Recommended by SI reader chaitu1987
From the cesspool of Indian cinema arises every once in a while an aberration so splendid that it jolts even jaded moviegoers out of their stupor, pulls them up by the scruff of the neck and declares in a stentorian tone – see, this is the movie you’ve been waiting for.
For the early 1980s that movie was most certainly Salangai Oli.
Originally made in Telugu as Sagara Sangamam, the movie was dubbed into other regional Indian languages like Tamil.
Talented Director
Directed by K.Viswanath (of Shankarabharanam fame), Salangai Oli breaks free of the straitjacket of trashy Indian cinema characterized by asinine stories, poor screenplays and hideous acting.
Salangai Oli strikes a different path with an offbeat story of a passionate classical dancer Balu (Kamal Haasan) living in straitened circumstances.
Besides directing the movie, K.Viswanath is also credited with the story and screenplay. Clearly, the man knows his job. Not one of your later-day buffoons like Vishnuvardhan or Raju Sundaram or a shameless thief like Venkat Prabhu.
A fairly lengthy movie (2hrs and 40min), Salangai Oli tracks various facets of Balu’s life – the committment to dance, the friendship with Raghu (Sarat Babu), the mostly easy-going temparament, the abiding love for Madhavi (Jaya Pradha), the descent into hackdom and the retreat into alcohol.
None but Kamal
It’s hard to think of any other Indian actor for the principal role save Kamal Haasan. Continue reading »
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