Year: 1964

Director: Raj Kapoor

Cast: Raj Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar, Vyjayanthi Mala

Music: Shankar- Jaikishan

 

Raj Kapoor’s unique place in Indian cinema is not just as a fine actor, in fact his contribution as a film-maker far outweighs his acting contribution. His RK banner created many memorable films and established his reputation as the greatest showman in Hindi film industry. His films not just brilliantly portrayed intricacies of human emotions but they did that with an unmatched style and glamour. 1964-film Sangam represents perhaps the peak of Raj Kapoor’s showmanship.

 

The plot of two bosom pals falling in love with the same girl is nothing new but Raj’s directorial finesse makes all the difference. Sundar (Raj Kapoor) – a talkative, extrovert rogue and Gopal (Rajendra Kumar) – a silent, introvert aristocrat are friends as different as chalk and cheese but from childhood, one thing is common between them- their love for Radha (Vyjayanthi Mala). Even though Radha and Gopal have professed their love to each other- circumstances pan out in such bizarre manner that they have to sacrifice their love and Radha ends up getting married to Sundar, who is blissfully unaware of her feelings for his best buddy. Just as everyone is coming to terms with the changed equations of life, Sundar comes across an unsigned love-letter addressed to Radha and gets consumed by intense jealousy and suspicion. How will these three tangled lives come out of the vortex of this misery?

 

Sangam was the first RK-film made in colour and certainly colourful were the stories behind the screen. Millions were spent in its making; scenic European locations were splashed on silver screen like on picture postcards and to top it all, the lead pair of Raj Kapoor and Vyjayanthi Mala got involved in a brief stormy affair while the film was being made. Yet, the film’s undeniable classic status has got nothing to do with all these spicy extras or thumping box-office success.  It’s a well-told story with great performances, superb music and glamorous presentation.

 

Raj Kapoor’s chatterbox, happy-go-lucky Sundar before the seeds of suspicion are sown in his mind and his transformation into a bitter and brooding, cynical and caustic Sundar afterwards, is one top-notch performance. Roles of Rajendra Kumar as the silent sufferer- Gopal and Vyjayanthi Mala as a woman torn between two men- Radha are also as memorable. With Shankar Jaikishan’s music coming up with exquisite songs like Dost Dost Na Raha, Yeh Mera Prempatra Padhkar and O Mere Sanam and Radhu Karmakar’s camera capturing some Champaign celluloid moments, Sangam becomes truly a film captivating all the senses with its overall cinematic brilliance.