Sagar (1985)

aka Saagar 1985 215’ col/scope Hindi d Ramesh Sippy pc United Producers, Sippy Films p G.P. Sippy s/lyr Javed Akhtar c S.M. Anwar m R.D. Burman lp Rishi Kapoor, Kamalahasan, Dimple Kapadia, Nadira, Saeed Jaffrey, Madhur Jaffrey, A.K. Hangal, Shafi Inamdar Sippy pays homage to Raj Kapoor’s Bobby (1973) in recasting its famous teenaged lead pair while celebrating Dimple Kapadia’s return to films. Set in a coastal fishing community, Raja (Kamalahasan) loves childhood sweetheart Mona (Kapadia), but she falls for Ravi (Kapoor), heir to the industrial house controlled by his autocratic grandmother (M. Jaffrey, noted author of Indian cookbooks). The family’s trawler business is set to ruin the fisherfolk, mapping a love triangle onto class differences. In the end, Raja sacrifices himself. Kamalahasan, in his last major film appearance in a Bombay-production, often quotes Chaplin in a tragi-comic performance. Samandaram aka Parallel 1985 117’ col Malayalam d/sc John C. Shankaramangalam pc Sudarshan st Ms M. Shankaramangalam c Prabhat Parida, Santosh Sivan m Jerry Amaldev lp Soorya, Babu Namboodiri, Sai Das, Balan K. Nair, T.R.K. Menon, Mathews, Leela Panicker A film by the dean of the FTII warning against student romances. The university student Susan notices disturbing signs of cowardice in her boyfriend Jose but marries him anyway. He turns into a brutal business executive and a wife-beater. The husband’s deterioration is further emphasised in contrast with communist radical Mohan, Susan’s former hero. After suffering her husband’s brutalities as long as she can bear, she finally plucks up the courage to to films. Set in a coastal fishing community, Raja (Kamalahasan) loves childhood sweetheart Mona (Kapadia), but she falls for Ravi (Kapoor), heir to the industrial house controlled by his autocratic grandmother (M. Jaffrey, noted author of Indian cookbooks). The family’s trawler business is set to ruin the fisherfolk, mapping a love triangle onto class differences. In the end, Raja sacrifices himself. Kamalahasan, in his last major film appearance in a Bombay-production, often quotes Chaplin in a tragi-comic performance.