Sadma (1983)

Spoilers ahead (I will try to not divulge too much of the plot, and stick to the reactions it evoked in me, but still. Knowing the ending is definitely ruining the movie for yourself, so I would advise you to go watch the movie, and then come back).

This was probably the saddest movie I have ever seen, but I am yet to cry. I mean, I cried a lot in the beginning, in the prostitution racket bit, but I am yet to cry after the ending. And the reason is because this movie made me confront my own morality in such a subtle yet powerful way that I can't shed tears, because who will I be shedding them for? All the misgivings I had while watching the movie were proven unfounded by the ending, and yet, my heart still broke. There was a profound sense of grief, that I am not even going to try and put into words. That shot of Kamal Haasan in the rain in the railway station- how does one move past it? Even though that's how I know it should have ended, since there is no other ethically superior alternative, at least none that I can think of. 

Sadma is probably enough for one to realise why Sridevi and Kamal Haasan are such legends in the history of Indian cinema. And honestly, hats off to Sridevi Amma especially. She plays a woman who suffers trauma, develops amnesia, and regresses to a child-like state, and I think I do not need to elaborate what happens to such characters in Bollywood- they're just present for comic relief. In fact, even within the realm of comedy, the portrayal is not very tasteful. I was quite sceptical, but Sridevi Amma just blew all my expectations out of the fucking water. I personally think that no other actress could have been this natural, could have made me feel so much for this character and want nothing but the best for her. A lot has been said about Kamal Haasan's acting in the climax, and rightly so. That sequence deserves its own award category. 

Also, the award for the most appropriate title goes to this movie, because I was (am) very traumatised, but not exactly in a bad way ("Sadma" is the Hindi word for "trauma"). 

I feel like there's so much I have to say about this movie, but the words just won't come. Sigh. The one thing I do want to add is now I understand why I have kind of always associated the song "Aye Zindagi Gale Laga Le" with sadness, even though the song is actually not sad. I know it probably doesn't make sense, but well, neither did that for me. "Aye Zindagi Gala Daba De" was always my joke. And now I don't think I'll ever make it again, because it'll be too painful. 

Yep, this really is the saddest movie I have ever seen.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shyam Singha Roy (2021)

There is honestly nothing more annoying than a movie that has flashes of being a good movie, but turns out to be a bad one anyway. Not only have you watched a bad film, but you have also been cheated of all hope and it's exhausting, to say the least.  Also, when this movie is a first day first show, you can't help but feel betrayed. Full "I trusted you!" moment only.  The first half was so tedious to sit through, I genuinely thought of leaving after the interval at one point. I didn't though, because Sai Pallavi only made her entry in the second half, and let's face it, she was the real reason for me to go watch it anyway. I mean, Nani was a huge pull factor too, but after Tuck Jagadish (2021) and V (2020), I was a little wary of trusting this man completely. As I should, because look what he made me sit through... again! (I swear to god, if the Nazriya film isn't good, I just might never watch a Nani movie ever again). Back to Pallu though- she is the onl
Read more

Aasai (1995)

My only regret is that I wish I knew absolutely nothing about this movie before watching it. I know I'm 26 years too late to the party, but honestly, not knowing the basic premise would have made things even more scary and messed up, not that there wasn't enough of those sentiments already. But to watch it unfold like the psychotic drama it was on the big screen, while innocently expecting another cute sweet love story featuring foetus Thala... I would give anything to have that experience. I know we love poking fun at Prakash Raj for being the evergreen villain, but it takes an Aasai for one to truly understand why he's earned that reputation. He really brings to life the evil but powerful psychopath who can manipulate people and situations to get what he wants, and I swear I was shaking a little when the movie ended because he is just that good at driving the point home. That's the thing about well-written thrillers- they work excellently as horror movies because you
Read more

Pokiri (2006)

Sairam, thank god I had forgotten the "twist", despite having seen Bhai's Wanted (2009) when it came out. Not only was I majorly zoned out (so much that I don't even remember for sure if I slept for sometime in the middle) but I have also actively tried to erase all memories of it. Which is why I was shocked enough to legit scream when the big twist came along.  From what I have heard about Pokiri , it sounds like some kind of cultural reset. And going by that, I must say that it totally lived up to that hype. Prince Mahesh seems to be at the peak of his career, and it's a performance that is memorable in more ways than one- he really shines through as the cool, stylish hero who outsmarts villains and beats them up. Of course, he needs a solid story and some killer dialogues as well, both of which are amply present here. I loved how understated his commitment dialogue was, especially in comparison to Bhai's exaggeration, the memory of which still gives me war
Read more