Sangathamizhan

In cricket, we've occasionally witnessed an orthodox stroke player losing his wicket while trying out an erratic stoke in the hope of breaking the monotony. As a result, neither does the batsman feel rewarded, nor us, the viewers. Such was the experience while watching Vijay Sethupathi's latest goof-up, 'Sangathamizhan.'

The film is directed by Vijay Chander, whose earlier films gives an idea about the director's concept of "entertainment." He made his debut with Simbu's 'Vaalu,' followed by Vikram's 'Sketch' last year - both being bashed at the box office and by the critics! 'Sangathamizhan' appears to be no different.

Anything and everything about the movie appeared to be generic. The entire film is adorned with cliches. Sometimes it leaps towards being a spoofy take on the run-of-the-mill proceedings in Kollywood. It starts with Vijay Sethupathi's introduction with a fight, where he saves a girl who is about to be raped and then breaks into an introduction song after Soori gives the cue - isn't it novel enough?

It was as if Vijay Sethupathi wanted to unwind all his past restrictions and aimlessly targeted at the masses with a generic movie that hardly kept anyone engaged. An underlying bit in the film that I enjoyed was the equation between Soori and Vijay Sethupathi. It's a new combination like a whiff of fresh air. The sly potshots that Vijay Sethupathi takes at Soori with flattery as a weapon reminded me of Karthik and Goundamani sequences in 'Mettukudi.'

The story is a revenge drama that had the current affairs and politics minced into the mix. Of course, there were tons of loopholes that went unfulfilled. The screenplay was staged to add mass elements to each scene with a slow-motion that shows the legs and then the face where Vijay Sethupathi either removes or wears the goggles.

A couple of villains were present to do the honors and stay till the end only to be thrashed by the hands of Sangathamizhan (who else?). Heroine Rashi Khanna is that modern heroine who forgets to put her thinking hat on and falls head over heels for the hero despite their socio-economic differences. Nivetha Pethuraj ticks the homely heroine version and sacrifices her life (how else would the hero gets to choose the chosen one?).

Songs like "Kamala" were strictly targeted towards the masses with mass moves and halo lyrics. The more hum-worthy 'Sandakaari nee thaan' that made rounds in Youtube didn't seem to make it to the final cut - I wish it did. Nothing stood up technically, and the movie went on and on with barely anything substantial to offer. Cliched scenes ruined it for the audience whose patience eventually drained out!

The movie is another reminder for Vijay Sethupathi to choose the subjects wisely. He can pick a cue from his past ventures like 'Sethupathi' that struck a beautiful balance between something commercial and at the same time sensible. Why can't our heroes be more patient for such subjects than hurriedly agreeing to a halo star vehicle that lacks the essential elements - content and presentation? Better luck next time for Vijay Sethupathi and his fans!!

Verdict: Avoidable

Rating: 1.75 / 5