It’s been 13 years since Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur exploded onto the Indian film scene with its gritty realism, unfiltered language, and multi-generational story of revenge. Yet, the roots of this revolutionary film trace back to earlier cinematic milestones that reshaped how crime and gangsters were portrayed on screen.
Today, we dive deep into three pioneering gangster films—Satya, Company, and Shiva—that not only inspired Gangs of Wasseypur but also defined the genre in Indian cinema.
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1.Satya (1998): The Blueprint for Realism in Indian Gangster Films
Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya is often credited with igniting a cinematic movement that brought unvarnished realism to Indian gangster films. Released in 1998, it told the story of an innocent man who slowly descends into the depths of Mumbai’s underworld after a false accusation and wrongful imprisonment. The transformation of the lead character was neither exaggerated nor glamorous—it was disturbing, intimate, and deeply relatable.
The performance of Manoj Bajpayee as Bhiku Mhatre became legendary. With lines like “Mumbai ka king kaun?” etched into pop culture, the film’s legacy continues. Satya marked a stark departure from Bollywood’s melodramatic depiction of crime. Instead, it painted a brutal, everyday reality where moral ambiguity thrived, and choices were driven by survival, not evil.
The film was written by Anurag Kashyap and Saurabh Shukla, both of whom brought a new level of nuance to dialogues and character arcs. Its documentary-style cinematography, natural lighting, and minimal background score all contributed to its raw aesthetic.
In short, Satya created the foundation for the gangster films that would follow—films that treated their subjects with harsh honesty rather than theatrical excess.
2. Company (2002): A Ruthless Corporate Look at the Indian Mafia Underworld
If Satya revealed the street-level brutality of the criminal world, Company elevated the genre by exposing the mafia’s corporate structures and inner hierarchies. Also directed by Ram Gopal Varma, Company focused on a fictionalized version of D-Company, the real-life underworld syndicate believed to be led by Dawood Ibrahim.
Ajay Devgn as Malik, a cold and calculating mafia boss, and Vivek Oberoi as Chandu, his loyal yet morally conflicted protégé, brought emotional depth and psychological complexity to their roles. Unlike traditional gangster narratives that focused on individual violence, Company dissected the systemic operations of crime, such as cross-border smuggling, real estate dealings, and political infiltration.
The film captured how organized crime had evolved into a multinational enterprise, driven by profits rather than passion. It drew striking parallels between corporate ambition and criminal enterprise, thereby giving the gangster films genre a modern, strategic, and business-like dimension.
Company didn’t just entertain—it educated its audience about the vast and interconnected web of crime syndicates. Its slick production, tight editing, and gritty screenplay helped it stand out as one of India’s most intelligent crime dramas.
3. Shiva (1990): The Gangster Film That Unleashed Youth Rage Against a Corrupt System
Shiva, the Hindi remake of Ram Gopal Varma’s Telugu debut Siva, hit screens in 1990 and brought a new dimension to gangster films. Set against the backdrop of a college campus dominated by political and criminal forces, Shiva told the story of an angry young man forced into violence by systemic rot.
Nagarjuna, reprising his role from the original, portrayed Shiva as a brooding, reluctant gangster who chose violence not for power, but for justice. The film’s emotional core revolved around how ordinary people can become tools of violence when left with no other option.
What made Shiva iconic was its visual grammar—fluid camera movements, gritty street action, and moments of overwhelming tension. The infamous cycle-chain fight sequence became a cinematic landmark, symbolizing raw rebellion. Ilaiyaraaja’s haunting background score further intensified the film’s unsettling atmosphere.
While Shiva retained some commercial Bollywood elements, it infused them with realism and purpose. The film bridged the gap between stylized action and sociopolitical commentary, paving the way for more nuanced portrayals of gangsters.
In the evolution of gangster films, Shiva introduced a powerful archetype: the reluctant gangster shaped by systemic oppression and youthful fury.
The Evolution of Indian Gangster Films Through Realism, Rebellion, and Organised Crime
Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur may have stunned audiences with its audacious storytelling, violent visuals, and pitch-black humor, but the seeds of that brilliance were sown by Satya, Company, and Shiva. These earlier films laid the groundwork in the following ways:
- Narrative Realism: Satya introduced grounded storytelling and believable characters in gangster settings.
- Organized Crime Dynamics: Company brought attention to the internal machinery of crime syndicates.
- Angry Youthful Rebellion: Shiva captured the raw energy of social defiance, shaping the tone for future stories.
Each of these films moved away from the melodramatic and toward psychological, systemic, and socio-political dimensions of crime. By the time Gangs of Wasseypur arrived in 2012, audiences were ready for its unfiltered portrayal of mafia politics, generational revenge, and the decay of small-town India.
Kashyap didn’t just tell a story—he authored a new chapter in Indian gangster cinema, one that was only possible because of the groundwork done by these cinematic pioneers.
A Genre That Continues to Evolve
The Indian gangster films genre has come a long way—from the emotional anti-heroes of the ’90s to the morally bankrupt crime lords of today. Satya, Company, and Shiva each marked turning points, pushing the genre toward realism, sophistication, and socio-political relevance.
Gangs of Wasseypur stands tall today not as an isolated phenomenon, but as a continuation of a narrative legacy. The film’s success and cult status are rooted in the creative risks, visual language, and storytelling techniques introduced by its predecessors.
For fans and filmmakers alike, revisiting these foundational gangster films offers a masterclass in storytelling, character construction, and the power of cinema to reflect society’s dark undercurrents.
