SATYA: Larger Than Life performance!. Review on Satya

I still remember when I first saw Satya. I was in Minneapolis, MN (USA) & it was just 2 weeks I after I went to USA in 98. It was a special show arranged by Indian community. I was the only person in the crowd who clapped at several places! :) Others I think had either forgot the joys of watching movies in India or too shy to clap seating in a theatre in USA!? I just couldn't resist!

The first moment was when Bhiku Mhtare says 'Ay Amita-bachchan' !! It was just AMAZING !!! In two words the character conveyed what exactly he meant. 'Ay bhaai banana hain tereko..aan bhai banana hain tereko??'. Then he starts laughing after Satya's 'mauka sabhiko milata hain' & says 'Kam umar main shadi hoke ke baad adami jaldi thak jaata hain'!! The early scenes set the tempo of the movie & the it further tightens it grip. ('Suna hain Bhawu chhutane wala hain??' To tumako kay ho khalbali ho rahee hain)

This was first of the lot where they portrayed the reality of the underworld perfectly rather it was a genius movie worth the importance that the Godfather trilogy has in Hollywood. The comparison might be a little strange but not in terms of the importance how underworld was filmed in both the movies. Previously Parinda was quite a good an attempt but was a little too character centric (Anna, Jackie's) & a more polished (sort of). Kalchakra was a good attempt that covered gang-war to certain extent. But Satya was a different ball-game altogether.

The movie also shows how a honest person gets into the vicious cycle of the criminals but at the same time doesn't show Satya as the 100% victim of the City but shows the choices this character makes. Satya is before coming to Mumbai itself is a hothead & just that he gets appropriate circumstances to make it further worse. The movie also shows that this character could have avoided the uncontrolled ride that is followed after his induction in to Bhiku's gang.

Bhiku Mhatre/Manoj Wajpayee is larger than life & so is Kallu Mama. These two actors have made this one an all time great movie. The dialogs are straight forward in your face kind & suit the subject of the movie perfectly. Chandu Khote is also just wonderful! 'Apane dhande main kaisa hain bhid bhad hain to acha hain kuchh gadbad hui to seedha Kalti'. 'Dekh Bhiku kya diya tereko, ek ghoda diya, ek ghar diya, aur ek bhagwan bhi diya' Paresh Rawal & the inspector (forgot name) have done exceedingly well. The attack from Paresh Rawal on the 'human rights' etc is also very well placed.

Songs written by Gulzar are again very different than what he used to do. Imagine Goli Maari bheje main Bheja shor karat hain from the person who wrote Katara Katara & other dreamy lyrics!! The picturization of this song is just too much. It reminded me our dances in the hostel life! :-) It seemed as if they copied our way of dancing as is (or maybe diluted little bit!) :-) Similarly Sapane maiin milati hain is filmed to perfection except that Satya/Urmila are shown longer than they should have. Gila Gila pani is not for my tastes. Pani gila nahi to kya sukha hoga? May be there is something that I can't understand! :) Satya, though the central character to this movie is so-so & does OK but nothing special. At least he hasn't messed it up!! Makarand Dehspande is as usual perfect fit for such kind of movie.

The small roles like the music director (same guys have done a GREAT role in Rangeela too: Amitabh, woh ja raha Haidrabad...nahi woh Ilaahabad...maine rok liya, kahene laga nahi yaar apana kyuchh jam nahi rahela hain apun ja rahela hain...maine kaha ruk aur Prakash ko phone ghumaya & now he is very famous!') Does very well here too.

Some of the scenes are just too good to describe: The first one above Bhiku meeting Satya, the songs, Bhiku & friend going for Shopping; Bhiku & Satya taking Urmila & Bhiku's wife out; Man handling of the Music director; Gurunarayan's murder, Chandu Khote telling the joke (Sab kuchh Ram dega to kya Laxman fookat main lega?); Bhau's meeting with Bhiku & Satya & so on; at the end the way Inspector scolds Urmila Agar samane koi bhi rehene aya to kya chipak legi tu?' Also the scene where Bhiku scolds Satya: Idhar sab Hero ke liye pareshan, 100 jahag dhunda, udhar bhau tereko dhund raha hain, aur hero kaha gaya..KHANDALA..!! Are main kya gift leke dega...iasake liye(kallu mama) gift lene gaya to Kanghi leke aaya

The direction & editing of this movie is world-class & among the best of the best out there may it be Hollywood or Mumbai-Wood! :-) Ram Gopal Varma shows that he is teh DON of the Indian movies & doesn't need to do the Melodramatic TAMASHA or nonsense jokes that Karan Johan, Shahrukhs, Chopras & Dhawans of this industry have to perform in order to get audience. Ram Gopal Varma earns the respect for the usual reason I give: By doing it the hard way! That is why I prefer Honda Accord to Toyota Camry. Honda does is the hard way with Accord versus the softly sprung, mushy, simplistic tuning of Camry's suspension & steering.

Thanks Ram Gopal Varma for all the wonderful movies, you are allowed to make some mistakes as you have given such jewels regularly.