The film is a disaster at every conceivable level. The ugliest aspect is the writing, which comes in two flavours: “painful” and “clichéd”.
Spoilers ahead…
You can read the full review on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/sangathamizhan-movie-review-baradwaj-rangan-vijay-chander-vijay-sethupathi-nivetha-pethuraj-raashi-khanna
Sometimes, I want to be a fly on the wall of Vijay Sethupathi’s mind. I want to be there when he reads the script of Vijay Chandar’s Sangathamizhan. What goes on in his mind when he comes to the scene where the heroine (Raashi Khanna, named Yazhini… no wait, Kamalini) says “I love you” while he looks more interested in the bit of butter biscuit that has fallen into his tea? What does he think about the following scene, where Yazhini… no wait, Kamalini is drunk on vodka and he takes a call from her while cradling a mosquito coil in his other hand? And what about the song that follows, where men in drag pretend they are ballet dancers, with tutus in all shades of the rainbow?
Yes, I get it. You can’t be waiting around forever for the next Super Deluxe. I also get that it’s every male actor’s dream to be the next MGR or Rajinikanth. So you can see the appeal in the opening section of the script, which has the hero (named Murugan) shatter a door open, stand in silhouette, then move into the light and place his hand on a gold statue of a tiger, then don a police uniform where the name tag says ‘MG Ramachandran’… Sidekick Soori even says, “Ippo opening song vainga!” But is this the only alternative?
Continued at the link above.
Copyright ©2019 Film Companion.
Baradwaj Rangan 
bart
November 16, 2019
Wait, does this fall under “it is so bad that it is good” category?
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gnanaozhi
November 16, 2019
in case you hadn’t guessed) is playing the piano — because that is how you depict wealthy Bad Men
Lmao. This is Shivaji Ganeshan era level “bad man” projection.
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Isai
November 16, 2019
I reasoned that this movie would be good. I thought if Vijay Chander gets a big star to act in his movie after giving no hits and 2 consecutive flops, then it must only be because he went in with a solid script. Even if VJS had agreed for other reasons, the producers Vijaya Productions are quite reputed and they wouldn’t have agreed to this unless the script is solid. Well, this is what I thought. But, this movie’s reviews have left me stumped and puzzled about how Vijay Chander made these stars agree to act in his movies. If anyone knows, please comment.
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Amit Joki
November 16, 2019
I concur. I want to be Raashi Khanna too.
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rsylviana
November 17, 2019
Even with Velraj behind the camera, this is an ugly film
Ouch!!! This maybe the first time I’m reading the words “ugly film” in your reviews.
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Sala Annamalai
November 17, 2019
We realized vijaysethupathys name was Murugan only after interval 😂. Avulovu mokkai.
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shaviswa
November 17, 2019
“I went into Sangathamizhan for the love of Vijay Sethupathi. I walked out wanting to be Raashi Khanna.”
BR – you have become a mass hero now. That was an awesome punch line to end the review. 😜
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praneshp
November 18, 2019
@isai maybe jigarthanda style?
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Apu
November 19, 2019
Ok, what is this about the Yazhini/Kamalini confusion?
I loved the last line of the review!
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Isai
November 19, 2019
@praneshp: LOL.. yeah something like that..I recently read about a ‘3 lettered’ politician cum kalvi thandai’s family being involved in financing movies. I don’t want to mention it here because it is quite controversial. I wonder if they are involved in this because otherwise it makes no sense.
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Voldemort
November 20, 2019
What’s this Yazhini, sorry Kamalini thing?
Don’t tell me. Does the hero forget her name and call her Yazhini?
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Voldemort
November 20, 2019
in case you hadn’t guessed) is playing the piano — because that is how you depict wealthy Bad Men
This was sooo good. Lmao
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MANK
November 20, 2019
in case you hadn’t guessed) is playing the piano — because that is how you depict wealthy Bad Men
I am afraid , we dont have a copyright on that. That’s how they do it in Hollywood as well
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Honest Raj
November 20, 2019
I wish you’d reviewed the Siddharth-starrer Aruvam. 🙂
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Honest Raj
November 20, 2019
Even if VJS had agreed for other reasons, the producers Vijaya Productions are quite reputed and they wouldn’t have agreed to this unless the script is solid.
Are you aware that this is the same production house that made Padikkathavan, Venghai, Veeram, Bairavaa, et al?
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Isai
November 20, 2019
“Are you aware that this is the same production house that made Padikkathavan, Venghai, Veeram, Bairavaa, et al?”
Well, actually no. The name Vijaya Productions brings to my mind Maya Bazaar, Enga Veetu Pillai, Nammavar etc. I was not commenting about their script judging sense. I am puzzled about how they agreed to Vijay Chander who had given no hits and 2 flops. In your list, all the directors except Bharathan(Bairavaa) had given big hits before getting committed at Vijaya. Hari did Venghai after Singam and Siva did Veeram after Siruthai etc. The only exception is Bharathan but ATM was not his script and Vijay had felt guilty about asking him to direct ATM since he didn’t get good chances after that. Further, Bharathan had written the dialogues for Veeram which impressed them. But, none of this seems applicable for Vijay Chander. My point was a new/small producer could have agreed just for getting VJS callsheet but an established production house like Vijaya cannot be pushed around like that.
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Honest Raj
November 24, 2019
The name Vijaya Productions brings to my mind Maya Bazaar, Enga Veetu Pillai, Nammavar etc …. My point was a new/small producer could have agreed just for getting VJS callsheet but an established production house like Vijaya cannot be pushed around like that.
Vijaya Productions of the Mayabazaar/Missiamma days is vastly different from that of the post-Uzhaippali phase. Most of their “modern-day” films fit into either of two categories: a big-star vehicle or a social drama/commercial entertainer made by an established director. Again, when they came back after a decade (guess they went bankrupt after that horrible Meendum Savithri) in the mid 2000s, they made Mercury Pookkal for a two-film old director! It’s no wonder they decided to make a film, even if it’s for a “no-name” director, with VJS who’s undoubtedly at the peak of his career.
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Isai
November 25, 2019
“Again, when they came back after a decade (guess they went bankrupt after that horrible Meendum Savithri) in the mid 2000s, they made Mercury Pookkal for a two-film old director!”
Yes, Stanley was a two-film old director but the 1st one (April Maadathil) was a hit. They were coming back to production after the patriarch Nagi Reddy’s death. So they would have wanted to start small. It makes sense.
But AFAIK, a director with 2 FLOPS (with Simbu and Vikram) and NO HITS under his belt can at best hope for an up-and-coming hero like Gautham Karthik to accept his next film (ie) if at all he got a 3rd film, there would ATLEAST be a step down in terms of hero/budget. But, this has not happened for Vijay Chander. In fact, I don’t know a single director in any Indian industry who got a big star to act in his 3rd film after giving no hits and 2 consecutive flops. Even Mani Ratnam had to take a step down after giving flops with Anil Kapoor and Mohanlal. But Vijay Chander not only got an opportunity with VJS but even the budget was quite high for a VJS film. That’s why I am quite surprised.
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Honest Raj
November 25, 2019
Aren’t we digressing a bit here? Anyway, my point is: may be Vijaya Productions had thought having a star like him is more than enough a “solid” script or a “successful” director.
As for April Maadhathil, the soundtrack was a hit but the film was just an average grosser.
Even Mani Ratnam had to take a step down after giving flops with Anil Kapoor and Mohanlal.
Anil Kapoor was barely a newcomer when MR signed him up for his first film. The Telugu film Vamsa Vruksham (I’ve not seen the film though) was his only major role upto that point. About Mohanlal, are you referring to the Malayalam film? He was still an up-and-coming actor (even Mammootty was far from an established actor back then). And, I’m not even sure MR had a say in the casting.
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Isai
November 26, 2019
Honest Raj: You are right. Mani Ratnam is not an apt example here since Anil Kapoor and Mohanlal were not stars then. (Also, let’s agree to disagree on April Maadathil). But, I feel my point is still quite valid. In fact the only reason I took Mani’s example is because I couldn’t remember/find any director who had given no hits and 2 flops with stars and then got a star to act in his 3rd film.
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Enna Koduka Sir Pera
December 1, 2019
“Plus, I hate to break this to Vijay Sethupathi, but he is less of a star, more of an actor….It’s about charisma and a few hundred other things that are not (yet) in this actor’s bag of tricks.”
BR, I respectfully disagree. VJS in Vikram Vedha was the definition of mass/swagger/charisma. So was he in CCV and Petta. He may not suit dumb masala movies like this one (and I am thankful for that so he won’t make more of those), but he does have a lot of charisma to carry a good masala movie on his shoulders.
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