20 years of 'Sarkar': Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic turn in a gangster epic

There have been many Hindi cinema projects inspired by Hollywood films, and Sarkar ranks among the finest. The brooding political crime drama, which paid tribute to the epic 1972 gangster film The Godfather, became a gritty, homegrown tale of power, loyalty and justice.

Directed by Ram Gopal Varma and set in Mumbai’s morally murky corridors of influence, the film centred on Subhash Nagre – a man feared, respected and mythologised. Played with majestic restraint by Amitabh Bachchan, the story followed Nagre’s control over the underworld, political power centres and a grey zone where justice was delivered through unofficial means. His sons, the hot-headed Vishnu (Kay Kay Menon) and the more composed Shankar (Abhishek Bachchan) – became central to this tale of betrayal, legacy and redemption.

A still from Sarkar, inspired by 'The Godfather' and rooted in Indian politicsIndia Glitz

Released on July 1, 2005, it marked a turning point in Indian cinema, celebrated for its storytelling, atmospheric visuals and memorable performances. Eastern Eye marks its 20th anniversary with 20 fascinating facts about the film.

1. The main character, Subhash Nagre, was loosely inspired by real-life figures such as Indian politician Bal Thackeray.

2. Unlike most Bollywood remakes of international cinema, Ram Gopal Varma openly acknowledged that Sarkar was heavily inspired by The Godfather.

3. Varma had originally planned to make the same film in the early 1990s, with Sanjay Dutt and Naseeruddin Shah in the lead father and son roles. Dutt’s legal troubles led to the project being shelved.

4. Varma had initially signed Amitabh Bachchan for another film titled Ek, but he scrapped that script and instead focused on making Sarkar with him.

5. Interestingly, the first film Amitabh and Abhishek were supposed to appear in together was their home production Ranveer, co-starring Sanjay Dutt and directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. The project was shelved after its launch.

Sarkar became a landmark gangster film in Indian cinemaIndia Glitz

6. Although Bunty Aur Babli (released in May 2005) marked their first on-screen appearance together, Sarkar was the first project the father and son signed as co-stars. Both actors delivered powerful performances that reflected their on-screen synergy and off-screen bond.

7. The success of Bunty Aur Babli followed by Sarkar marked a major turning point in Abhishek Bachchan’s career. After struggling to establish himself since his 2000 debut Refugee, he went on to win multiple Best Supporting Actor awards and earned wide critical acclaim.

8. Varma was working on Naach simultaneously with Abhishek and declared that he was a better actor than Amitabh. Abhishek appreciated the compliment but responded that no one is better than his father.

9. As this was newcomer Katrina Kaif’s third film, she was still working on her Hindi language skills – resulting in all her dialogues being dubbed by a voice artist. She had earlier debuted with Amitabh in Boom (2003), but had no scenes with him in Sarkar.

The film introduced a uniquely Indian take on the mafia genreRotten Tomatoes

10. Supriya Pathak, who played Amitabh’s wife in the film, had previously acted with him only once – in Shahenshah (1988), where she portrayed a sister figure.

11. This remains the only Ram Gopal Varma film to feature Anupam Kher.

12 . Sarkar broke the Bollywood norm of including traditional song-and-dance numbers. Instead, music was used exclusively in the now-iconic background score, which enhanced the film’s realistic tone.

13 . The haunting ‘Govinda Govinda’ chant, integral to the film’s atmosphere, was originally composed for Varma’s 1994 Telugu film Govinda Govinda. (Amitabh Bachchan had initially questioned its relevance in Sarkar.)

14. Kay Kay Menon revealed that his role in Sarkar gave him confidence and wider recognition. He said, “It marked a turning point in my career, where I felt truly acknowledged for my work and could confidently present myself as an established actor.”

Set in Mumbai, Sarkar portrayed the dark world of parallel justiceRotten Tomatoes

15. The acclaimed film went on to spawn the sequels Sarkar Raj (2008) and Sarkar 3 (2017).

16. A 2014 Telugu remake titled Rowdy was made with veteran actor Mohan Babu and his real-life son Vishnu Manchu in the roles originally played by the Bachchans. Although it received positive reviews, it met with only moderate success.

17. The film is archived at the Academy of Motion Pictures Library.

18. Sarkar is referenced in Ed Glaser’s book How The World Remade Hollywood, which explores international remakes and reinterpretations of iconic American films.

Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar marked 20 years of influence and acclaimIMDb

19. Earlier this year, Amitabh revealed that he rewatched Sarkar for the first time since its 2005 premiere and wrote in his blog: “I was absolutely amazed at the quality of the film, its direction, and above all – this is not a father speaking – dazzled by Abhishek’s performance. What restraint, what close-ups, what eye expressions, what presence, what a performance!”

20 .Other Bollywood films loosely inspired by The Godfather include Dharmatma (1975), Aakhri Sanghursh (1986), Dayavan (1988), Zulm Ki Hukumat (1992), Aatank Hi Aatank (1995), Sapoot (1996) and The Power (2021). However, Sarkar arguably remains the most faithful – and finest – adaptation.