1 / 4 STARS
DIRECTOR: SURESH KRISHNA
ACTOR: RAGUMAN
ACTRESS: VINDHIYA
MUSIC DIRECTOR: A.R. RAHMAN
STORYLINE:
A modern-day "Thillana Mohanambal". Vindiya plays a Bharatanatyam dancer, daughter of Vijayakumar. Raguman plays a folk dancer, son of Manivannan. At a performance, at first Raguman and Vindiya clash, and then they fall in love. But when Manivannan asks Vijayakumar for Vindiya to be married to Raguman, Vijayakumar throws him out and calls him a "theru" dancer.
The folk dancers and the bharatanatyam dancers clash. They have a challenge. They will both hold concerts featuring their style of dance, and whoever makes the most money wins.
Vindiya, not wanting to compete with Raguman, takes poison before she dances, but of course at the last minute, Raguman comes in and saves her.
When Raguman competes, an old enemy (Radharavi) comes in and kills Manivannan. It is over Manivannan's dead body that Raguman dances.
COMMENTS:
Suresh Krishna thought he was making the audience cry with all his sentiment. No, he was making us cry because the movie was so boring. There are many things wrong with the movie, but the one thing that sticks most in mind is Vindiya's supposed dance skills. I'm surprised she can stay on her feet. She's one of the worst bharatanatyam dancers I have ever seen. Two, I've never even heard of Raguman's style of dancing that the screenplay keeps calling "intha munnoda kalai." Suresh Krishna invented the style, I guess, just for the movie.
When Vindiya drinks poison, when Manivannan dies, we're just wishing the movie would end, not saddened at all.
Suresh Krishna did an excellent job with the movie "Aahaa" but here he falls flat on his face.
A.R. Rahman's music was a hit, though, and I really liked the song "Malai Thulli." It had a pounding pulsing beat. Poor A.R. Rahman; he's composing great songs for lousy movies.
The only watchable scene in the whole thing is where the folk troupe is lying in a haystack and discussing how many cyphers are in 10 lakhs.
But overall, it's a KADI.
NOTE ON THE MUSIC:
The music was very folksy and A.R. Rahman has done a tremendous job. The music director is having an exscellent year, and "Sangamam" is no exception. Very lively, very well written. Favorite track: "Malai Thulli."
RECOMMENDATION:
Definitely skip it. Buy the music CD if you want, but skip the movie.
VIJAY VANNIARAJAN