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Sanam Teri Kasam (सनम तेरी कसम) (1982 film)

Sanam Teri Kasam (सनम तेरी कसम; also known in English as I Swear by My Beloved) is a 1982 Hindi-language film directed by Narendra Bedi, starring Kamal Haasan and Reena Roy, with music composed by Rahul Dev Burman (R.D. Burman)1 • 2. It was produced by Barkha Roy for the banner Barkha Movies and released in India on 14 May 19821 • 2. The film combines action, comedy, drama, and romance, and its score earned R.D. Burman the first Filmfare Best Music Director Award of his career1. A 2016 romantic drama of the same name, directed by Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, is a separate film3.

Key factDetail
Release14 May 1982 (India); eTimes lists 6 May 19822 • 4
Director / producerNarendra Bedi; produced by Barkha Roy (Barkha Movies)1 • 2
MusicR.D. Burman; his first Filmfare Best Music Director Award; lyrics by Gulshan Bawra1 • 2
WritersKader Khan, Subhash, and Suroor1
Lead castKamal Haasan as Sunil Sharma (Sunny); Reena Roy as Nisha5
Supporting castKader Khan (Ramlal Sharma / Seth Manhorilal), Ranjeet Bedi (Robinson), Jagdeep (Banke Bihari Patnewala), Jeevan Dhar (Wilson), Seema Deo (Sudha Sharma)5
Runtime / certificate2 hrs 14 mins, certified U4

Spoilers

Plot

The story turns on a case of mistaken identity built around a wealthy man's lost son. Ramlal is accused of murder by the smuggler Wilson and flees the city to save his life, leaving behind his wife and his son Sunil, known as Sunny. On the train he meets a dying man who asks him to care for his daughter Nisha and her property6.

Years later, Sunny makes his living singing and dancing in a hotel, while Ramlal lives a wealthy life in Shimla under the name Manoharilal, with Nisha as his ward. Sunny and Nisha meet in Mumbai, quarrel, and meet again in Shimla, where they quarrel once more before falling in love. Sunny takes a job at Manoharilal's household and asks Nisha to keep their earlier differences secret6.

The deception that drives the climax comes from Wilson, who discovers that Ramlal is alive. He has his son Robinson pose as Sunil, Ramlal's long-lost son, and woo Nisha into marriage6. IMDb's synopsis compresses the same premise: a rich man is told that one of his employees is his long-lost son, unaware that he is being cheated and that his real son is the one who loves his niece1.

Cast and crew

Kamal Haasan plays Sunil Sharma (Sunny), the film's protagonist, and Reena Roy plays Nisha5. Kader Khan, who also co-wrote the screenplay, plays the double role of Ramlal Sharma and his assumed identity, Seth Manhorilal5 • 1. The villainous Wilson is played by Jeevan Dhar and Robinson by Ranjeet Bedi; Jagdeep appears as Banke Bihari Patnewala and Seema Deo as Sudha Sharma, Sunny's mother5. The extended cast includes Guddi Maruti as Bulbuli, Birbal as Raju Guide, and Viju Khote as a hotel manager7.

Behind the camera, Kaka Thakur was director of photography, the editing was shared by Waman B. Bhosle and Gurudutt Shirali, and I.A. Desai handled production design5. The songs were sung in playback by Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle, and R.D. Burman himself2. Filming took place at Essel Studios in Mumbai1.

Music and recognition

The soundtrack is the film's most cited achievement. R.D. Burman composed the music and Gulshan Bawra wrote the lyrics2, and the film brought Burman his first Filmfare Best Music Director Award1. IMDb records one award win for the film in total1.

Literary source

A scholarly study of Shakespeare in Hindi cinema lists Sanam Teri Kasam (1982) among the Hindi films that transcreate Romeo and Juliet, reworking the sixteenth-century English plotline with Indian settings and conventions to suit audiences who prefer happy endings8.

The 2016 film of the same name

The title was reused in 2016 for a romantic drama directed by Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, starring Harshvardhan Rane and Mawra Hocane with music by Himesh Reshammiya3. That film flopped on its first release, earning a total net of ₹80,350,000 against a budget of ₹19,00,00,000, but its February 2025 re-release set a record opening day for a re-released film at ₹51.4 million (₹5.14 crore)3 • 9. It is a separate work from the 1982 film described here.

References

  1. Sanam Teri Kasam (1982) - IMDb
  2. Sanam Teri Kasam Cast & Crew - Bollywood Hungama
  3. Sanam Teri Kasam - Box Office India
  4. Sanam Teri Kasam - eTimes, Times of India
  5. Sanam Teri Kasam (1982) - Cast & Crew, The Movie Database
  6. Sanam Teri Kasam - Full Cast & Crew, TV Guide
  7. Sanam Teri Kasam (1982) - Full cast & crew, IMDb
  8. Transcreating the Bard: A Case Study of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in Hindi Celluloid, Translation Today
  9. How Sanam Teri Kasam, A Flop In 2016, Is Rewriting Box-Office History 9 Years Later - NDTV

Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026

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