‘Satria Dewa: Gatotkaca’ Netflix Movie Review - Mahabharata in the Modern World

Rizky Nazar, Aghniny Haque, Fedi Nuril, Omar Daniel, Cecep Arif Rahman, Yasmin Napper, and others are seen in the ambitious project of Satria Dewa Gatotkca. Directed by Hanung Bramantyo and the first production of Satria Dewa Studio, this film tells about the incarnation of Gatotkaca.

After the recent release of films like Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva, many other films can be seen exploring Hindu mythology, but we are yet to find a good one. Starting on Tetuka Hill, the outskirts of Astinapura city (that sounds similar to Hastinapur), a man is handing over the responsibility of his son and a family heirloom to his wife. There are concerns about the safety of the child, Yuda. His aunt sacrifices her life to protect him. This raises questions about why is this child so special that his family members were keeping him hidden. 

It is then revealed that there’s a fight going on between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, and the reason remains the same: revenge. The insult of a woman was the very first thing that started Mahabharata. Yuda grows up, works in a company, and does small chores to support the family. The memories of his mother were taken by Kauravas during a fight and she has to be looked after, due to which Yuda can’t reach the office on time and eventually gets fired. 

Yuda’s friend Erlangga is a great support to the family, but at his graduation ceremony, he is killed by mysterious forces. Tracing who the killer was, Yuda comes across a group that works for the good of mankind and is trying to save the Pandavas from the regular attack of the Kauravas. When Aswatama was sentenced to hell, he wanted revenge on the Pandavas, and hence his successors were doing the same. This war was now leading to so many mysterious deaths that Erlangga and many other people had to interfere. With Agni’s support, Yuda is on a mission and soon discovers many things kept hidden by his family until now.

The movie has a duration of 129 minutes. With the concepts that the creators had in mind, it could have been enormous. But sadly, they focussed more on the action scenes when I was hoping for more of the plot, which is the only con about the film. The concept they started with initially, went down quickly. Related to Hindu mythology, Satria Dewa Gatotkca had vast potential. The mythological characters have been used in a modern setting and this was an innovative idea. People get attracted to films like these and wonder what would have happened if the mythological characters lived in the present day. Many such books based on similar plots are big hits in the present. It will be a great film to watch for mythology lovers despite the loopholes.

Seeing that the movie has an open ending, there are scopes for a sequel. The lead is shown wearing his superhero suit at the end, and the evil is still alive which supports the claim of a sequel. In my opinion, the film could have been much better in terms of plot, acting, and fewer action shots. With the background plot of Mahabharata, the audience will expect more, so try to watch it without any expectations. 

Final Score – [6.5/10]
Reviewed by - Riya Singh
Follow @_riyasinghhh_ on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times