Sagara Sangamam

Sagara Sangamam (transl. Confluence with the ocean) is a 1983 Indian Telugu-language dance film written and directed by K. Viswanath and produced by Edida Nageswara Rao. The film stars Kamal Haasan, Jaya Prada, Sarath Babu, S. P. Sailaja and Chakri Toleti.^[1] Upon release, the film received positive reviews and became a box office hit.^[2] The film has received two National Film Awards, three Filmfare Awards South and the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film (Bronze).

Sagara Sangamam
Poster
Directed by	K. Viswanath
Written by	K. Viswanath Jandhyala (dialogues)
Produced by	Edida Nageswara Rao
Starring	Kamal Haasan Jaya Prada S. P. Sailaja
Cinematography	P. S. Nivas
Edited by	G. G. Krishna Rao
Music by	Ilaiyaraaja
Production companies	Arunachalam Vaahini
Distributed by	Poornodaya Movie Creations
Release date	3 June 1983 (1983-06-03)
Running time	160 minutes
Country	India
Language	Telugu

The film was dubbed into Tamil and Malayalam and released as Salangai Oli and Sagara Sangamam respectively. Kamal Haasan had lent his voice for all three versions. The film was premiered at the 9th IFFI in 1984, and retrospectively at the 45th IFFI in the Celebrating Dance in Indian cinema section. The film was dubbed into Russian, and was screened at the Moscow International Film Festival, Asia Pacific Film Festival and AISFM Film Festival. Salangai Oli was released on the same day as Sagara Sangamam.

Plot

Balakrishna, fondly called Balu, is an economically disadvantaged but multi-talented dancer, adept at the Indian classical dances of Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam, Kathak, etc. His simple and very honest soul does not permit him to attain professional success in the commercial world that requires a certain level of moral laxness. Madhavi, a wealthy young woman and a dance patron, notices his talent and acts as his benefactor, helping him secure an opportunity to participate in a high-level classical dance festival.

Balu's aging mother passes away from the afflictions of poverty, two days before his performance. Balu, who was very attached to her, is emotionally devastated and fails to participate in the dance festival. Madhavi nevertheless, gives him support and encouragement and sets him on the mend. Balu gradually develops a fondness for Madhavi as their relationship grows. He hides his love for her but eventually picks up the courage to express it. Balu discovers that, while Madhavi shares his feelings, she is a married woman separated from her husband. Her husband later returns to unite Madhavi and Balu, but Balu decides to sacrifice his love, showing respect for the institution of marriage.

Years pass, and Balu, a disappointed man, has become an inconsolable alcoholic and a newspaper journalist/art critic. Once he critiques a dancer, Sailaja, for a lack of concentration on her form and more towards the audience, which results in them having a fight. The article is in-turn read by Madhavi, who turns out to be Sailaja's mother, and has lost her husband. She finds out about Balu, his medical condition, never ending love for her, and her family. In a bid to revive his will to live and his passion for his art, she tends to his medical needs through his friend, Raghu, and solicits Balu to be the dance instructor for her daughter. She does not come in front of him, worried that he would not be able to cope with the news of her being a widow. However, a situation arises where she saves him from falling into a well. She comes in front of him wearing a bhindi. He later learns the truth about her husband and his condition deteriorates.

The film ends with Sailaja's on-stage performance with Balu watching her in a wheelchair, his health completely deteriorated. He dies while watching her performance. A heartbroken Raghu takes him away quietly, without interrupting the performance. Madhavi, devastated, follows them with an umbrella, covering Balu from the rain.

Cast

• Kamal Haasan as Balakrishna "Balu"
• Jaya Prada as Madhavi
• Sarath Babu as Ragupathy
• S. P. Sailaja as Sailaja, Madhavi's daughter
• Sakshi Ranga Rao as Balu's uncle
• Dubbing Janaki as Balu's mother
• Chakri Toleti as Teen photographer
• Potti Prasad as Madhavi's servant
• S. K. Misro as Film choreographer
• Manju Bhargavi as Classical dancer
• Geetha as Dance assistant
• Mohan Sharma as Venugopala Rathnam, Madhavi's husband

Production

Kamal and R. C. Sakthi wanted to make a film on a subject, about a dancer who was an alcoholic, which they named "Anupallavi" when K. Viswanath approached him with a similar subject, Kamal felt he had to do the film. On the sets of the film, Gopi Krishna, one of the choreographers, insisted that Kamal should train for at least a month. Kamal was one of the top stars of the time, doing multiple shifts, and had to find the time. Kamal said it was the "greatest sacrifice from my side".^[3] Playback singer S. P. Sailaja was recruited to play a prominent role, thereby making her debut as an actress and it also remains the only film she had acted in so far.^[4] K. Viswanath who is related to Sailaja, decided that she would fit perfectly in the role of Kamal Haasan's pupil, after seeing the photos.^[5] Sailaja recalled: "I was reluctant as I was trained only in Bharatanatyam, but in the film I had to perform other dance forms like Kathak too. While shooting my introductory song "Om Namah Shivaya" at Ravindra Bharathi, I became nervous on the stage and refused to act".^[6] Chakri Toleti did the role of a photographer boy in the film.^[7][8] Thota Tharani said that the budget was drastically cut for the song in which Kamal dances on the well.^[9]

Soundtrack

The film score and soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja . The lyrics for the Telugu version were written by Veturi, while Vairamuthu has written the lyrics for the Tamil version and Sreekumaran Thampi for Malayalam version. The song "Vedam Anuvanavuna" is based on Hamsanandi Raga.^[10] The song "Om Nama Sivaya" is based on Hindolam Raga.^[11][12] The song "Naada Vinodam" is based on Shree ranjani Raga.^[13] The song "Balakanakamaya" is based on a Thyagaraja kirtana and was composed on Atana raga .^[14] The song "Thakita Thadimi" is based on Shanmukhapriya Raga .^[15] "Vevela Gopemmala" is based on Mohanam raga and "Mounamelanoyi Ee Marapurani Reyi" is based on Pahadi raga .

Sagara Sangamam (Original Telugu soundtrack)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Baala Kanakamaya Chela"	Tyagaraja	S. Janaki
2.	"Mounamelanoyi Ee Marapurani Reyi"		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
3.	"Naada Vinodamu Natya Vilasamu"		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. P. Sailaja
4.	"Om Namah Shivaaya"		S. Janaki
5.	"Thakita Thadimi"		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
6.	"Vedam Anuvanuvuna Nadam"		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. P. Sailaja
7.	"Vevela Gopemmala"		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. P. Sailaja

All lyrics are written by Veturi except where noted; all music is composed by Ilaiyaraaja

Salangai Oli (Tamil soundtrack)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Baala Kanakamaya Chela (Telugu)"	Tyāgayya	S. Janaki	03:52
2.	"Mounamana Neram"		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki	04:33
3.	"Nadha Vinodhangal Nadana Sandhoshangal"		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. P. Sailaja	03:58
4.	"Om Namah Shivaaya"		S. Janaki	04:41
5.	"Thakita Thadimi Thakita Thadimi Thamdhaanaa"		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam	04:12
6.	"Vedham Anuvilum Oru Naadham"		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. P. Sailaja	05:22
7.	"Vaan Pole Vannam Kondu"		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. P. Sailaja	04:34

All lyrics are written by Vairamuthu except where noted; all music is composed by Ilaiyaraaja

Sagara Sangamam (Malayalam soundtrack)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Baala Kanakamaya (Telugu)"	Tyagaraja	S. Janaki
2.	"Mounam Polum Madhuram"		P. Jayachandran, S. Janaki
3.	"Nadha Vinodam"		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. P. Sailaja
4.	"Om Namah Shivaya"		S. Janaki
5.	"Thakita Thadimi"		P. Jayachandran
6.	"Vedham Anuvil"		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. P. Sailaja
7.	"Varmegha Varnante Maaril"		P. Jayachandran, P. Madhuri

All lyrics are written by Sreekumaran Thampi except where noted; all music is composed by Ilaiyaraaja

Release and reception

Sagara Sangamam was released on 3 June 1983. The film had a highly successful run in the theatres; it ultimately ended as a box-office success. The Tamil version Salangai Oli was released on the same day as Sagara Sangamam and successful run in the theatres,^[16] being the first film that ran more than 100 days in the four South Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Reviewing Tamil version Salangai Oli for Kalki gave a mixed review praising the song "Thakita Thadhimi" but felt for other songs K. V. Mahadevan should have been approached and criticised the film's length and concluded saying its true that art never dies but the film ?.^[17]

Awards and recognitions

The film was premiered at the 9th IFFI in 1984, and retrospectively at the 45th IFFI in the Celebrating Dance in Indian cinema section.^[18][19] The film was dubbed into Russian, and was screened at the Moscow International Film Festival, Asia Pacific Film Festival.^[20]

List of awards and nominations
Award	Date of ceremony	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
National Film Awards	June 1984	National Film Award for Best Music Direction	Ilaiyaraaja	Won	[21]
		National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer	S. P. Balasubrahmanyam	Won
Nandi Awards	1983	Nandi Award for Third Best Feature Film - Bronze	K. Viswanath (Director) Edida Nageswara Rao (Producer)	Won	[22]
		Nandi Award for Best Actor	Kamal Haasan	Won
		Nandi Award for Best Female Playback Singer	S. Janaki	Won
		Nandi Award for Best Art Director	Thota Tharani	Won
		Nandi Award for Best Editor	G. G. Krishna Rao	Won
		Nandi Award for Best Audiographer	A.R. Swaminadhan	Won
Filmfare Awards South	1984	Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu	Kamal Haasan	Won	[23]
		Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu	Jaya Prada	Won
		Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu	K. Viswanath	Won

Legacy

The film is listed among CNN-IBN's list of 100 greatest Indian films of all time.^[24]

References

1. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "few scenes from Sagarasangamam with chakri toleti". YouTube. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
2. Dave, Ranjana (30 June 2011). "The meaning in movement". The Asian Age. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
3. BARADWAJ RANGAN (16 October 2014). "Enriching cinema, Kamal style". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
4. Rani Devalla (18 November 2014). "From busy schedule to work-life balance". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
5. OLYMPIA SHILPA GERALD (26 June 2010). "On a high note". The Hindu.
6. "Melody unwind". The Hindu. 4 December 2008.
7. "Chakri Toleti interview - Telugu Cinema interview - Telugu film director". idlebrain.com. Archived from the original on 30 April 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
8. "'A Wednesday' is 'Eenadu' in Telugu". The Hindu. 30 August 2009.
9. "To the director above, thanks!". The Hindu. 5 April 2005. Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
10. CHARULATHA MANI (23 December 2011). "A Raga's Journey – Heart-rending Hamsanandi". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 February 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
11. Charulatha Mani (19 August 2011). "A Raga's Journey – Hindolam Highlights". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 23 August 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
12. T. SARAVANAN (20 September 2013). "Ragas hit a high". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
13. Charulatha Mani (26 October 2012). "Six-note splendour". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
14. CHARULATHA MANI (14 September 2012). "Atana for inspiring valour". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 20 July 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
15. Charulatha Mani (2 September 2011). "A Raga's Journey - Sacred Shanmukhapriya". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
16. "சலங்கை ஒளி". Dina Thanthi (in Tamil). 3 June 1983. Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
17. ஜெயமன்மதன் (19 June 1983). "சலங்கை ஒலி". Kalki (in Tamil). p. 3. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
18. "45th International Film Festival of India, Goa" (2014). Official catalogue, Indian Cinema IFFI 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
19. "Directorate of Film Festival" (PDF). iffi.nic.in. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 November 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
20. Prakash KL. "Sagara Sangamam to be screened at Kamal's films fest | - Oneindia Entertainment". Entertainment.oneindia.in. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
21. "31st National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
22. "నంది అవార్డు విజేతల పరంపర (1964–2008)" [A series of Nandi Award Winners (1964–2008)] (PDF). Information & Public Relations of Andhra Pradesh. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2020.(in Telugu)
23. "Collections". Update Video Publication. 16 December 1991. Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2020 – via Google Books.
24. "100 Years of Indian Cinema: The 100 greatest Indian films of all time". News18. 17 April 2013. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2023.

External links

• Sagara Sangamam at IMDb