Satya is a realistic drama which tells the story of its title character, a simple orphaned guy who tries to live life honestly and make a fair living, but is unable to. Only when he enters the underworld, the most dangerous and seemingly dreadful place, does he find financial success, friendship and love. But when he tries to run away and return to his previous simple world, he finds out that all doors are closed for him. Satya is a film that brings very distinct points to its subject matter in comparison to previous films dealing with similar themes. The film is not about underworld. It's about a guy who finds himself trapped in the world of mafia. It's about the pluses and minuses of being involved in such a terrible world. The film is very authentic, and everything in it, from cinematography to music, contributes to this style almost perfectly. The characters are all simple and easy to relate to, they all have dreams of a better life. The story of each character is presented through the eyes of Satya in a minute and unique way.
Satya has been blamed for depicting Mumbai as a dirty city of crime, terror and violence. Ram Gopal Varma has also been accused of trying to glorify the mafia. But this view is according to me incorrect; the film clearly shows that anyone who enters this world will end up living under constant threat for his life and eventually find himself killed in the most dire of circumstances. The success, the friendship, the love the film's hero finds, all of it is lost in one unfortunate chain of tragic incidents: the death of his friends, the rejection of his girlfriend, and ultimately his own defeat. That's the result and that's what Varma probably tried to convey. Obviously the hero is portrayed as a good human being and you feel for his ill-fate, but that's to be expected. It's of course partly his own fault, but it's mainly a situation created by circumstances.
The acting is terrific. The most sincere performance is that of Manoj Bajpai, who is simply outstanding. He paid attention to both the dark and the bright sides of his character. Urmila Matondkar sheds her well-known image and transforms into a simple dreamy girl in this film. She lets go of her sex appeal and intensity and skillfully creates a sensitive young woman who believes that a better life does exist. An out-and-out excellent performance. Shefali Shah has an extremely small role with little importance. Yet, she is flawless in every possible scene and makes the best of what she is given, which is commendable. The only actor who is not as emotionally convincing is ironically the main protagonist, played by J.D Chakravarthy. He is average in everything he does and was not really a great choice for the part. Satya, while not a film that works for everyone, is an extraordinary film and one of the greatest from its genre. A must-watch.
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