At a time when the whole world is talking mental health, I came across an endearing film back in the eighties that worked a delightful story around this. The climax of this film would count as one of the most heart-breaking scenes in the history of Indian cinema.
ASHOK’s FIVE reviews #Sadma, directed by #BaluMahendra and starring #KamalaHassan and #Sridevi. Released in 1983, this remains a classic and is now available on the #MUBI platform. It is a remake of the 1981 Tamil film #MoondramPirai.
#Sadma literally means trauma is about how Nehalata suffers from retrograde amnesia after meeting with an accident and becomes the child-woman Reshmi. Somu, a teacher finds her and adopts her with an endearing tenderness. They move from Mumbai to scenic Ooty and the couple share some delightful moments. What director #BaluMahendra succeeds in doing so well is to get us rooting for Somu and Reshmi completely. This is a masterclass in how to get audiences invested in the protagonists!
1. Almost every frame in the film has #KamalaHassan. He carries the film on his shoulders; his expressive eyes get the right mix of laughter and sorrow brilliantly. I think the moments of silence as the camera pans his face show you how versatile this actor is. The Hindi dub is actually quite tacky in parts, but the film rises to a whole new level on the strength of the acting prowess. While Kamal excels in the histrionics all through, I would urge you to just go watch the expression on his face as he sings that Yesudas number “Surmayee Akhiyon …”. His facial expressions beat any dialogue hollow!
2. #Sadma would also rate as one of #Sridevi’s all time best performances. She gets the mannerisms of the child woman bang on – mischievous, unaware and totally innocent. However, I think the brilliance of #BaluMahendra is the switch that happens when the roles reverse at the climax and a graceful Nehalata looks at the hapless Somu and dismisses him off saying “Shayad koi paagal hai”. Kamal on his part manages to captivate you with his expressions while not throwing you off with his physical injuries! The lead pair does a fantastic job of keeping you hooked all through.
When Sreedevi passed away, Kamal paid tribute to her saying “We’re not prone to showing emotions, but somehow we both hugged each other. I’m very grateful for that hug. Sadma song still rings in my ears. I think that’s a great lullaby for this talented and beautiful Sridevi.”
3. Then there is #SilkSmitha and her eminently avoidable role. It is a compete force-fit and #KamalaHassan does acknowledge it later in an interview. Her dialogues delivered in a badly done falsetto make you cringe. And that song with Kamal is also so ill-timed, I wish it was edited out. That song, incidentally has been choreographed by #PrabhuDeva’s father #SundaramMaster!
4. Talking about the people behind the film, there are some wonderful songs done by #Ilayaraja and assisted by (Guess who!) #ARRahman!! While “Surmaiyee….” Is the clear stand-out winner, my favourite is the #SureshWadkar number “Aye Zindagi.gale laga le”. The lyrics are by Gulzar and the songs are sung by #AshaBhosle, #SureshWadkar and #KJYesudas.
5. #Sadma is a rather innocuous title for a profound film that deals with mental illness, love and affection, care and belonging and the ultimate heart-break. The scenic Ooty backdrop is the perfect setting for the endearing narrative.
I was intrigued by the camerawork of the film and looked up #BaluMahendra to discover that he was a Sri Lankan born cinematographer who graduated to directing films and has an impressive body of work to his credit. Interestingly, the trigger for his career was a school trip where he witnessed the shoot of #DavidLean’s #ThebridgeovertheriverKwai. He was the recipient of six National Film awards, including two for cinematography. That explains the exquisite framing and the meticulous attention to detail!
