“Satya 2 was never meant to be a sequel” – Ram Gopal Varma

November 9, 2013 - 11:27 AM IST

Satya 2 has released and one thing which is quite apparent is that it has absolutely no connection to Satya. Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma re-affirms though that this is the way the film was designed and while the spirit of Satya was always supposed to remain intact, the story was meant to be standalone with the stage of underworld set in current times.

“Satya 2 was never meant to be a sequel” – Ram Gopal Varma

What really led to the genesis of Satya 2?

For nearly 15 years ever since I decided to film Satya in 1997, I went about studying various underworld and criminal organisations and also profiles of gangsters, their strengths, and weaknesses and also what caused their downfall etc. This I did to get subject matters and real life references to design characters for my films. And then one day about a year ago, it occurred to me, what if the same study was done by a guy who instead of becoming a filmmaker wants to actually start a underworld company of his own. That's how the genesis of Satya 2 happened.

The film doesn't look like a sequel though.

It is by intent because if Satya was the story of a man who came in 1998 and got shaped by the conditions of the existing underworld, then Satya 2 is the story of another guy called Satya who comes in 2013 to reinvent the underworld. The title is due to the similarity in themes. The film was never meant to be a sequel per se.

Personally though, what is that truly intriguing factor around underworld and it's essence that draws you into its inner world?

I am fascinated with the dark side of the human mind. The rebel nature of a man is what I really like to study, very much like how a naturalist would study a wild animal.

With a faceless and nameless leader driving the entire show in Satya 2, are you also demonstrating an evolved form of underworld where fear is working from the scare of unknown?

Definitely yes. There is a line in the film where Satya says - "Darr us chees se zyaada lagta hai jo dikhayi na de". That holds true.

While you are taking quite a few names of underworld dons for the film's promotion, how fictional is your protagonist Satya? Is there a real life personality on whom you have based this character?

Satya of Satya 2 is completely fictional because he came from my imagination of what if a person like this comes into the city now in 2013 to reinvent the underworld. By that very definition, he can't have any reference character.

In Satya, Urmila had a pivotal part to play in the scheme of things. Do you really see Anaika Soti bring in that element in Satya 2?

To start with, there's no reference point of Satya 2 characters to any of Satya's characters, hence the comparison is invalid. As for Anaika, she is very spontaneous and natural.

In the film, the most recognisable actor is Mahesh Thakur. How did that come through?

I first met him when he did a small scene in Not A Love Story and I was really impressed with him. He plays a very important and vital role in Satya 2.

While Satya 2 has released, I understand that you have already started work on another film which is based on Martial Arts.

That's something which I always wanted to do. However the main work on that is going to start only now that Satya 2 has released.

What happens after that film? Is there something in the pipeline?

I am very keen to do a love story.