Sapta Saagaradaache Ello: Side A () is a 2023 Indian Kannada-language romantic action drama film directed by Hemanth M. Rao and produced by Rakshit Shetty. It stars Rakshit Shetty and Rukmini Vasanth in lead roles. The music was composed by Charan Raj, the cinematography was handled by Advaitha Gurumurthy and edited by Sunil S. Bharadwaj and Hemanth M. Rao.

Sapta Saagaradaache Ello – Side A was released on 1 September 2023 to positive reviews from critics. A sequel titled Sapta Saagaradaache Ello: Side B was released on 17 November 2023.

Plot Manu is an innocent, simple car driver employed by Shankregouda, a powerful business tycoon. He is deeply in love with Priya, a passionate college student and aspiring singer who dreams of one day living in a beachside house with Manu and her family. Driven by a desire to fulfill his lover's dream, Manu works hard to build a future with her.

The couple's aspirations are shattered when Shankregouda's son, Preetam, kills a pedestrian in a drunk-driving accident. Desperate to protect his family's reputation, Shankregouda pressures Manu into taking the legal blame for the incident. In exchange for pleading guilty in court, the tycoon promises to orchestrate Manu's swift release on bail and provide him with enough wealth to secure the beachside house. Believing this is his only chance to fast-track Priya's dream, Manu confesses to the crime before a judge, completely disregarding Priya's desperate pleas and disapproval. While Shankregouda's legal team begins working on his bail, the tycoon suddenly dies of a heart attack. Seizing the opportunity, Shankregouda's greedy manager, Prabhu, convinces his grieving widow to cut ties with Manu and stop spending money on his defense.

Left abandoned in prison, Manu finds himself without the money or political influence to save himself. Outside, a desperate Priya attempts to contact Shankregouda's family, lawyers, and Prabhu, but she is universally ignored. Refusing to give up, she halts her college education, sells her jewelry to hire an independent lawyer, and takes up jobs to fund Manu's legal battle. Inside the prison walls, Manu faces brutal physical torment from a ruthless inmate named Soma and his gang, who capitalize on his lack of external protection. To survive the harsh environment, Manu aligns himself with an older inmate named Patila, joining his textile-weaving faction.

Despite the distance, the couple maintains their bond through prison visits and recorded cassette tapes filled with music and messages. However, the emotional toll severely drains Priya, who slips into a deep depression and stops singing entirely. Recognizing her daughter's deterioration, Priya's mother visits Manu in prison and begs him to release Priya from her emotional trap. Consumed by guilt and facing a prolonged sentence, Manu writes a letter to Priya, urging her to move on, marry someone else, and never abandon her singing. Priya initially refuses to accept the separation and continues visiting the prison, but Manu deliberately refuses to see her.

Eventually worn down by the emotional turmoil, Priya relents and agrees to an arranged marriage. Breaking under the isolation, Manu tries to call Priya one last time, only for her brother to answer the phone and reveal that her wedding is taking place that very day. Simultaneously, Soma's gang deliberately destroys the radio Manu uses to play Priya's voice recordings. Having lost everything, Manu snaps, instigating a violent revolt against the inmates that results in him being severely beaten by the guards.

A flash-forward sequence teasing the sequel reveals Manu being released from prison ten years later. Hardened by a decade of incarceration, he steps back into society with a singular, dual purpose: to seek vengeance against those who betrayed him and to track down Priya.

Cast

Soundtrack

Charan Raj composed the soundtrack and background score. The background score enhanced the output of the movie and all the songs of the movie were well received.

Songs

Release Sapta Saagaradaache Ello - Side A released on 1 September 2023, while the dubbed Telugu version titled Saptha Sagaralu Dhaati - Side A was released on 22 September 2023.

Home media The film premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 29 September 2023 in Kannada with dubbed versions of Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi languages.

Reception Box office The film was reported to have grossed on its first day and on its second day. The film went on to gross on its 4th day and on its 5th day. During its theatrical run, the film grossed 20 crore at the box office.

Critical reception Sapta Saagaradaache Ello - Side A received critical acclaim for its storytelling, acting, cinematography and technical aspects.

Priyanka Sundar of Firstpost gave 4/5 stars and called the film "Poignant, immersive and heart wrenching." Sridevi. S of The Times of India gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "SSE is an amalgamation of fine performances and rich technical values, which makes it a must-watch."

A Sharadhaa of The New Indian Express gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "A profound portrait of love. Its an intense love story with a poetic narrative and this film is a sincere love story, there is no attempt to force songs into it. There is simplicity in the dialogue that accentuates the depth of the lines."

M. Vivek of The Hindu wrote "Sapta Sagaradaache Ello is a film that doesn’t end in theatres; the epic love story offers an immersive experience that keeps you wanting more." Baradwaj Rangan told in his review that "’Sapta Saagaradaache Ello – Side A’ is a beautifully understated and very real romance, with dashes of a very real kind of poetry."

See also Sapta Saagaradaache Ello: Side B

Notes

References

External links