SAMTHEBESTEST

Sagar Sangamey (1959): Brief Review -

Debaki Bose's heartbreaking Bengali drama about a woman and her emotional bond with a young, unfamiliar girl. For clarity, let me state up front - this film has nothing to do with K. Viswanath and Kamal Haasan's Sagar Sangamam (1983). Many might confuse the titles. You're probably familiar with Salman Khan's Bajrangi Bhaijaan - Sagar Sangamey is somewhat similar in storyline. I'm not entirely sure whether this film deserved the National Award, as there were other better films released in 1959. That said, it's still a very Good film and is worth your time. Unlike Bajrangi Bhaijaan, the ending here is tragic. It's metaphorical and reflects the shifting mindset of the central woman. Let me elaborate with a small spoiler: the woman initially chooses not to take the girl - she's fine at that point. But when she changes her mind, fate steps in, and she can no longer have the girl. That's where the spiritual twist lands. The story follows a married woman on a boat journey who saves a young girl from drowning. She brings her to a camp, and they live together briefly. The woman must go abroad and cannot take the girl but also finds it impossible to leave her. Circumstances pull her back, and a deep mother-daughter bond forms. She ultimately leaves the girl at an orphanage. Will the girl listen to this thing said by her new mother? The climax is powerful and emotional. The rest of the film is simple, but marred by dark visuals, weak cinematography, poor editing, and shaky art direction. Debaki Bose's storytelling is strong, though the dim visuals and viewing discomfort lower its technical quality. But in terms of screenplay, performance, and emotion, I believe Sagar Sangamey was ahead of its time compared to other industries. Overall, a nice flick to look forward to, but the print, or the actual reel, isn't really of good quality.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Shehar Aur Sapna (1963) : Brief Review -

A hidden gem from Bollywood and undoubtedly the finest translation of Mumbai's life on celluloid. "Ajeeb jagah hai yeh. Yaha 1 aadmi 22 kamro mein rehta hai aur 22 log 1 kamre mein." - This single dialogue defines the stark contrast between the upper and lower classes in Mumbai. While a rich man lives alone in a 22-room bungalow on Warden Road (one of Mumbai's most prime localities), a middle or lower-class man shares a cramped 1RK with his wife, sister, and multiple children. This film brings that brutal reality to the silver screen with utter authenticity. It couldn't have been done better. The opening scene alone deserves a National Award - it's simply mind-blowing. The narrator speaks about the most important, wealthy, and bustling city in India, while the visuals contradict every word with heartbreaking irony. That's filmmaking at its most masterful. One man can't sleep on the street, while another, in his house, is equally restless. That's a powerful metaphor - money can buy you a house, a bed, and a pillow, but not peace or sleep. One dialogue goes, "Makhamali bichhaune par bhi ameeron ko nahi aati neend, aur gareeb to kaanton par bhi so jaate hain." You just can't get more poignant than that. Mumbai is often called the city of dreams, and this film boldly shatters that illusion. It drags you down from the clouds of fantasy to the harsh ground of reality. Many films have critiqued the urban struggle and the suffering of the poor, but few - if any - have been this raw and honest. King Vidor's The Crowd (1928) did it for Hollywood, and Shehar Aur Sapna is our answer to that silent era masterpiece. Poverty, dreams, wealth, shattered illusions, happiness, communal harmony, and life-altering philosophies - this film offers far too much for one mind to absorb in a single sitting. A true ground-level classic in every sense.

RATING - 8/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Karnan (1964) : Brief Review -

Tamil cinema's magnum opus featuring the legendary tale of the greatest warrior Karna has a TV-serial touch, but the epic climax explaining how six people killed Karna makes up for it. Sivaji Ganesan plays the titular character and lives up to the aura, but what the hell was the execution? The film has a dramatic score, a melodramatic tone, serial-like visuals, and soapy expressionism that puts it way behind the other magnum opuses made by Telugu and Hindi cinema before the 1960s. While I was waiting for the film to get over after tolerating it for almost 3 hours, the final 5 minutes of the climax really made me sigh in relief. The way NTR, aka Lord Krishna, explains that it wasn't Arjun who killed Karna, but rather there had been six people behind his death-Arjun just made it formal, while Karna was actually brought down by many already-is brilliant. The moment when the dying Karna donates his blood to Lord Krishna and Krishna realises how great a donor Karna was truly makes his character stand out as the greatest in Mahabharata. Karna's story is such, you know-he deserved that king-size life but never got it. Born to Kunti, he was abandoned right after birth. He didn't have the name of parents to carry, so he never got that Kshatriya stature despite being the greatest warrior. He didn't even get a chance to show his actual skills to the Pandavas, who thought they were bigger than him-because of his vows. Truly, a story to be cherished forever. But what a low-quality presentation B. R. Panthulu gave to the film. It might have been top class for Tamil cinema back in a time when they were only making formulaic films, but compared to Hindi and Telugu grand epics, this wasn't even half as good. NTR saved the day, and Sivaji sir was somewhat good-the eyes did the job, while the expressions spoiled it. Overall, a film that doesn't have anything to remember except for its story-thanks to Mahabharata-and the climax-again, thanks to Mahabharata.

RATING - 5/10*

By - #samthebestest.