22 years today and Satya is still the greatest gangster flick of Indian Cinema. The film gained instant cult status for its raw appeal, realistic characters and for showcasing the underworld like no one had dared to do since Ram Gopal Varma (not even till today). Before Satya, In can only think of a single film that went beyond and threw light on the underbellies of Mumbai Crime. That film was Parinda. Satya used what Parinda created and took it to a whole new level with its rugged visuals and edgy pace.
It also gave us a host of brilliant actors that got noticed with this film. Manoj Bajpayee as Bhikhu Mahtre tops that list as he was the biggest find from Satya. His character will go down in history as one of the most iconic. Then we had Saurabh Shukla as Kallu Mama, Shefali Shah as Pyari Mahtre, and Makrand Deshpande as Chandrakant. The other big name that came out from this film was none other than Anurag Kashyap who wrote the film along with Saurabh Shukla.
Satya also gave us so many mesmerising cinematic moments, from Mumbai ka King Kaun to the restaurant scene featuring both couples (Manoj, Shefali, Chakravarty, Urmila), and from the unabashed song, Kallu Mama, to Bhikhu dancing like there is no tomorrow in Sapne Mein Milti Hai.
Satya is a cinematic achievement that is unparalleled. If you haven’t seen it yet, today is as good a day as any. If you have, then you know Satya can be seen any no. of times.
Watch Satya on Jio Cinema, Eros Now or B4U Multiplex (Youtube)