Anurag Kashyap has always proved to be a genius filmmaker and his works have always amazed us. One of his works of his early days that still feels like an amazing work of cinema is Satya. The movie came back in 1998, and starred JD Chakravarthi, Manoj Bajpayee, Urmila Matondkar, Saurabh Shukla, Shefali Shah etc. The film was directed by Ram Gopal Varma and was written by Anurag Kashyap.
The film got a very good reception by the audience due to big names like Manoj and Ram Gopal Varma present in it. The film went on to be appreciated critically as a masterpiece and it won multiple awards including six Filmfare awards. The movie became a classic in the genre of movies dealing with the mafia. It was the first film that showcased the mafia realistically and not fantastically. The film’s portrayal of the mafia was so good, Danny Boyle admitted watching the movie to understand the true scenario of Mumbai before starting with his Slumdog Millionaire.
The film was pitch perfect in terms of the performances. Even the people who had very small roles like Shefali Shah, Snehal Dabi and Neeraj Vora too had significant impact on the screen. Shefali even won a Filmfare award for her role. The script was a tragedy in true sense and not something filled with emotions and pathos and drama. The direction was apt to the script. Overall everything in the film was exactly like you want them to be.
The film earned several special recognitions. It was hailed as the best movie of the 90s decade by many critics. It was called the first movie with a realistic portrayal of Mumbai’s mafia scene, something that paved the path for several films to come ahead. Manoj’s role was considered as something that outshines even the hero.
Concludingly, it is a film that one should never think to miss and watch it at the first chance one gets. The film though is a work of art and is very close to what parallel cinema provides us, yet it becomes an entertaining watch and never feels boring. Best thing is, the movie is freely available on YouTube for someone who wishes to watch it, all you need is the time and inspiration.