“Satria Dewa: Gatotkaca” is the latest Netflix offering, directed by Hanung Bramantyo and authored by Rahabi Mandra and Tesadesrada Ryza. The movie stars Rizky Nazar, Yasmin Napper, Omar Daniel, and Yayan Ruhian. “Satria Dewa: Gatotkaca” follows the story of Yuda, a descendant of Gatotkaca, who must use his newfound powers to save the world from the Kuruvas, who plans to awaken “Ashwathma,” the only living survivor of the Mahabharata.
Spoilers Ahead
‘Satria Dewa: Gatotkaca’ Plot Summary: What Happens In The Film?
The movie begins in the Tetuka Hills, located on the outskirts of Astinapura City, where an Indonesian woman named Arimbi is anxiously refusing to keep her husband’s family heirloom. The woman’s husband, Pande, requests that she take care of the heirloom and their son, Yuda, and leaves. The heirloom appears to be of great value and has been passed down from generation to generation. Years have passed, and the woman is still waiting for her husband, Pande, to return and often denies her sisters’ (Ratri) request to come and live with her. One night, the two sisters are attacked by a sinister group demanding the “Brajmusti,” the same family heirloom Pande had. The Brajmusti possessed the power to set free “an ancient warrior” who had been trapped for centuries. Ratri is killed, but the heirloom protects Arimbi and her son Yuda. Years passed, but, Yuda is still having visions of the night her aunt was killed. The incident also made Arimbi lose her mental cognizance, which often disturbs the neighborhood. The landlord regularly chides Yuda for the disruption and threatens to throw them out.
Yuda visits his friend’s (Erlangga) college for his graduation speech, but the peaceful event is hijacked by the same group that killed Yuda’s aunt. Erlangga is killed, and Yuda is severely hurt while pursuing the killer. The movie alludes to many Hindu legends. The town where the movie is set is called Astinapur, inspired by the kingdom of Hastinapur. Arimbi also refers to the mysterious masked murderers as “Kuruvas,” the 100 brothers responsible for the epic war of Mahabharat. Professor Arya confirms that the murderers belong to a chaotic and destructive gene dubbed “Kuruva” and are the nemesis of the ones born with the Pandava gene. Yuda is heartbroken by Erlangga’s death and breaks down while he bids his best friend his final goodbye. Professor Arya also arrives at Erlangga’s funeral and invites Yuda to tea to discuss the matter.
Kuruva And Pandava Gene
Professor Arya was working on a thesis and has based his work on two gene types; Kuruva and Pandava. While those with the Pandava gene are calm, tranquil, and common, those with the Kuruva gene are chaotic, destructive, and rare. Arya shows Yuda the mankind map and informs us that Pandava, Kuruva, Rakshasa, and Devata existed before the time of Christ, some three thousand years ago. These beings were similar to humans or children of Adam but shared a special connection to Kadewatan, the world of gods, with Shiva alias Batara Guru at the center of it. Professor Arya informs Yuda that Kuruva has stolen Arimbi’s memory, and only they can return it.
Agni (Professor Arya’s daughter) and Yuda discover Erlangga’s secret journal hidden in one of his books and are met with a date and a place: “Voila Paris.” After arriving at the hotel, both Agni and Yuda were chased by a group of men intending to kill them. Yuda fought back but was gravely injured. The leader was ready to strike the final blow but was attacked by a mysterious archer, who took Yuda and Agni to the Pandava’s headquarters. Later, we learn that the archer was Dhananjay, yet another name for Arjuna in Indian mythology. Yuda and Agni also belonged to the Pandava gene, the same as Erlangga and Dhananjay. According to the legends, the world will end by the end of 2022, marking the awakening of Kuruva and the destruction of Pandava. The epic war of Mahabharat was rigged and transpired because the gods wanted to cleanse the earth of evil and greed and chose Pandava as the victor. However, Ashwathama rebelled and tried to kill Pandava with Narayanastra; the weapon was debilitated, and Ashwathama was stripped of his gemstone and trapped in the palace till the end of time. But the meteorite that fell north of Astinapur city was indeed an Ashwathama gemstone and was dropped by the gods to start another epic war. The corruption, the worldwide epidemic, the greed, the riots, and all the violence were pointing toward the end of the world. Also, the mysterious murders enveloping the city weren’t a coincidence. The Kuruva were killing the strongest Pandavas to ensure Ashwathama’s return.
Yuda And His Heirloom Brajamusti
Yuda returns home only to discover that his mother has left for Tetuka Hills. Yuda follows suit but is stopped by the same masked man who killed his aunt years ago. A battle ensues, and again, Dhananjay saves the day, but Arimbi succumbs to her injuries. In her final breath, she reveals to Yuda the location of the heirloom. Yuda’s heirloom was a Brajamusti medal that belonged to one of his ancestors. Unlike all the other Pandavas, Yuda possessed a very special gene, “Gatotkaca,” the chosen one. Yuda has been chosen to lead and protect the Pandava against the impending war. The Javanese script inscribed on the medal read that humankind carries both; the sins that destroy the world and the love and wisdom that can resurrect it.
Ashwathama needed only one superior soul to break free of his chains, so he blessed his disciple with Dushala’s power and sent him to bring Yuda’s soul. In Indian mythology, Dushala was the sister of the Kuruvas and the Pandavas. Some of the Pandavas are working alongside Kuruva and are carrying out the murders to free Aswathama. Professor Arya was also a Pandava and has been blessed by Krishna’s heirloom, i.e., the Sudarshana Chakra. Kuruvas somehow traced Pandava’s location and carried out simultaneous attacks on Agni, Yuda, and Dhananjay. Yuda goes to free everyone and clashes fists with his father, who reveals that he, too working alongside Pandavas. In reality, Pande left Arimbi and Yuda to fight the Kuruvas, and his heirloom Brajadenta, combined with Yuda’s heirloom Brajmusti, can open the gate to the ancient city of Astinapura.
‘Satria Dewa: Gatotkaca’ Ending Explained – Were Yuda And Pande Able To Stop Ashwatham’s Arrival?
The father-son duo combines their heirlooms and travels to Astinapur, where they are greeted by swarms of enemies. Earlier, the movie hints at Yuda’s father as the main antagonist, but in reality, it’s professor Arya who has been aiming to free Ashwathama. Professor Arya is also responsible for Erlangga and Arimbi’s deaths and intends to sacrifice his daughter’s soul to free Ashwathama, marking the end of the world. The professor orders Peceng to kill Yuda, but Peceng betrays Arya and snatches his gemstone. In his final moments, Arya apologizes to his friend and daughter and begs Yuda to end his suffering, and the latter complies. Peceng attacks Yuda, and Pande sacrifices himself to save his son. Both Peceng and Yuda transformed into their superior forms and took the fight to the sky. Peceng was overpowered but was defeated when Yuda used Narayan Astra, forever trapping Ashwathama in the process. Or so it seemed!
In the closing scenes, Agni is visited by a man dressed in white who introduces himself as “the son of Sage Drona” and the descendant of Kunti, i.e., Ashwatma. We know that Ashwthama was only a soul away from freedom and was risen again after consuming Profesor Arya’s soul. When Yuda defeated Peceng using the Narayana Astra, the gemstone shattered and released Arya’s soul, which was later consumed by Ashwathama, and the ensuing explosion suggests the same.
The movie is likely to have a sequel and will take a deep dive into both Ashwatma’s and Gatotkaca’s stories. The following installation will also bring some major characters to light which played significant roles in the great epic. One such character is “Shrikhandi,” who was glimpsed towards the end. In the Mahabharata, Shrikhandi played a major role in Kuruva’s defeat by helping Arjun or Dhananjay incapacitate Bheeshma. The movie often refers to Yuda or Gatotkaca as the chosen one, which also alludes to the Mahabharata. Gatotkaca played a very decisive role in the battle fought in Kurukshetra. Arjun was the most skilled and the strongest Pandava, while Karn was the best archer fighting under Duryodhana’s flag. Karn was saving his most potent arrow, “Shakti,” for Arjun but was forced to use it on Gatotkaca, killing him instantly. It was Gatotkaca’s sacrifice that turned the tide of the battle. For his sins, the mighty son of Drona was cursed to roam the world till the end of time with a never-healing wound on his forehead. Ashwathama is also expected to return towards the end of Kalyug, when violence, greed, and corruption will be at their peaks.
“Satria Dewa: Gatotkaca” is a 2022 fantasy action film directed by Hanung Bramantyo.
