Satya

Satya*

MAIN CAST:
J.D. Chakravarthy -- Satya
Manoj Bajpai -- Bhiku
Urmila Matondkar -- Vidya

BRIEF PLOT OVERVIEW:
When Satya arrives in Mumbai, his eyes are full of stars and he's hopeful about life in the big city. Mumbai turns out to be tougher than it looks, however, and a bad run-in with underworld boss Jaggar sends Satya to prison on a bogus prostitution charge. There he meets Bikhu, a hot-headed boss from another gang, and as the two become fast friends, the clever Satya faces a meteoric rise in the underworld.

FILM -- 4/5
Though Satya came out in 1998, it looks and feels like a movie from the previous decade. The shoe string budget produced a movie with low-quality video and audio, as well as some moments of poor equipment management, like when the camera bobs on longshots or when the lights flood out Urmila's face. But don't let Satya's first over-the-top 15 minutes fool you: this is a really great movie. It lures you in by presumably telling you the tale of a single man's fall, then you realize that this story is about how one man's choices can ruin the lives of all those around him. There are some truly amazing-looking shots that manage to shine through the film's cheap-o production and leave you breathless. The script is top-notch, with dialogue that manages to be gangster-appropriate without being filthy and plenty of character between the plots and the gunshots. The action scenes aren't great by any means, and the sound effects are a bit much, but they ARE well-choreographed and, in a film about Mumbai's underworld, they ARE necessary.

CHARACTERS -- 5/5
I've never been a huge J.D. Chakravarthy fan, I'll admit it, but he crafts the anti-hero Satya marvelously. Don't let his Droopy Dog face and unassuming manner fool you; despite all odds, Chakravarthy manages to make Satya both Vidya's bashful boyfriend and Bikhu's ruthless best friend. And Vidya? Ah, Urmila Matondkar! Why people are so down on her, I'll never know! She has a lovely face, and while her performance in Satya doesn't quite top her role in Pinjar, she is nevertheless a charming, if naive, heroine. Her chemistry with Chakravarthy is sweet, but he really shines when he's on-screen with Manoj Bajpai. I bought this movie because I'm a huge Manoj fan and this is the film that shot him to fame, and it's obvious why. Bhiku is nothing like Manoj's usual serious and intense characters--rather, he is a pugnacious rabble-rouser who manages to be both dangerous and endearing--but he fits the part to a T. Some of the minor characters are played by ridiculously melodramatic bit actors, but the rest of the supporting cast is great. I was especially fond of Aditya Shrivastava, who played a proud Inspector who still believes in justice, warped though it may be. The whole cast is great, but between you and me, this is Manoj Bajpai's show, all the way.

SOUNDTRACK -- 2/5
Satya really could've done without its soundtrack. I know people say that about a lot of movies, and then I excuse it by saying the songs break the tension, or I'll watch a perfectly good movie that doesn't have any songs and finish it by saying, "You know, that was great, but where was the damn music?!" Yet Satya really could've done without its music, because it's absolutely terrible. The vocals are often warbly and obnoxious, the lyrics are as corny and bland as they come, and I find it hysterical that the background music was so highly praised after the film's release, because with the exception of a few scenes, said background music is always way too much and runs the gamit of styles from "operatic Latin chanting" to "sitars on the beach". All of the songs are unremarkable with the exception of "Sapne Mein." Like most wedding songs, it manages to shine and interest the viewer.

OVERALL -- 4.5/5
It's all too easy to try and write Satya off as another gangster film that tries to make us feel bad for the underdog as he battles against police corruption and the difficulties of life in the big city. But Satya is much more than that. Yes, it is a gangster movie, and it plays that part well. But it is also a testament to friendship, as the incredible bond between Bhiku and Satya far outstripes even Satya and Vidya's relationship, almost like the oft-lauded platonic love between Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra in Sholay. Even more than that, Satya is surprisingly neutral and even-handed in its portrayal of Mumbai. It does not portray the city as a hovel or the country as a backwards nation (as some claim Deepa Mehta's films do), nor does it candycoat India and pretend everybody's life revolves around vacuuming in designer clothes and attending fancy parties (we're looking at you, Karan Johar). We see India's ancient beauty alongside its modern grit, and while the way the underworld sifts through even the most seemingly mundane parts of Indian society makes us grimace, we are easily appeased by the views of a crowded Indian theater, people walking barefoot in the rain without umbrellas, and the overall rag-tag charm that much of Mumbai has to offer. It's not a movie for everyone, but I still highly recommend Satya, all the way.

TOTAL SCORE -- 16.5/5 (great)






* The main character's name, but it can also mean "the ultimate truth."