'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.
