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Meet the HOT girls of Satya 2

Director Ram Gopal Varma made a classic called Satya in 1998. 

Now, 15 years later, he is making a sequel to the film. 

Satya 2 has a new cast -- Puneet Singh Ratn plays the lead role with Anaika Soti. Aradhana Gupta plays the second lead.

Patcy N speaks to Anaika and Aradhana on their experiences of working in a classic’s sequel, and working with RGV.

Aradhana Gupta

I was born in Lucknow, but my parents shifted to Mumbai when I was two. My father works abroad and my mother is a homemaker.

After school, I studied Mass Media. But I was more interested in performing in front of an audience, so I dropped out. I am a trained Kathak dancer and I wanted to be a Kathak teacher.

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'When I decided I wanted to be a film actor, I did not know how to start'

When I was studying Mass Media, I got modelling offers and did some part-time modelling work to earn some pocket money.

When I decided I wanted to be a film actor, I did not know how to start. I did not know anyone who would guide me. I did not know how to get an audition. I met a few casting directors but nothing happened.

I started doing stage plays so that I would get noticed.

I did the modelling and looking for an acting job for two years. Then one of my friends told me that Ram Gopal Varma is looking for a girl and has rejected many and I should try my luck.

Ramu met me, and gave me a few lines to say.

'My brothers don't like seeing their sister in sexy dresses'

My father wasn’t happy with the modelling and acting but after seeing me on screen, he has calmed down, though he still doesn’t accept it so well. 

My brothers don’t like seeing their sister in sexy dresses, playing glamorous characters but they don’t say it. My mother is very supportive. She wants to see me happy and wants me to do whatever I want. She is my great support. 

Some of my relatives in Lucknow are upset and some excited. I would say that the males in my family are conservative and the females are very supportive. 

In Satya 2, I play a struggling actress, who comes to Mumbai from Delhi to make it big in Bollywood. But she meets Satya and gets into the underworld and her life changes completely. 

Since the film is about the underworld, and is a male dominated film, my part is small.

'I really worked hard and finally the result is good'

I was not at all nervous of facing the camera. Ramu told me to ‘be confident’. I was confident, too, because I had done stage plays and I thought how much different can this be? 

So I went and gave my shot very confidently. When Ramu called me over and showed me the scene, I did not like my first take. It was so bad I thought this field is not for me, I should go back to college.

But Ramu told me he has faith me and I have to work hard.

I really worked hard and finally the result is good. Ramu is a very nice director; he helped me a lot.

One day he got upset with me when I told him I can’t do this film as I can’t act. He even scolded me a few times because I could not understand the camera frame and I was fumbling. But when the film was screened, he told me I have improved a lot.

I play Satya’s best friend’s girlfriend but I have lots of clashes with Satya. In the film I am trying to find out what is Satya’s real profession, why he is so unusual. So we have a lot of negative vibes in the film.

I am not nervous now. I have done my work. Now it is up to the audience to accept it or reject it.

I have been offered a south film, but I haven’t signed it as I want to work in Bollywood. I am waiting for Satya 2 to release and then I will decide what films to take up.

'I never wanted to act'

Anaika Soti

My dad Ashutosh Soti owns call centres and heads a hospital. My mom Beena Soti and her family are in the construction business.

I never wanted to act; it happened suddenly. I wanted to be a builder so I was learning construction and working along with my mom.

I went to a boarding school in Panchgani and then to Malaysia for a diploma in Mass Communications. After a couple of months, I was back in Mumbai learning fashion designing and simultaneously going with my mom to her office.

One day, a friend had to meet music composer Sandeep Chowta and I went along with him. We got into the lift with Ram Gopal Varma and he asked me if I was an actress. 

When I said ‘No’ he asked me if I was interested in acting. I said ‘Not at all’, and then we parted. 

He knew my friend, so he asked my friend to get me to attend at least one meeting. I went with my mom for the meeting.

'I was very nervous when I faced the camera'

My mom really liked the story of Satya 2. She is also a big fan of Satya.

She was very happy with my character.

My dad also felt that I am young and I should try it out now. If it doesn’t work, I can get into the family business.

I started shooting a month after my meeting with RGV. I was very nervous when I faced the camera for the first time even though I was part of many school dramas. 

There were around 70 people around us as we were shooting. I was not worried about people looking at me as much as I was scared of facing the camera. 

RGV sir explained everything. Then I faced the camera and in five minutes all that nervousness was gone.

'Satya 2 has nothing in common with the earlier Satya'

Satya 2 has nothing in common with the earlier Satya, made in 1998. In the early one Satya enters a Mumbai where the underworld already existed. In Satya 2, the underworld is erased and Satya comes to Mumbai with new thinking and wants to start an underworld. 

I play the female lead. My character is a village girl of my own age, 19. When she comes to the city, she is innocent and childlike. She is the only one who can bring a smile to Satya’s face. Satya leads a dual life -- a gangster and a common man -- and I do the same.

Initially, it was difficult for me to play a villager because I am not used to talking like that. But later I got used to it.

Aardhana Gupta’s character and mine are very different. We have a couple of scenes together. It was very nice working with her. We became friends.

'RGV sir is a very cool and chilled out person'

RGV sir is a very cool and chilled out person. He was very nice to us, and he never treated us like newcomers. May be twice he got angry but that too was because of a production problem. 

I don’t think anyone can do justice to the role of Satya other than Puneet. He was perfect in the role. It feels that in real life also he is like Satya. 

He is a nice man and an incredible actor. When I was working with him I thought he was so good but later, when I saw a few scenes of the movie, I thought he was too good. He has terrific screen presence. His dialogue delivery is also strong. 

I am very nervous because this is the first time I will be seen on the big screen. Since it is a male dominated film, I have a very small role, but whatever I have, I hope I have done a good job. 

I have signed another film, Kaaviyan Thalaivan. It’s a bilingual film in Tamil and Malayalam. It is directed by Vasanthabalan. It has Siddharth (of Rang De Basanti fame) as the lead star. I signed the movie because it has 10 songs by A R Rahman.