Sarkar

Story:

“Sarkar” is a 2018 Tamil-language political action film directed by A. R. Murugadoss and produced by Kalanithi Maran of Sun Pictures. Starring Vijay, Keerthy Suresh, and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, the movie centers around Sundar Ramaswamy, a ruthless NRI corporate raider who returns to Tamil Nadu to vote in the state’s legislative assembly election. He discovers that his vote has already been cast, leading him to expose electoral fraud and enter the political arena as a non-partisan candidate.

Principal photography for the film began in January 2018. Vijay and Murugadoss collaborated for the third time, with the tentative title “Thalapathy 62.” Sun Pictures agreed to produce the film in December 2017. Girish Gangadharan handled cinematography, and A. Sreekar Prasad edited the film. Filming was completed by September 2018. The movie’s soundtrack was composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics written by Vivek.

Released during Diwali week in 2018, “Sarkar” faced controversies, including allegations of plagiarism and references to J. Jayalalithaa that led to protests by political groups. The film’s release was followed by mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. Despite the controversies, “Sarkar” achieved commercial success, grossing around ₹243.90–260 crore worldwide.

The film’s plot follows Sundar Ramaswamy, an affluent corporate raider based in the US, who arrives in Chennai to cast his vote. However, he discovers that someone else has already voted using his name. Sundar takes action, demanding a recount and raising awareness about electoral fraud. He becomes a target due to his campaign, facing numerous assassination attempts.

Sundar’s efforts lead to a fresh election being scheduled within 15 days. Despite initial unpopularity due to his corporate background, he gains support by sharing his personal journey. Sundar decides to contest all constituencies in Tamil Nadu, aiming to reform the political system. The narrative takes a turn as his opponent, Masilamani’s daughter Komalavalli, employs manipulative tactics to tarnish Sundar’s image.

Komalavalli orchestrates various incidents to discredit Sundar, including framing him for corruption and murder. Sundar, however, strategically exposes her lies, leading to his regaining public support. The climax of the film culminates in an election day showdown, where Sundar prevails and wins the election. He chooses to empower an honest supporter to become the Chief Minister, opting not to take the position himself.