Sahasam

About the film

Sahasam (transl. Courage) is a 2013 Indian Telugu-language action-adventure film directed by Chandra Sekhar Yeleti and produced by B. V. S. N. Prasad under Sri Venkateswara Cine Chitra. The film stars Gopichand and Taapsee Pannu while Shakti Kapoor, Paru Gambhir, and Ali play supporting roles. The film was mostly shot in Ladakh and Hyderabad.

The film was released on 12 July 2013 and received positive reviews from critics. It was a successful venture for its producers but a small loss venture for its distributors, collecting a distributor's share of ₹13.5 crore at the box office. The film was also dubbed later in Tamil and Hindi as Santharppavaathi and The Real Jackpot. Over time, the film gained a cult following for its unique narrative, technical finesse and cast performance.

Plot

2003: A Pakistani archaeologist, Dr. M. Alam Siddiqui, after seeking permission from the Government of Pakistan, starts researching the hidden treasure of King Kanishka, whose treasure map is hidden in an old box whose key is a Garuda locket, which was last seen in the research books of David, a British archaeologist. His team, led by Siddiqui and Dilawar, tries hard to search for the key as they find the box in an old market in Pakistan. Fate takes a reverse turn as a dreaded terrorist named Sultan, along with his men visit the archaeology department. Sultan coerces Siddiqui, takes the box away from him, and makes all the people his slaves until Siddiqui finds the treasure and hands over it over to Sultan.

2013: In Hyderabad, Gautham Kumar Varma is a brave, money-greedy security guard who wants to make easy money and settle in life. His motto is that he would not take even a crore if it is not his, but would never let go of even a penny if it is his. Gautham spends his time testing his fortune by buying lottery tickets and using gadgets that bring luck, but sadly, both end up giving him nothing. His friends, who are four kids, live with him in the slum colony. Once they ask him to show a 1000 rupee note out of curiosity, to which Gautham agrees. The next day, the ATM's cash cartridge is being refilled, and Gautham requests the officials to show a 1000 rupee note to the kids. They accept and show a note.

Meanwhile, a gang of thieves comes and robs the ATM. Gautham catches the criminals and hands over the money, but since the CCTV footage shows that Gautham's request was the reason for it, he is posted to a dumping yard, where he works for nearly 12 hours. The night when Gautham returns from his duty, heavy rain drenches the colony, and the roof in his room falls. From the roof, he finds a diary, an old empty bag on which "Pushkalavathi Jewelers, Peshawar" is printed, a Garuda locket, two magnifying lenses, and a small stone with a design. He opens the diary and starts reading, which is narrated by his grandfather Satyanarayana Varma. On the day of India-Pakistan partition, activists were attacking rich men and robbing them.

Production

The film marks the second collaboration of Gopichand and Yeleti after Okkadunnadu. Taapsee Pannu is cast in a lead role. The film was known under the working title Jackpot but was later renamed as Sahasam. The film's first look was released on the eve of Ugadi in 2013.

Soundtrack

The music composed by Sri, and lyrics were penned by Anantha Sreeram. The audio rights were secured by T-Series for ₹ 2 million. The audio was launched on 2 June 2013.

The Times of India wrote, "In a time where the beat comes over everything else in Telugu cinema music, the album of Sahasam will come as a surprise. This album is all about rhythm and melody and the lyrics are all in Telugu as well. The music director Sri has given a very classic feel to the whole record" and rated the album 3/5. Cinecorn.com wrote, "Sri delivers and delivers well even after such a long gap. Wish he composed more often" and rated the album 3.25/5. Musicperk.com wrote Sahasam is not really a commercial album but it definitely suits the film's genre. It has got the potential to go on to become a chartbuster, but the usual veteran composition might not work out in the modern-day music. Few listens may definitely pop you out of the mood" and rated it 6/10.

Release

The film released worldwide on 12 July 2013, after being postponed several times, by Bluesky Cinemas to the entire Overseas and Reliance Entertainment in India, with a U/A Certificate from Central Board of Film Certification. The film received positive reviews from the critics from the day of release and was declared as a Super Hit at the box office as well as in Gopichand's career. The film was later dubbed and released in Hindi as The Real Jackpot in 2014.

Reception

The Times of India gave a review stating "Chandrasekhar Yeleti needs to be applauded for his tryst of an adventurous film – something that's unique in Telugu films." Idlebrain.com gave a review of rating 4/5 stating "I am giving it a rating of 4 for the guts of producers who came forward to make a different film and for the conviction of director to stick to the core subject and for not deviating from it for the sake of commercial elements" 123telugu.com gave a review of rating 3.25/5. stating "Sahasam is not your average Telugu cinema. The plot, the setting and the execution are very fresh and novel. You can safely watch Sahasam for some desi Indiana Jones moments."

Key details