Sangam (2004) User Reviews

Far from perfect, but an interesting and worthwhile effort

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 18 February 2008]

SANGAM begins with narrations and scenes from the Ganges River in India. Then the film switches venues and you are presented with quite a few scenes of an Indian man walking the streets of New York City. Eventually, he gets on a subway train and is happy to see that an Indian-American is sitting next to him. While the Indian-American is at first reticent to talk, eventually they speak at length about life, jobs and Indian cinema. It's obvious that the Indian man is new to the country and is probably homeless and is definitely jobless. Most of this is rather charming yet sad as the two men talk about India and their lives--one is obviously doing well, the other struggling. Then, rather out of the blue, the film takes a very strange twist--very, very strange. At first, the Indian-American is sympathetic but with this twist, he can't wait to get off the subway and run.

A very odd but interesting script probably won't be to everyone's taste, but it was a decent short.

It made me think about many I know who are like Raj or Vivek

[insights-1 · 9/10 · 4 April 2006]

My high rating simply come down to this. I would like to know what happened to these guys 5 years later, 10 years later and when they are 65. This is what is important to me. Does movie make you think? Do you think about it when you run into situation that are similar to this. This movie made me think. I know of several people who are like Vivek or Raj. For a short movie, it also covered lot of ground and film felt like a full feature film. Use of the invisible man idea, to get the two characters to start their conversation was indeed interesting. Director does a good job with memory sequences. The faded and antiquated look makes them more real. DThe director also worked hard to connect the dream sequences with what was on the mind of the character. all in all an excellent piece of work.

bittersweet, with a twist

[vrbass-1 · 9/10 · 15 July 2006]

A modest little film about two Indians in America, one whose family immigrated when he was a small child, the other only two weeks in the US. The first has only vague memories and his mother's stories about his former homeland; they are dreams of a place where you can bathe in the holy rivers. The other has only vague notions of the freedoms that are possible in America; he attempts to escape the oppression of home in the "land of the free". A chance meeting on the New York subway connects them, with talk of film songs and favorite foods. The surprise twist and conflict towards the end forces both men to quietly contemplate where they are and where they have been.

What a refreshing new voice

[PushStartPictures · 9/10 · 27 October 2006]

I highly recommend this film. It is a both endearing and heart-rending portrayal of the relationship gap between the immigrant generations: refreshingly new; at once funny, gritty and real at the same time. It is for the most part perfectly shot, and the acting and directing are all very well executed. This piece manages to capture a deeper understanding of the Indian American experience than many of the other feature films I've seen out there that just try too hard; it manages to immerse you without hitting you over the head. I was very touched by this film and I recommend it for anyone interested in simple human relations. I can't wait to see more of Bhargava's material.