Good intentions may not always lead to making good movies. Director Prakash Jha has always made movies based on socially relevant issues; some good, some not so good and some quite unbearable. His latest offering ‘Satyagraha’ is this week’s big release – 
big in terms of star cast, big enough to address the plight of the common man due to the corrupted system too. The issue here is general and has been attempted by filmmakers umpteen times. The director himself has made movies on it earlier. However, this time he takes inspiration from real-life events again but more liberally from the Anna Hazare Movement which took place not so long ago. That he churns with a few other incidents and serves you ‘Satyagraha’.
Dwarka Anand (Amitabh Bachchan) is a strict retired school principal who lives in Ambikapur. A stringent follower of Gandhian Principles, he has a huge problem with the corruption in the
system. Manav (Ajay Devgan), an ambitious upcoming big entrepreneur comes to attend the wedding of his best friend (Dwarka Anand’s son) and leaves soon due to clash of ideologies between him and the strict principal. Three years 
later, their paths cross again when Dwarka’s son dies in a supposedly road accident. Incidents follow and one day, Dwarka walks into the office of the District Collector and slaps him hard. He is imprisoned. Manav (now a big shot) returns to help him come out of the mess but the old man still sticks to his own set of ideologies. Manav is joined by a hot-headed local leader (Arjun Rampal), a renowned TV Journalist (Kareena Kapoor) and Dwarka’s widowed daughter-in-law (Amrita Rao) in addition to the ‘aam junta’ and others. What follows is ‘Satyagraha’ – a revolution to bring down the system governed by the cunning politician (Manoj Bajpayee).
Jha tries to highlight too many problems here and successfully does so to a certain extent but never really gives 
you a solution. There are some scenes which will hit you hard and some which will move you. Take for example that scene in which Dwarka slaps the Collector or even the scene when he is released from jail and refuses to accept the cheque from the cunning politician. This is what the Director has mastered over the years and he uses it well. But why do you need to have a cheap item song with an ugly (Sorry. I couldn’t sound more decent!) starletin all your movies, Mr. Jha? Are they your lucky mascots? Even the romantic side-track between Ajay and Kareena sticks out like a sore thumb. Jha loses some grip in the second half and the climax appears hurried. The plot is okay, treatment is good but story-telling lacks finesse like most of the Director’s movies.
Amitabh Bachchan does justice to the role but sadly, it is not a very well-sketched character. He is splendid in certain scenes and good in most others. Ajay Devgan does what he is most comfortable in and gives you a commendable but not great performance. Kareena Kapoor looks very pretty and plays her role really well. Arjun Rampal replays his role of a hot-headed political leader in the same director’s superior 
‘Raajneeti’ and is just about okay. Manoj Bajpayee is good and provides you some comic reliefs but an actor of his caliber deserves much better roles. Here, it is a little caricaturish. Amrita Rao is in a brief role but it is nice. Indraneil Sengupta leaves a mark in a cameo.
Watch it or not: Yes… for the relevant issues and the good performances. You may choose to watch it later on TV in case you think it is a waste to watch a movie inspired by the Anna Hazare Movement on the Big Screen.
At the Box-Office: It will start well and do good business if not great. It will surely fare much better than the Director’s last two duds (not just commercially) – ‘Aarakshan’ and ‘Chakravyuh’ but not his biggest hit so far – ‘Raajneeti’.
My Verdict
My Rating
Go… be a part of the revolution! Just don’t blame me if you come out a little muddled!
