# Samsaram (1951 film)

Samsaram (/səmsɑːrəm/ transl. Wife) is a 1951 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Chandru and produced by S. S. Vasan. A remake of the 1950 Telugu film of the same name, it stars M. K. Radha, Pushpavalli, Kumari Vanaja, Sriram, M. S. Sundari Bai, T. R. Ramachandran, D. Balasubramaniam, R. Balasubramaniam, K. N. Kamalam, and Kamalaveni Ammal. The film was simultaneously filmed in Hindi as Sansar (/sənsɑːr/), which Vasan directed. Samsaram was released on 19 October 1951.

## Plot

A struggling clerk lives with his wife and two children. Their blissful lives are threatened by the arrival of his scheming mother and sister. A short time later, the clerk disappears, abandoning his family, and his brother comes to their rescue. Exploiting the fragile situation, mischief makers suggest an immoral relationship between the clerk's brother and wife. Frustrated, the clerk's wife sends her two children to beg on the streets. Several years later, the elder of the two children, now working in a mill, meets a bearded beggar who, unknown to him, is actually his father. He obtains his father a job in the mill, and the family later reunites.

## Cast

| Samsaram (Tamil) | Sansar (Hindi) |
| Manjula (Pushpavalli) | Laxmi (Pushpavalli) |
| Gopu (M. K. Radha) | Narayan (M. K. Radha) |
| Kamala (Vanaja) | Kamla (Vanaja) |
| Venu (Sriram) | Madan (Swaraj) |
| Kamakshi (M. S. Sundari Bai) | Ganga (Gulab) |
| Seetharam (T. R. Ramachandran) | Seetaram (Agha) |
| Vengamma (Kamalaveni Ammal) | Jamna (Mohana) |
| Kanakasabapathy (D. Balasubramaniam) | Jugalji Seth (J. S. Casshyap) |
| Doctor (R. Balasubramaniam) | Doctor (David) |
| Chellamma (K. N. Kamalam) | Saraswathi (Meera) |
| Balu (Adult) (Sethu) | Gopi (Senior) (Kazam) |
| Balu (Child) (Anil Kumar) | Gopi (Junior) (Anil Kumar) |
| Saroja (Adult) (Krishnaveni) | Roopa (Senior) (Krishnaveni) |
| Saroja (Child) (Rathnapapa) | Roopa (Junior) (Ratnapapa) |
| Vijay (Mohan) | Vijay (Mohan) |
| Manjula's Father (Rangaswami) | Laxmi's Father (Rangaswami) |
| Kondal Rao (Ramakrishna Rao) | Popat Lal (Ramakrishna Rao) |
| Ramaiah (G. V. Sharma) | |
| A. L. Kam (Venkat) | Kamala's Cousin (Venkat) |
| Office Manager (Sadasiva Rao) | Office Manager (Sadasiva Rao) |
| Sub-Inspectors (G. S. Bindumadhavan, Mukharji) | Police Officers (Rajkumar, Bindumadhavan) |
| Seth (Ishwarlal) | |
| Subanna (Vijaya Rao) | Dinu (Vijaya Rao) |
| Nagamma (Sakku Bai) | Dayavati (Balamani) |
| Car Owner (Ram Kumar) | Guest (B. S. Kalla) |

## Production

S. S. Vasan, the owner of Gemini Studios, screened the Telugu film Samsaram for his staff, family and friends. Impressed with the film, he bought the rights to remake it in two languages: Tamil and Hindi. The Tamil remake shared its title with the Telugu film, while the Hindi version was titled Sansar. Both versions were launched simultaneously; Chandru, the chief editor of Gemini, directed the Tamil version. Because South Indians actors of the era could not speak Hindi fluently, Vasan had the voices of the South Indian cast dubbed for Sansar, which he directed.

## Soundtrack

Emani Sankara Sastry was the music director, and his work was supervised by M. D. Parthasarathy. Kothamangalam Subbu wrote the lyrics. A. M. Rajah made his singing debut with this film, and his song "Samsaram... Samsaram..." became a breakthrough in his career.
Samsaram (Tamil)
| Song | Singer |
| "Aararo Aararo Arumai Kumara" | P. Leela |
| "Maanilathil Vidhiyai Ventra" | A. M. Rajah |
| "Samsaram Samsaram" | A. M. Rajah |
| "Kada Kada Loda Loda Vandi" | A. M. Rajah, Jikki |
| "Enathu Manam Kanavilum" | Jikki |
| "Amma Pasikuthe" | Jikki, Sarojini |
| "Ezhai Engu Selvaen" | P. Leela |
| "Avar Mella Mella" | Jikki |
Sansar (Hindi)
| Song | Singer |
| "Yeh Sansar, Yeh Sansar"-1 | Talat Mahmood |
| "Yeh Sansar, Yeh Sansar"-2 | Talat Mahmood |
| "Mit Nahin Sakta Kabhi Likha" | Talat Mahmood |
| "Amma Roti De, Baba Roti De"-1 | Lata Mangeshkar |
| "Amma Roti De, Baba Roti De"-2 | Lata Mangeshkar |
| "Aisi Hai Duniya" | Lata Mangeshkar |
| "Pyara Hamara Munna" | Lata Mangeshkar |
| "Jiya Lehar Lehar Lehraye"-1 | Lata Mangeshkar |
| "Jiya Lehar Lehar Lehraye"-2 | Lata Mangeshkar |
| "Khat Khat Gaadi" | Lata Mangeshkar |
| "Lakhnau Chalo Ab Rani, Bambai Ka Bigda Pani" | Geeta Dutt, G. M. Durrani |
| "Hum Hi Ne Mohabbat Ki Duniya Basayi" | Geeta Dutt, P. Leela |

## Reception

Both Samsaram and Sansar were released in 1951 and became commercially successful. According to historian Randor Guy, the success of the former was attributed to its "emotionally strong and sentimental storyline", elements, and the performances of Radha, Pushpavalli, Sriram, Vanaja, Sundari Bai and Ramachandran. However, journalist Kalki Krishnamurthy gave the film a negative review in his magazine Kalki, where he criticised the song "Amma Pasikkuthey, Thaaye Pasikkuthey" by arguing that "no mother would ever stoop to that level". In Japan, the film was released under the title Such Is Life. The story of Samsaram was again reused in Tamil as Thunai Iruppal Meenakshi (1977).