Sadma

Nehalata (Sridevi) is a young, modern girl who meets with an accident that leaves her with the memory and intelligence of a seven-year-old. Circumstances lead her into prostitution, and in the brothel she meets Somu (Kamal Haasan). He realizes that she has been tricked into the trade. He rescues her and takes her to his home in Ooty and begins to take care of her. He knows Nehalata as Reshmi, which was the pseudonym given to her at the brothel.

Reshmi reciprocates Somus care as they spend several months together sharing an amazing and innocent relationship that treads the tender line between affection and love. The sub-plot of the film follows the wife of Somus boss who is attracted to Somu, though Somu doesnt reciprocate her feelings. It depicts how the outside world succumbs to carnal desires which have no place in Somu and Reshmis relationship. Somu takes Reshmi to the villages medical practitioner who cures her and brings her back to sanity as she regains her memory up to the point of her accident. When Somu comes to meet Reshmi later that day, she is unable to identify or remember him.

Despite his efforts to make her understand that he was the one who had taken care of her for several months, she is indifferent to him and leaves Ooty for her hometown, thus abandoning Somu and the life and relationship that she once had with him.Sadma is included in iDivas list of 10 Must Watch Movies That Werent Blockbusters. Sridevis performance as a child-woman suffering from amnesia was called by Indian Express a milestone in her illustrious career. Sridevi also featured in the Mid Day list of Challenging Roles played by Bollywood Actors describing her act in the film as her best performance ever. In 2012, Adil Hussain, Sridevis co-star in English Vinglish revealed that he became a fan of the actress after watching her in Sadma.

The Sridevi-Kamal Hasan pair also appeared on the CNN-IBN list of Greatest Romantic Couples on Celluloid. The climax of Sadma is included in the CNN-IBN list of Bollywoods 50 Most Memorable Scenes of All Time.