Sagara Sangamam (1983) User Reviews

A beautiful movie

[Vicky_baba · 9/10 · 4 May 2007]

'Sagara sangamam' refers to the meeting of the river with the sea.It metaphorically refers to many things such as the seeking and fulfillment of destiny,of the union of people meant for each other and even of a persons place in the world.

Sagara sangamam is the story of two star crossed lovers who sacrifice all for the happiness of each other.Balakrishna is a talented dancer with a passion for the arts(and dance in particular).His simple and honest soul doesn't permit him to attain professional success in a world that requires a certain level of moral flexibility.

Battling poverty yet hoping to someday fulfill his(and his mothers) dream of becoming a dancer,Balakrishna(Kamal Hassan) meets the beautiful Madhavi(Jayapradha).

Madhavi recognizes the talent inherent in Balakrishna and gives him the opportunities that would finally give Balakrishna the recognition he deserves.Before an important life changing performance tragedy strikes and Balakrishnas mother passes away.

Balakrishna never completely recovers this tragedy yet remains steadfast with courage that Madhavi is on his side.Madhavi seemingly accepts his love yet the river and the sea never meet.

Balakrishnas world slowly falls apart and he tries to escape it all through cigarettes and alcohol. Not until its all about to end does Balakrishna finally meet Madhavi again,through an unpleasant encounter with her haughty daughter.

Sagara sangamam is a great movie filled with such lyrical beauty it absorbs you entirely.Its greatness lies in its authenticity,simplicity and self conviction that its character portray so well.Kamal hassan portrays Balakrishna so well that its hard to imagine anyone else in his place.Some people are born to play some roles.This was one of Kamal hassans.Jayapradha(as Madhavi) is stunningly beautiful and a pleasure to the eyes.

The direction of great k.Vishwanath is flawless and dialogs by Jhandhyala are immortal.The music of this movie remains popular until this very day.S.P.Balasubramaniam completely deserves the national award that he won for this movie.Many scenes in the movie especially the drunken'rain dance' atop the well remains forever etched in telugu cinema culture.

I remember watching this movie at a very young age and it made no sense to me as to why everyone in my family loved it so much.It wasn't until recent times that I saw it again and realized how i had seen it all before yet realized so little until now.

Sagarsasangamam is a classic in every sense.

marvellous movie

[satyakvv · 10/10 · 13 December 1998]

It is such a wonderful movie from Vishwanath. with the music and dance and the sentiment, one can watch this movie many times. what a great dance and sequences by Kamala Haasan.. lovely songs...

Perhaps the best movie ever made in Telugu

[sritalks · 10/10 · 19 November 2006]

For those who have read economics, the law of diminishing marginal utility does not work here. This movie continues to grow on you. I have seen this time and again and would love to see it again.

For the casual observer it might appear to be a movie based on a failed classic dancer but it is much beyond that. True, it has popularised the classical dance format to such an extent that every time I see this movie, I repent not learning. Much beyond the dance, this movie is an amazing portrayal of human emotions.

And anything I talk about the music is less. Veturi has penned lyrics in a manner, which have made him the legend he is and Ilayaraja, the maestro, gave life to the lyrics. Its been 23 years since the movie has released but the songs are still considered the best Telugu Movies have ever seen.

About the performances, anything said is less. Kamal Hassan and Jayaprada have always received rave reviews for their performances in this movie but another actor who deserves a mention is Sarath Babu. Spell binding performance. Not to forget, Jandhyala's dialogues render life to the characters.

dance of emotions

[balusmbox · 10/10 · 14 December 2004]

This movie is a gem for two reasons. One, it had popularised the traditional dance forms of India in the telugu speaking land. Two, it is an excellent portrayal of complex emotions like Love, friendship, teacher-student relationship, and above all devotion to art.

When I saw this movie at age of 10, i thought it was boring. Very recently at age of 23 i watched this movie again, and was bowled over by the way Balu and Madhavi are portrayed in the movie. The love and affection between the characters is divine in nature. A must see for all.

a masterpiece of indian cinema

[niccolo_machiavelli · 10/10 · 8 November 2002]

this movie is truly a cornerstone for all kinds of cinematic expression, as far as indian art is concerned. very unfortunate that present day cinema (indian) has been overtaken by crass storytelling and thinly veiled attempts to dump undeserving kith and kin of who's who on the unsuspecting audiences. kamal haasan performs his work beautifully as a struggling but talented dancer who lives( and dies) for his art in a moving portrayal. it must be one of his greatest roles in the past two decades.

i am yet to see another presenter of k.vishwanath's class in movie-making for a long time.technical wizards, yes, but true creators of evergreen masterpieces , hmm..., , i don't think so.

and to think every director(read " son/brother/daughter/sister of .... who has chosen to make the business his fiefdom") talks about his new

" attempt to emulate vishwanath" today with a poker face!!!!

i am sorry but , at least in hindi and telugu cinema, sorry, no ---i think few of you deserve to be there.

this is certainly not a movie to be missed.

Can never get bored of this movie

[brazen_dude · 10/10 · 29 December 2007]

Just saw this movie for the Nth time....

and i can never get bored of watching this beautifully made film....

Sad part is i cant give more than 10 for this movie...

Probably the best movie made in Telugu language.

Human emotions and feelings were handled in a sensible way.... and the best love story i ever watched...

Classical dance was portrayed with masterly touch...

I don't think any other director can handle with such elegance...

Kudos to K.Viswanath, Ilayaraja, Veturi.

I am sure their magic cannot be repeated again... A masterpiece.

This movie is highly recommendable.

master piece

[ravisuniverse · 9/10 · 9 March 2006]

very good movie. good direction brilliant music and brilliant performances by the artists.

the drunkard who is also a columnist in a new paper comments about a dancer for some erratic movements. the girl and her fiancé call the drunkard and try to insult him ,but, insulted by him . he shows the dance movements to the dancer. it is later known that the dancer's mother and the drunkard were lovers in their younger days.

the girl keeps hating the drunkard but she is forced to take lessons from him. even the romance is handled in much more mature and appreciable manner.

brilliant performance by drunkard / dance master , drunkard's friend , dancer , dancer's mom .

Masterpiece

[vdsrihari · 10/10 · 12 September 2009]

SagaraSangamam in Telugu and Salangai Oli in Tamil is a Masterpiece of Kamal Hassan and the director K. Vishwanath. Comparing Sagarasangaman to the present day film, there is nothing in the present day film, How the present day film is explained the sagarasangamam film in a scene, Yes sagarasangamam is a masterpiece and world class film that kamalHassan have proved his talent in the film. The songs in the film is also a great and gives a feel to the heart thanks to the writer and singers of the songs in both Telugu and tamil. Thanks to jayaprada, sarathbabu and others Thanks to the producer also Thanks to Kamal and Director. Looking for the great films like this again.

ARS GRATIA ARTIS

[typ-o · 16 January 2003]

Talking about one of my all time favourite movies should be easy right? Well thats not the case here. I first saw this movie when I was 12 years old and didnt understand what big fuss was about. Re-viewings would prove what a classic piece of confluence of art and emotions it was and why It was deservedly the National Award Winner.

Maestro K Vishwanath depicts the tale of of Balakrishna Bhagwathar, a dancer (brilliantly portrayed by Kamal Hassan), who goes to lengths to learn the various Indian classical dances. Whats most intersting about the movie is the way the director, Vishwanath, deals with the emotions of the poor and struggling dancer and an up and coming dancer.

Wish people out of India could also see this movie.

Brilliant movie, brilliant performances, great music

[harishn76 · 9/10 · 14 July 2009]

This is an excellent movie that showcases one of the ancient dance forms of India, Bharatnatyam. The story revolves around a great, multi-skilled dancer (Kamal Hasan) whose life has seen many so many personal tragedies that he has become an incorrigible alcoholic. A tough critic, he earns the enemity of many and the grudging respect of a few with his ruthless critique of other dance exponents who don't quite get their steps right. Through a twist of fate, he ends up teaching his skills to the daughter of the girl he loved, but lost, in his younger years. In the end, even as his disciple performs her maiden exposition ("arangetram" in Tamil) in public, he is dying, coughing up blood. As he witnesses his disciple present a flawless exposition, he is also deeply satisfied that finally he had seen his skills passed on to someone who would illumine the ancient tradition more than he ever could. He could never achieve respect for the treasures he possessed, but realizes that he has lived his dream through his unlikely disciple, and fulfilled his life's mission moments before his death. His dying declaration is "art never dies."

The first thing that strikes you about the film is the sheer intensity of performance by the main protagonist, played by Kamal Hasan. He is a trained dancer, and his fluid, graceful Bharatnaytam is a pleasure to watch. Years younger than his age on the screen, Kamal has delivered a stunning performance as an old diseased man whose mastery over dance still lingers in the winter of his life.

The music pieces include a mix of Indian classical and modern with a sombre and brooding tone. The devotionals accompanying the dance pieces are still evergreen favorites in Southern India. The movie is still remembered as a fine example of an Indian classical dance form. Kamal's performance had been critically acclaimed then and respected even today.

A movie worth watching for anybody interested in Indian dance and music forms and how sublime they can be, even in a movie format.

Salangai oli

[santhosh-10290 · 8/10 · 15 July 2019]

Good Movie. Everybody acted very well in the movie. Songs and BGM in the movie were good. The movie lagged a lot at 1st half. The movie was interesting at 2nd half. This movie had one of the Best Performance of Kamal Haasan. Good Movie.

THE EXCEPTIONAL KAMAL HAASAN.

[MandalBros-5 · 9/10 · 7 February 2021]

Sagara Sangamam is one of those few Indian dance films which are really good. I think only Kamal Haasan could do this. Because he danced with such perfection and also acted brilliantly. Jaya Prada was looking gorgeous in the film. She shared such a beautiful chemistry with Haasan.

Some emotional moments will touch your heart directly. I think only problem of the film is it's Runtime. Otherwise if you're a Kamal Haasan admirer then you should definitely watch this film. Ilaiyaraaja won National Film Award for Best Music Direction. The film is listed among CNN-IBN's list of 100 greatest Indian films of all time.

You can watch the film on Amazon Prime Video.

© MandalBros.

A high-end mix-up of multiple Indian Expressionism hurt by inaccurate Melodrama but still a Must Watch for Kamal Haasan's Astonishing Skills.

[SAMTHEBESTEST · 7/10 · 27 June 2021]

Sagara Sangamam (1983) : Brief Review -

A high-end mix-up of multiple Indian Expressionism hurt by inaccurate Melodrama but still a Must Watch for Kamal Haasan's Astonishing Skills. Dance films in Indian Cinema haven't got that much exploration and variations as per the numerous forms available nationwide. I remember watching few known films from old days and V. Shantaram's National Award Winner 'Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje' (1955) is the only one that has stayed in my memory. That film was highly conceptualized for its time and yet broke the mainstream myths through art form. Sagara Sangamam is way more dramatic and conflicting than that but it definitely lacks the accuracy. Maybe this same film in 50s or 60s would have looked accurate but those cliches looked dated for 80s filmmaking. It's not like that it fails in every step of the narrative build-up, there are one or two big loopes that needed more clarity and it would have all fine. The film is about classical dancer, Balakrishna and his struggle to find professional success and love in life. His sacrifice makes others happy but he is personally drown way down to live happy life and then after years he is eventually redeemed. There are too many elements in the film to handle for one narrative. It might be the major reason why it didn't find accuracy while managing so many conflicts to make the climax look more impactful. The major problem for me was, the struggle of Balu should have been shown in brutal way in those years before the narrative takes a leap. That sudden realisation of his mistakes and responsive behaviour could have been elaborated in better ways. But like i said, for 80s it was okay, not completely but somehow. Kamal Hassan's performance and dance skills are enough to call it a Must See. Even though the film struggles to find the meaning of Indian expressionism in the Middle portion, at the end it survives due to the same. Overall, very good but could have been Great.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Movie for a lifetime!!!

[kickashrit · 10/10 · 6 January 2020]

There are many things that make this masterpiece timeless but three things that stand out are Kamal's acting Vishwanath's direction (story) Ilayaraja's music

Fate's Twists and Turns

[rtoac1 · 8/10 · 11 November 2020]

This is a Telugu language film starring Kamal Haasan and Jaya Prada.

This is a dance based film most enjoyable for the dance performances of Kamal and acting skills of Jaya Prada.

The message is how fate reigns supreme and at times when it's not due, what you desire never happens. This is what happens with the protagonist both in his professional and personal life. But to show he falls into alcoholism instead of maintaining his dignity (ala Shankarabaranam) was in my view a wrong direction to the film.

The hurried climax despite the film's long length shows screenplay and editing couldn't do as much as they could have.

But the director's heart is in the right place throughout showing respect for the medium of dance in our country.

I rated it 8/10 on IMDB

A timeless classic

[bvspavan-91752 · 10/10 · 22 November 2020]

Direction--excellent, writing-- excellent, acting--excellent, cinematography--excellent, Music-- excellent, editing--excellent, costumes--excellent, art direction-- excellent Overall a masterpiece supported by the masters of the crafts.

Great performance.Great Movie

[hari8723 · 8/10 · 21 June 2013]

One of the best telugu movies of all time,excellent performance by Kamal Hasan as an Indian classical dancer who fails to make it big & takes to alcohol.Jayaprada plays the role of an admirer who helps him to get into a big classical event ,Kamal falls in love with her ,not knowing that she is already married but living alone.Once he gets to know this ,he leaves her gets depressed & takes to alcohol.Jayaprada reunites with her husband & goes abroad.Years later her daughter also becomes a classical dancer ,but is arrogant and unwilling to learn & accept criticism from the likes of Kamal who now works for a newspaper as an art critic.Jayaprada comes to know about Kamal ,is depressed about his current state & offers him medical treatment.Kamal dies at the end .after Jaya's daughter embraces him as her real 'Guru'. ,Can watch it for Kamal's performance alone .The way he dances professionally you can mistake him for a renowned classical dancer.Excellent music as well.One of the few Indian cinemas in 1980s which still stands today as a classic.

Bravo!!!!

[sattech50 · 10/10 · 12 October 2006]

One the best movies that you could come across in Indian film industry...I saw this movie in Tamil. And I can see this movie all day long.All these just for the music and the acting of Kamal Hasan.Though I am not a great fan of Kamal, I do like his approach to whatever project he takes. He devotes 100% to that and learn what he is going to do before he does. Think no actor in the world can do this(at least not throughout their career). And this applies for this movies too. His Dance, his expression and the Music. Its still fresh in the minds of people after almost 3 decades.Altogether a great movie and a must see film..

Excellent Music and Movie

[hemaabcde · 10/10 · 13 September 2017]

K Viswanadh direction, Ilaiyaraaja Music, Kamalhaasan acting and dance performances are fabulous and no single point i can ignore to highlight in the movie.

It is the stage for Kumari Shailaja(S.P.Balasubramniam's sister) to perform. It is her widowed mother's desire to cherish her dream of seeing an art(Classical Indian Dance) not die with the prodigal Balakrishna(Kamal Haasan).

Balakrishna who is battling for life wants shailaja to become a great dancer, which he could not with so much talent that got buried in his trials and tribulations and that transformed him into a cynical drunkard columnist.

The sadhana starts in the Hospital with the song, made me cry while watching the movie. Super Duper ever green movie as well as music.

Brilliant

[vayulakka · 10/10 · 9 August 2022]

The failure of the human spirit and how life just screws with someone is not touched upon, this movie is a masterpiece made on the concept of fate, how each event is connected in one's life. His fate was not success but mastery. This movie highlights the sad realism that hard work doesn't always pay off in the way one wants it to, but it does pay off in some way. He died knowing that he couldn't accomplish, but was satisfied by passing his essence on. (I cried my eyes out)

Awesome art...Beautiful framing ...

[saileshA · 10/10 · 19 May 2016]

Its the movie which shows ...ART never dies...its only the people who are the players in art... One of the movie which shows ...world is the stage and art is our work... To Die in art is our Heaven ...

Beautiful

Lovely...

emotional...

Art of an Artist...

Awesome movie... In my POV ...

And We are not here to judge movies and We are here to watch...Take good and leave bad from them...You can leave happily forever...The Start Of love for people in cinema is the CHANGE and key to worlds good...

I am reviewing this movie or rating any other movie because i love to watch good movies... i love to make or work for any good movie i like or love and only for people and for my GURU'S...and i m no one to rate or review any other movie... I thank IMDb who created an opportunity to enjoy movies... Every single person has his own Point Of View ... and every single person should have their own view do-not include others in Your P.O. view... Enjoy Movies ...Be a fan of a movie Not a star or an actor...We are here to make movies till our Death and and We are born to do it...Salute every Filmmaker who wants to change this world with Good films....

Never before ! Never Again !

[hguy1 · 9/10 · 7 October 2018]

A hit movie based on classical dance is something unimaginable. But was pulled off by K. Vishwanath. Everyone wanted to become a classical dancer after this. And it couldn't have been possible without Kamalhassan and Jayaprada. Even if we take away the dance, the movie had a strong emotional line. All the minor actors perfectly complimented the main theme. The scene where Kamalhassan dying mother gives her poor son some money will bring tears to Gabbar Singh's eyes. Mounamelaoye is the sexiest song ever. But not one bit of nudity or, for that matter, not even a touch. Another highlight was SPB sister- in the role of a rookie dancer. Who can forget the short fat comic wannabe photographer. That 'well' dance had out heart in our mouth. Will he fall?

If you ever need a perfect entertainer, this is the one.

Love has no boundaries

[divyachavali · 10/10 · 3 March 2021]

Such an amazing movie, so well made/directed. Love has no boundaries is what this movie portrays. There is such depth in the emotions depicted by each actor. A movie so pure and true to the subject of love. Heart wrenching! This movie is a classic and it yet assures me that stories/movies can be made so entertaining, engaging, musical, without contaminating the essence of the story with body show, uncessary kiss or foul language.

A Brilliant Movie for ever!

[asaikiran · 10/10 · 16 November 2007]

A great and a brilliant movie, i love you Kamal and you are my favorite actor, i guess no one in the world can be compared to Kamal Hassan, he does anything for a movie, he grows beard, shaves his head, a true actor in all the ways.......i love the way he enacts crying scenes in a movie, one really gets tears watching his emotion scenes. He is only the THE greatest actor and very splendidly shows his talent in this movie, HAT'S off to Kamal Hassan.....!!! Love you Kamal....! Keep it UP! LOVE YOU!!! Love K. Vishwanath too for giving us such a wonderful movie....! Hat's of to the director K. Vishwanath too for Sagara Sangamam and Swathi Muthyam for extracting the talent from Kamal.....GREAT Director.......! Watch this movie......! A+++ and very very highly recommended movie for ALL........!

One of the master pieces

[dinesh-rajasekharan · 10/10 · 20 September 2023]

Every time I watch a mindless and illogical movies these days (such as Arjun Reddy, Baby, etc.) I go back and watch Sagara Sangamam for a relief. It never gets board.

What a movie! Kudos to director K. Vishwanath for portraying that there is a sacrifice in love. The way he elevates the charcter of female lead roles, the dedication to the art form. The amount of research he puts into picturing the art forms of Bharath are amazing. The lead actor Kamal Hassan has put equal effort by learning different dance styles, speaking Telugu clearly (his mother Tongue is Tamil).

This movie is an epitome of friendship, love, and art.