Sarkar Full Story Explained (2018)
Imagine flying all the way from America to vote in your country's election. But when you reach the polling booth, someone tells you — your vote is already cast. That is exactly what happens to Sundar Ramaswamy, a rich businessman who everyone calls a 'corporate monster'. He is not a hero. He just wants his vote back. But this small fight turns into a giant war against a corrupt Chief Minister and his dangerous family. Directed by A. R. Murugadoss, this 2018 Tamil political action film stars Vijay as Sundar, Keerthy Suresh as Nila, and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar as the fierce Komalavalli. The film released on Diwali and became a massive hit. It made people talk about fake voting and election fraud. It is loud, emotional, and full of Vijay's signature style. But underneath all the mass dialogues and fight scenes, it asks a simple question — can one honest man change a broken system?
Your Vote Is Already Cast
Sundar Ramaswamy is a powerful NRI businessman. He flies from the United States to Chennai just to vote in the Tamil Nadu election. But at the polling station, the officer tells him someone has already voted in his name. Sundar is shocked and angry. He demands to see the records. But the system refuses to help him. This one moment changes everything.
Full Plot
Sundar Ramaswamy is a wealthy NRI corporate raider based in the United States. People call him a 'corporate monster' because he buys companies and destroys them for profit. But this time, he comes to Chennai for a different reason — to vote in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election. At the polling station, he is shocked to learn that someone has already voted using his name. The election officer refuses to help him.
Sundar does not give up. He goes straight to the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission and demands action. He asks them to cancel the fake vote, let him vote properly, and stop the election results for his constituency. The Commission agrees with him. But Sundar realizes this is not just his problem. He meets many ordinary people who also could not vote because someone else voted in their name. He starts raising awareness about electoral fraud.
Chief Minister M. Masilamani and his brother Malarvannan 'Rendu' see Sundar as a danger. They try to kill him multiple times. But Sundar survives. Meanwhile, a journalist named Muthukumar hides inside a suitcase to record Masilamani accepting bribes. Masilamani catches him and kills him. He buries the body and hides all evidence.
Sundar decides to fight back by entering politics. He resigns from his company and contests as an independent candidate. At first, people do not trust him because of his corporate background. But Sundar delivers a powerful speech about his childhood as a poor fisherman's son. He connects with the masses. His support grows fast. He and his followers crash a political event where Masilamani's party is merging with the opposition. Sundar confronts Masilamani about his silence on important issues. The police brutally beat up Sundar and his supporters.
Then Komalavalli, Masilamani's daughter, arrives from Canada. She is smarter and more dangerous than her father. She plans a car accident and blames Sundar. Public support drops. Then she kills her own father by giving him an overdose of diabetes tablets. She makes it look like an accident. Her party gets sympathy votes. She becomes the new Chief Ministerial candidate.
On election day, fake tweets from Muthukumar's account accuse Sundar of hiding black money. Everyone believes it. Sundar's reputation is destroyed. But Sundar reveals that he himself sent those tweets. He used the dead journalist's account to expose the truth. The tweets lead the police to Muthukumar's buried body. Komalavalli's lies are exposed.
Masilamani's wife decides to confess the truth about her daughter's crime at the CM's memorial. Komalavalli arrives with goons to stop her. But Sundar fights them all. The confession is live-streamed. The public returns to Sundar's side. Sundar and his supporters win the election. But Sundar does not become the Chief Minister. He chooses an honest collector from his team to lead the state. Komalavalli and Rendu are arrested. Sundar proves that real power is about changing the system, not sitting on the chair.
Act Breakdown
The Stolen Vote
Sundar Ramaswamy arrives in Chennai from the US to vote. He discovers someone has already voted in his name. He fights the system and demands justice. He meets Nila and reconnects with his family. He also learns that many people face the same problem.
Sundar Enters Politics
Sundar survives multiple assassination attempts by Rendu's men. He decides to contest the election as an independent candidate. He delivers a powerful speech about his poor childhood. He gains massive public support. He confronts Masilamani at a political event and gets beaten by police.
Komalavalli's Rise
Komalavalli returns from Canada and takes control. She frames Sundar in a car accident. She kills her own father Masilamani for sympathy votes. She becomes the new CM candidate. On election day, fake tweets destroy Sundar's reputation. He looks defeated.
Truth Wins
Sundar reveals he sent the fake tweets to expose the truth. Police find Muthukumar's body. Masilamani's wife confesses Komalavalli's crime. Sundar fights Komalavalli's goons at the memorial. The confession is live-streamed. Sundar wins the election but chooses an honest collector as CM.
Characters
Sundar Ramaswamy
Played by Vijay
Sundar is a wealthy NRI corporate raider from the United States. He is ruthless in business but has a strong sense of justice. When his vote is stolen, he fights the entire corrupt political system. He enters politics as an independent candidate and wins the election. But he refuses to become Chief Minister and instead chooses an honest collector to lead.
Nila
Played by Keerthy Suresh
Nila is Sundar's love interest and his brother's sister-in-law. She supports Sundar throughout his fight against corruption. She represents the common woman who believes in honesty. She stands by Sundar even when his reputation is destroyed.
Komalavalli 'Pappa'
Played by Varalaxmi Sarathkumar
Komalavalli is the daughter of Chief Minister Masilamani. She is cold, smart, and ruthless. She returns from Canada to save her family's political power. She kills her own father to gain sympathy votes. She frames Sundar for crimes he did not commit. In the end, she is arrested after her mother exposes her.
M. Masilamani
Played by Pala. Karuppiah
Masilamani is the corrupt Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He steals money, kills journalists, and wins elections through fraud. He tries to kill Sundar multiple times. His own daughter Komalavalli kills him with an overdose of diabetes tablets to gain sympathy votes.
Malarvannan 'Rendu'
Played by Radha Ravi
Rendu is Masilamani's younger brother. He is violent and loyal to his brother. He leads the attacks on Sundar. He is arrested along with Komalavalli at the end of the film.
Muthukumar
Played by Raneesh
Muthukumar is a brave journalist who tries to expose Masilamani's corruption. He hides inside a suitcase to record evidence. Masilamani catches him and kills him. His body is buried. Later, Sundar uses his Twitter account to expose the truth.
Scene Highlights
The Polling Booth Shock
Sundar walks into a polling booth with confidence. He shows his ID. The officer checks the list and says someone has already voted in his name. Sundar is stunned. He argues, but the officer refuses to help. This scene sets the entire film in motion. It is simple but powerful.
Sundar's Fisherman Speech
Sundar stands on a stage and tells his life story. He was born to a poor fisherman family. He struggled, studied hard, and became rich. He says he knows poverty from inside. The crowd goes silent. Then they cheer. This scene changes how people see him. He is no longer an outsider.
Komalavalli Kills Her Father
Komalavalli sits beside her sick father Masilamani. She looks calm. She gives him an overdose of diabetes tablets. He struggles and dies. She does not flinch. She walks away and announces his death as an accident. This scene is cold and shocking. It shows how far she will go for power.
The Memorial Confrontation
Masilamani's wife stands at the memorial and prepares to confess. Komalavalli arrives with goons. Sundar appears and fights them all. The fight is brutal and long. The confession is live-streamed to the world. The public watches the truth unfold. This is the film's most emotional and action-packed scene.
Sundar Refuses the Chair
Sundar wins the election. Everyone expects him to become Chief Minister. But he smiles and says no. He introduces an honest collector and says this man will lead. The crowd is surprised but cheers. Sundar walks away. This scene delivers the film's final message — power is not about position.
Cast & Context
Sarkar marked the third collaboration between Vijay and director A. R. Murugadoss after the blockbusters Thuppakki (2012) and Kaththi (2014). This pairing had already proven successful with audiences. Keerthy Suresh reunited with Vijay after Bairavaa (2017), and their chemistry was well-received. Varalaxmi Sarathkumar played her first major negative role and earned critical acclaim. Her performance as Komalavalli was widely praised and won her awards for Best Villain. The casting of Radha Ravi as Rendu added weight to the antagonist side. This was also Vijay's 62nd film, making it a milestone in his career.
Themes
One Vote Matters
The film shows how a single stolen vote can start a revolution. Sundar's fight for his one vote exposes a massive system of electoral fraud. The film inspired the Election Commission of India to create awareness about Section 49P, which allows voters to reclaim their vote if someone else voted in their name.
Power Corrupts
Masilamani and Komalavalli show how power turns people into monsters. They kill, cheat, and steal to stay in power. Komalavalli even kills her own father for political gain. The film argues that power without accountability destroys everything.
The Common Man's Fight
Sundar starts as a rich outsider but becomes a voice for ordinary people. His speech about his fisherman childhood connects him to the masses. The film says that real change comes from the people, not from politicians.
Sacrifice Over Ambition
Sundar wins the election but refuses to become Chief Minister. He chooses an honest collector instead. This shows that true leadership is about serving people, not about personal power. The film ends with a message that the system can be fixed without joining it.
Music & Soundtrack
ComposerA. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman composed the soundtrack for Sarkar. The song 'Simtaangaran' became a party anthem with its energetic beats. 'Oru Viral Puratchi' became the film's emotional core, playing during the protest sequences. The background score elevated the political tension and action scenes.
Similar Films
Also starring Vijay, this film mixes a doctor's personal revenge with a larger expose of medical corruption, similar to Sarkar's political expose.
Vijay plays a dual role in this Murugadoss film, where a criminal fights for farmers' rights, matching Sarkar's theme of one man against a corrupt system.
Another Vijay-Murugadoss collaboration where an army officer takes on a terrorist sleeper cell, sharing Sarkar's high-octane action and social message.
A powerful Tamil legal drama about fighting for justice for the oppressed, similar to Sarkar's focus on systemic corruption and the common man's fight.
Ending Explained
In the final scenes, Sundar reveals his master plan. He himself sent the fake tweets from Muthukumar's account to expose the truth. The tweets lead the police to Muthukumar's buried body. Komalavalli's lies are exposed. Meanwhile, Masilamani's wife decides to confess the truth about her daughter killing Masilamani. She speaks at the CM's memorial in front of the media. Komalavalli arrives with goons to stop her. But Sundar fights and defeats all the goons. The confession is live-streamed. The public realizes the truth and returns to Sundar's side. Sundar and his supporters win the election by a huge margin. But Sundar does not become the Chief Minister. He chooses an honest collector from his team to lead the state. Komalavalli and Rendu are arrested by the police. The film ends with Sundar walking away, having changed the system without becoming part of it. The message is clear — real power is not about sitting on a chair. It is about fixing the system for everyone.
Sarkar is a must-watch for Vijay fans and anyone who enjoys political action films with a message. Vijay delivers one of his most mature performances. The film's strength lies in its clear, simple message about voting rights and corruption. Varalaxmi Sarathkumar steals every scene as the cold villain. The action sequences are well-choreographed. However, the film is too long. Some scenes feel stretched. The logic is sometimes weak — Sundar survives attacks too easily. The romance between Sundar and Nila feels rushed. But if you want a mass entertainer that also makes you think, Sarkar delivers. It is loud, emotional, and ultimately satisfying.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, Sarkar is not based on a single true story. But it is inspired by real incidents of electoral fraud in Tamil Nadu. The film's plot about fake voting and stolen votes reflects actual problems in Indian elections. The character Komalavalli sparked controversy because it resembled former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.
Komalavalli killed her father Masilamani to gain sympathy votes for her party. She gave him an overdose of diabetes tablets and made it look like an accident. She knew that people would feel sorry for her family and vote for her. It was a cold and calculated move to win the election.
Sundar did not become Chief Minister because he wanted to change the system, not join it. He believed that real power is about fixing problems, not sitting on a chair. He chose an honest collector from his team to lead the state. This showed that his fight was never about personal ambition.
Section 49P of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 allows a voter to reclaim their vote if someone else has already voted in their name. After Sarkar's success, the Election Commission of India created awareness about this rule. The film directly inspired this public awareness campaign.
Yes, Sarkar faced major controversies. The AIADMK party protested because the character Komalavalli resembled former CM J. Jayalalithaa. There were also plagiarism allegations. A writer named Varun Rajendran accused director Murugadoss of stealing his story. The court settled the matter, and the filmmakers paid compensation and added a credit card.