Sagara Sangamam

'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.

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.

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.

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 .

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.