family strains foreshadowed further evolution of the Nagre clan's influence.[13] This installment shifted emphasis from urban crime to rural-industrial conflicts, amplifying themes of legacy and succession without fully resolving Sarkar's dominance.[14] Announced by Varma in August 2016 after an eight-year hiatus, Sarkar 3 maintains narrative continuity through Bachchan's reprise of the aging Subhash Nagre, confronting escalating threats from opportunistic politicians and internal betrayals that test his authority.[15] Varma intended the film to intensify the franchise's exploration of power's moral ambiguities, portraying characters in shades of grey rather than binary heroes or villains, and delving into Sarkar's vulnerabilities amid generational shifts, independent of prior sequels' box-office performance.[16] Departing from Sarkar Raj, it excludes returning family members like Shankar and introduces new adversaries, focusing on selective continuity that prioritizes Sarkar's solitary evolution over ensemble dynamics.[3]Synopsis
Plot summary
Subhash Nagre, known as Sarkar (Amitabh Bachchan), navigates escalating threats to his authority in Mumbai's political landscape, facing internal betrayal from his ambitious grandson Shivaji Nagre (Amit Sadh), who seeks to usurp control of the family's influence.[2] [17] Shivaji, aided by his mother, orchestrates schemes to undermine Sarkar, including alliances with external adversaries, amid Sarkar's reluctance to yield power despite his advancing age.[2] Externally, Sarkar contends with industrialist Annu Karkare (Yami Gautam), who blames him for her father's death and conspires for revenge by aligning with corrupt politician Govind Deshpande (Manoj Bajpayee) and other rivals, including a Dubai-based figure named Vallya.[17] [2] This coalition launches assassination attempts on Sarkar and plots to dismantle his network through political maneuvering and public subversion, exploiting his principled stance against compromise.[3] [17] As betrayals unfold, including Shivaji's direct involvement in a failed assassination, Sarkar counters with calculated reprisals, eliminating key threats like Deshpande and Annu while exposing disloyalty within his circle.[2] The narrative culminates in Sarkar reasserting dominance, enforcing his unyielding code of justice against the encroaching corruption and familial treachery, though at the cost of further isolation.[17] The film, released on May 12, 2017, emphasizes these power struggles without resolving Sarkar's underlying solitude.[2]Cast
Principal roles
Amitabh Bachchan reprises the lead role of Subhash Nagre, known as Sarkar, depicting the aging, commanding patriarch who asserts control through a mix of political acumen and forceful authority to uphold his vision of justice.[18][19][20] Manoj Bajpayee plays Govind Deshpande, a shrewd and ambitious politician whose interactions drive key conflicts in the narrative.[18][3] Jackie Shroff portrays Michael Vallya (also referred to as Sir), the ruthless gangster antagonist central to the opposition against Sarkar.[18][21] Yami Gautam enacts Annu Karkare, a determined figure whose personal vendetta influences the familial and power dynamics.[18][22] Amit Sadh assumes the role of Shivaji Nagre (alias Cheeku), Sarkar's grandson, embodying internal family tensions through his volatile and assertive demeanor.[18][23] The film marks a departure from prior installments in the series, as Abhishek Bachchan's character Shankar—Sarkar's son from earlier entries—is absent, having been killed in Sarkar Raj, appearing only in a posthumous photograph.[24][25]Production
Development and pre-production
The screenplay for Sarkar 3 was penned by P. Jaya Kumar, a Telugu writer from Kadapa marking his Bollywood debut, who crafted a narrative centered on Subhash Nagre's (Sarkar's) deepening isolation amid escalating power struggles and betrayals.[26] Kumar's script built upon the franchise's exploration of political intrigue, drawing from Varma's vision to intensify the protagonist's moral dilemmas without relying on prior sequels' familial resolutions.[26] Following the 2008 release of Sarkar Raj, director Ram Gopal Varma shelved initial concepts for a third film, citing a lack of finalized plans in 2009 amid his shift toward other projects.[27] The project was revived by mid-2016, with Varma announcing Sarkar 3 on October 17, emphasizing a return to the original's gritty, realist tone over the more expansive scope of the second installment.[28] Production funding was assembled by Rahul Mittra, Amitabh Bachchan, and Anand Pandit, who navigated Varma's track record of polarizing experimental films—such as his post-Sarkar ventures into horror and satire—to align backers with the thriller's established commercial appeal.[29] Pre-production planning, confirmed underway by January 2017, included logistical scouting for Mumbai and London locations to underscore themes of urban decay and international intrigue, while reconciling the script's focus on Sarkar's solitude with the need to sustain audience expectations from the series' earlier critical and box-office successes.[30] This phase addressed creative tensions in evolving the character's arc beyond family-centric conflicts, prioritizing psychological depth over action escalation.[26]Filming
Principal photography for Sarkar 3 began on October 19, 2016, marking the start of Amitabh Bachchan's shooting schedule for his role as Subhash Nagre.[31][32] The production took place primarily in Mumbai, with additional sequences filmed in London, selected to represent the urban environments central to the film's themes of political intrigue and power dynamics.[30] Under director Ram Gopal Varma's supervision, the shoot incorporated his characteristic kinetic camera movements and low-angle shots to heighten tension in confrontation scenes, as noted in post-production assessments of the visual style.[4] Amitabh Bachchan underwent on-set preparations for key sequences, with behind-the-scenes images capturing his focus on delivering intense performances amid the fast-paced schedule.[33] The veteran actor highlighted how advancements in digital filming technology accelerated the process, suggesting the shoot could conclude ahead of the planned timeline despite logistical challenges.[34][35] Principal photography wrapped in early 2017, enabling a theatrical release on April 7.[36]Soundtrack
The soundtrack for Sarkar 3, released digitally on May 3, 2017, comprises seven tracks composed primarily by Ravi Shankar, with additional music by Niladri Kumar, Rohan Vinayak, and Rohit Teotia.[37][38] The album integrates aggressive, high-energy compositions to mirror the film's themes of political vendetta and dominance, featuring vocal performances by Sukhwinder Singh, Mika Singh, Kailash Kher, and Amitabh Bachchan.[39] Key tracks include "Angry Mix," a duet by Sukhwinder Singh and Mika Singh that builds rhythmic intensity to evoke confrontation, clocking in at 5:07 minutes.[37] "Gussa," rendered solo by Sukhwinder Singh, amplifies raw aggression through pulsating beats and commanding vocals, underscoring power struggles.[40] "Sarkar Trance" by Niladri Kumar employs electronic trance elements fused with traditional motifs to heighten suspense in intrigue-laden sequences.[41]| Track No. | Title | Artist(s) | Composer | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Angry Mix | Sukhwinder Singh, Mika Singh | Ravi Shankar | 5:07 |
| 2 | Ganpati Aarti | Amitabh Bachchan | Ravi Shankar | 4:04 |
| 3 | Gussa | Sukhwinder Singh | Ravi Shankar | 5:05 |
| 4 | Sam Dham | Kailash Kher, Sanket | Ravi Shankar | 3:30 |
| 5 | Sarkar Trance | Instrumental (Niladri Kumar) | Niladri Kumar | Varies |
| 6 | Thamba | Various | Ravi Shankar | 5:03 |
| 7 | Additional BGM cues | Instrumental | Ravi Shankar | Varies |