‘Sarkar’ Bachchan is back in RGV’s company
The writer-director confirms that Sarkar 3 is on course, will be shot in Mumbai and London and won’t feature Abhishek or Aishwarya.
On Monday, Ram Gopal Varma unveiled the trailer of his upcoming film, Veerappan, which follows Asia’s largest manhunt ever to capture sandalwood smuggler and bandit Koose Muniswamy Veerappan. It was received with gushing praise. But the industry’s thumbs up didn’t matter until RGV’s favourite actor, Amitabh Bachchan, shared the trailer and a rave review with his enthusiastic 20 million followers on Twitter: “It’s not the dubbed version, it’s a ‘Remade in Hindi’ version. Dynamic! Watch it…”
The National Award-winning director who has been patiently waiting to re-unite with the Big B couldn’t have been happier. Apart from the hit Sarkar franchise, the actor-director have also worked together in Darna Zaroori Hai, Nishabdh, Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, Rann and Department.
Modelled on the life of late politician Bal Thackeray, the 2005 film had followed Bachchan in a Godfathersque avatar, as Subhash ‘Sarkar’ Nagre, with Abhishek Bachchan playing his son, Shankar. After a three-year-break, they were back with a sequel, with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan playing Anita Rajan. While Sr. Bachchan was tight-lipped about the third instalment to his thriller-franchise, his director was excited to reveal that he is ready to roll with it, eight years after Sarkar Raj, and is gearing up to shoot in London and Mumbai. “I am as excited as a teenager on his first date because I take Sarkar 3 as an opportunity to redeem, reinvent and redefine myself,” he exulted, adding that at the moment Sr Bachchan and he are together fine-tuning the script. “Since it’s a 10-year-old-franchise, it’s a lot of work. We are keeping the essence of ‘Sarkar’ intact but are working on updating the issues. Amitji will be styled pertinent to today’s fashion trends.”
The writer-director further informed that neither of the Bachchans from Sarkar and Sarkar Raj will be back in Part 3. “Abhishek’s character died in the second film, Aishwarya too won’t be a part of Sarkar 3. The film will focus on Sarkar’s life with a completely new set of characters who were not a part of the earlier films,” RGV asserted.
BACHCHAN REACTS TO NEWS REPORTS
In an official statement in accordance with his legal advisor, Amitabh Bachchan informed: There have been queries from the media regarding my being brand ambassador for ‘Atulya Bharat’. I wish to state that I have not been formally approached for this position. The speculation of the media regarding its discontinuance is, therefore, not relevant as far as I am concerned.
“On the Panama disclosures, I wish to state that queries continue to be sent to me by the media. I would humbly request them to kindly direct these to the GOI (Government of India) where I, as a lawabiding citizen, have already sent, and shall continue to send, my responses. I stand by my earlier statement on the ‘misuse of my name’ in the matter and in any event the press reports do not disclose any illegal act committed by me.”
On Monday, Ram Gopal Varma unveiled the trailer of his upcoming film, Veerappan, which follows Asia’s largest manhunt ever to capture sandalwood smuggler and bandit Koose Muniswamy Veerappan. It was received with gushing praise. But the industry’s thumbs up didn’t matter until RGV’s favourite actor, Amitabh Bachchan, shared the trailer and a rave review with his enthusiastic 20 million followers on Twitter: “It’s not the dubbed version, it’s a ‘Remade in Hindi’ version. Dynamic! Watch it…”
The National Award-winning director who has been patiently waiting to re-unite with the Big B couldn’t have been happier. Apart from the hit Sarkar franchise, the actor-director have also worked together in Darna Zaroori Hai, Nishabdh, Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, Rann and Department.
On April 7, on RGV’s 54th birthday, Bachchan had visited the filmmaker’s new office in Versova, called Company, checking out every nook and cranny. Ramu described it as his “real awesome moment” and the visit had fanned speculations about the two joining hands for Sarkar 3. When Mirror got in touch with Bachchan, he responded, “Yes, I did visit Ram Gopal Varma at his new ‘Company’ and among the many things we talked about, one was Sarkar 3.”
Modelled on the life of late politician Bal Thackeray, the 2005 film had followed Bachchan in a Godfathersque avatar, as Subhash ‘Sarkar’ Nagre, with Abhishek Bachchan playing his son, Shankar. After a three-year-break, they were back with a sequel, with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan playing Anita Rajan. While Sr. Bachchan was tight-lipped about the third instalment to his thriller-franchise, his director was excited to reveal that he is ready to roll with it, eight years after Sarkar Raj, and is gearing up to shoot in London and Mumbai. “I am as excited as a teenager on his first date because I take Sarkar 3 as an opportunity to redeem, reinvent and redefine myself,” he exulted, adding that at the moment Sr Bachchan and he are together fine-tuning the script. “Since it’s a 10-year-old-franchise, it’s a lot of work. We are keeping the essence of ‘Sarkar’ intact but are working on updating the issues. Amitji will be styled pertinent to today’s fashion trends.”
The writer-director further informed that neither of the Bachchans from Sarkar and Sarkar Raj will be back in Part 3. “Abhishek’s character died in the second film, Aishwarya too won’t be a part of Sarkar 3. The film will focus on Sarkar’s life with a completely new set of characters who were not a part of the earlier films,” RGV asserted.
BACHCHAN REACTS TO NEWS REPORTS
In an official statement in accordance with his legal advisor, Amitabh Bachchan informed: There have been queries from the media regarding my being brand ambassador for ‘Atulya Bharat’. I wish to state that I have not been formally approached for this position. The speculation of the media regarding its discontinuance is, therefore, not relevant as far as I am concerned.
“On the Panama disclosures, I wish to state that queries continue to be sent to me by the media. I would humbly request them to kindly direct these to the GOI (Government of India) where I, as a lawabiding citizen, have already sent, and shall continue to send, my responses. I stand by my earlier statement on the ‘misuse of my name’ in the matter and in any event the press reports do not disclose any illegal act committed by me.”
