A short journal entry on Satya, Black Friday and Salaam Bombay

For this piece I will be analysing and discussing three films: Satya, Black Friday and Salaam Bombay. I will be talking about their narratives, cinematography and editing, in particular for this journal entry.

Starting with Ram Gopal Varma's Satya - it revolutionised the portrayal of the Mumbai underworld. It moved away from romanticised gangster figures and presented a brutal, almost documentary-like depiction of gang life. Satya, the protagonist, is not a charismatic leader but a desperate individual caught in a cycle of violence. The narrative focuses on the internal dynamics of the gang, the constant threat of betrayal, and the psychological toll of a life lived on the fringes of society. The film doesn't offer easy moral judgments; instead, it presents the characters as products of their environment. The rise and fall narrative is compressed, emphasising the precarious nature of power in the underworld.

Anurag Kashyap's Black Friday is based on S. Hussain Zaidi's book chronicling the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts. The film operates as a journalistic procedural, offering a non-linear narrative that traces the events leading up to the blasts and their aftermath. The non-linear structure creates a sense of chaos and urgency, mirroring the confusion and fear that gripped the city at the time. The film avoids sensationalism, focusing instead on the procedural aspects of the investigation and the human cost of the tragedy. It's less about individual characters and more about the systemic failures that allowed such an event to occur.

Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay is a stark and poignant portrayal of street children in Mumbai. The narrative follows Krishna, a young boy abandoned by his family, as he navigates the harsh realities of street life. The film is episodic, focusing on Krishna's struggles to survive, his fleeting friendships, and his encounters with exploitation and abuse. Unlike the gangster narratives of Satya and the crime procedural of Black Friday, Salaam Bombay is a social realist drama, focusing on the systemic issues of poverty, child labour and social neglect. The narrative is driven by Krishna's experiences, offering a child's-eye view of a world often ignored by the mainstream society.

Looking at the cinematography, Satya uses handheld cameras and muted tones to create an immersive, documentary-like experience. Mumbai is portrayed as a living entity—its shadowy alleys and congested chawls mirror the moral ambiguity of the narrative. Dim lighting in indoor scenes heightens the sense of claustrophobia, while wide-angle shots of the city capture its overwhelming chaos. The use of metaphors and constant connection to the characters adds to the emotional depth and understanding of the characters and the narrative as a whole.

On the other hand, Black Friday employs stark realism and unflinching detail to emphasise the film's journalistic tone. The use of natural light and long tracking shots creates a sense of urgency and immediacy. The riot and chase sequences are particularly noteworthy, with their chaotic camera movements reflecting the heightened tension of the events. 

Meanwhile, Salaam Bombay captures the vibrancy and despair of Mumbai's streets with equal poignancy. The use of vibrant colours juxtaposed with the grim realities of street life creates a haunting contrast. The camera often lingers on the faces of the children, drawing viewers into their world. Long takes and close-ups emphasise the rawness of emotions, while the bustling street scenes convey the overwhelming scope of urban poverty.

When it comes to editing films, Satya is notable for its innovative sound design. The use of ambient sounds, gunshots, and background music creates a constant sense of tension and atmosphere. The dialogue is often raw and realistic, reflecting the language of the streets. Black Friday's editing contributes to the film's sense of urgency, particularly during the sequences depicting the bombings and the subsequent investigation. The use of archival footage further enhances the film's realism. Salaam Bombay utilises diegetic sound, immersing the viewer in the environment completely. 

While the narratives of Satya, Black Friday and Salaam Bombay explore different facets of urban life, such as crime, communal violence, and poverty, they are all rooted in the socio-political realities of Mumbai. Each film serves as a critique of systemic failures, whether it's the lack of opportunities that push individuals toward crime in Satya, the communal tensions that explode into violence in Black Friday, or the societal apathy toward street children in Salaam Bombay. The films also challenge Bollywood's conventional storytelling norms by embracing realism. They reject escapist fantasies in favour of hard-hitting narratives that force viewers to confront uncomfortable truths of our society.