‘Satya’, Ram Gopal Varma’s high-voltage noir film turns 25: Leading man Manoj Bajpayee gushes about ‘gamechanger’, Urmila Matondkar rues lack of recognition

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Made on a shoestring budget of Rs 2.5 crore, Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Satya’ went on to be a bona-fide success at the box-office, earning Rs 15 crore. It also kickstarted the career of two Bollywood veterans — actor Manoj Bajpai and director Anurag Basu (who co-wrote the film with actor-screenwriter Saurabh Shukla) who would go on to be the doyens of indie/art films in Bollywood. The ‘Satya’ cast recently went on a trip down the memory lane.

In a recent interview with PTI, actor Manoj Bajpayee, who essayed the role of Bhikhu Matre, the sassy, larger-than-life gangster in the Ram Gopal Varma directorial, described the film as a “gamechanger”. “I look at it as a game changer. It has completely changed the industry. From the way the stories were told to the craft, or the way people look at filmmaking or performances, everything was so new both for the industry and the audience. After the humongous success of Satya, I started getting roles, respect, and entry into big offices,” Bajpayee told the news agency. ‘Satya’ has been credited with starting a new genre of film with non-starry casts, well-developed storylines, and tight budgets. Film historian Rachel Dwyer (based at the University of London, Department of South Asia), said the movie set the blueprint of realistic crime thrillers and gave birth to a new genre Mumbai noir. Unlike the stereotypical Bollywood thrillers, ‘Satya’ doesn’t have an angsty hero who is on a mission for revenge. The protagonist is a blank slate, with no known antecedents. He is not out to correct an injustice or settle scores. Neither is he seeking redemption. He comes to Mumbai for a job and circumstances lead him to the underbelly of the city.