Satya Review (Re-release): RGV's Neorealism of Bombay's Gangwars

Ram Gopal Varma's Satya (1998), starring JD Chakravarthy and Urmila Matondkar, is re-releasing on January 17, 2025. Read our Satya Review on Re-release here (Movie Talkies).

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Sameer Ahire
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Satya Review

Satya Review

RATING - ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ✨ 3.5/5*

Satya Review Movie Review:

Satya (1998) came in the ’90s and transformed many aspects of filmmaking in Bollywood. The decade was dominated by romantic dramas, family narratives, and entertaining fictional stories, but Satya represented a new movement against those mainstream formulas, which aimed solely for commercial profits. For me, the only cult classic that stands out from that decade is Bandit Queen (1994), arguably the best film of the era. In many ways, Satya is aligned with that kind of "realism." The other two standout films from that decade would be Zakhm and Sarfarosh. These three comprise my top films of the 1990s, with Satya likely landing in the fourth spot for introducing "neorealism" to Bollywood and for prominently featuring the gangster genre in our industry. We face significant challenges in this genre because our society is often resistant to such topics, and personally, I, too, dislike watching stories about gangsters. Before Satya, there was hardly anything in this genre, and even afterward, we barely had two good films: Vaastav and OUTIM. This is one of the main reasons why Satya is a game changer for Bollywood, despite its basic plotline, which had grown stale for Hollywood back in the ’30s and ’40s (mainly those James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson films).

Satya

With Satya, director RGV, along with cinematographers Gerard Hooper and Mazhar Kamran, showcases the realism inherent in the gangster genre. This is the Mumbai we had never seen in films, emerging during a decade when major production houses were gravitating toward European locations for their projects. The rundown buildings displayed in the film are what I grew up seeing, and they now represent a significant part of Mumbai's geography, currently in such poor condition that they require new construction, just like we require new structures of storytelling. The camerawork in this film is simply amazing. Words fail to capture it as the visuals appear to stem from the cinematographer's perspective, perhaps exceeding the director and writer's visions. There are numerous close-ups, shaky frames, rapid pans, and some standard shots—all contributing to making Satya an artistic accomplishment and almost a "must-see." 

Satya

The film follows a straightforward plotline that lacks anything extraordinary. As I said, I've seen hundreds of black-and-white gangster films and crime noirs from old Hollywood, rendering Satya rather conventional for the ’90s and somewhat late to the scene. Yet, there is something that makes Satya special, and that's its screenplay and characters. Satya features an engaging screenplay that eschews non-linear experiments in chronological order but still captivates your attention throughout its runtime. The characters are free-spirited, wild, and authentic at their core. Bhiku Mhatre embodies what you'd envision any gangster from your chawl would be like; Kallu Mama (Saurabh Shukla) is precisely the kind of hefty individual who would lead a gang, managing cash transactions at a table; Satya (JD Chakravarthy) is quite typical, so I’ll refrain from discussing him, and the same goes for Vidya (brilliantly portrayed by Urmila Matondkar). Advocate Mule was a surprising addition, while the villains weren't particularly formidable. Nevertheless, all these elements come together in certain moments, and those instances form the most compelling aspects of Satya's narrative.

Satya

The music is brilliant! Sapne Me Milti Hai was a rage in chawls, housing societies, wedding parties, and school functions. Kallu Mama has a separate fan because I don't think there has ever been a song made about a side character that has such catchy notes, while the other two songs are situational but subpar. One has to look at the lyrics differently on repeat mode. Goli Maar Bheje has to be the pioneer of a new trend, which later transformed itself into the kinds of Ae Ganpat Chal Daru La. Satya has some of those trendsetting moments. In the climax, Satya kills Bhau at Ganesh Visarjan, and nobody batted an eye when Karan Malhotra copied that scene in the Agneepath remake. In the final scene, Satya is killed because of a girl/love—now that's an old cliché on a global level, but in India/Bollywood, it was portrayed in a new and emotionally well-executed way.

Satya

Watching Satya today on the big screen gave me a unique experience, and I agree that I really underestimated the film for years. It's different when you watch it on the big screen than on your mobile or laptop. Satya lacks small nuances because it connects Bombay's real gang wars with a cinematic narrative. If you ever wonder why everyone is dead in the end, then just remember, "this is a movie," not real life. It may be as relatable as real events, but still, it is a film. Ram Gopal Varma knew this, and that's why he included that quote in the end credits, which goes like this: "My tears for Satya are as much as for those he killed," and he was absolutely right! More than this philosophical and intellectual thought, I'd like to thank him for bringing utter realism to Bollywood, especially in the gangster genre, which is one of the most popular and widely used genres in Hollywood and British cinema. Satya may be a difficult film to digest, but it presented the societal wars just as they were; we weren't merely observing them like this, and this film opened our eyes. There is much to discuss about every scene, but that would take me longer than it would to watch Satya again. So, this brief piece is enough, I guess, and I only wrote it as my tribute. THIS IS NOT A REGULAR MOVIE REVIEW.

Satya Urmila Matondkar Manoj Bajpayee Ram Gopal Varma J. D. Chakravarthy Shefali Shah