This is Satya, a stark, chilling, almost suffocating tale of Mumbai as it is -- no frills, no gloss and absolutely not a moment's relief. Director Ram Gopal Varma does a commendable job of being honest to his subject -- without keeping one eye on the box-office. He also steers clear of the familiar filmi trap of painting heroes and villains in a film where there is no room for either.

What unfolds is a hard-hitting story of people who live by death; characters who have their own motives and compulsions in doing so, and who pay the price for the path they have chosen to follow.

Satya (Chakravarthy) comes to Mumbai and after tryinghis hand at making an honest living, he joins hands with gangster Bhikhu Mhatre (Manoj Bajpai) and his guru Kallu Mama (Saurabh Shukla). He becomes the gang's strategist, and invites the wrath of Bhau (Govind Namdev), a cold-blooded politician and the big-boss of the underworld. With the endless spate of gangland killings, a new police commissioner (Paresh Rawal) is appointed to clean up the city.Meanwhile, Satya falls in love with Vidya (Urmila Matondkar), the girl-next-door. And that's when reality hits him -- he finds that inevitable end staring at him in the face. Only, he is not prepared for it anymore. The war between the cops and criminals hots up -- and leaves several dead bodies in it's wake, including that of the commissioner, Bhikhu and finally, Satya himself.

Varma handles a sensitive script with the care it deserves. And he has the support of an excellent cast. Bajpai comes up with an astounding performance and practically overshadows everyone else. Chakravarthy, a known face in Telugu cinema,is also impressive. But the real surprise in this package is a totally deglamorised Urmila, who finally breaks free of her sex siren tag and proves she can act too.

While the film's music has a functional role, Gulzaar and Vishal have come up with a couple of good numbers -- especially Bhupender's `Yeh mujhe kya ho gaya...'. But it is Sandeep Chowta's background score and Gerard Hooper and Mazhar Kamran's stark cinematography that really sets the mood for this heart-wrenching tale. All in all, Satya is an unforgettable experience -- don't miss it.

Starring: Urmila Matondkar, Chakravarthy, Manoj Bajpai, Paresh Rawal, Saurabh Shukla, Govind Namdev

Showing at: Eros