Rating: 
When I wrote the Pooveli review I used the oft repeated phrase "love story with a difference". I don’t want to give this review the same title but it is simply too tempting to draw (possibly intended) comparisons between Sangmam and that timeless classic Thillana Mohanambal. Adhu mambazham idhu vaazhapazham ana prachanai ellam onnu than ! Rather than quote a kambar or a valluvar I decided to keep to the context by quoting our very own Goundmani in his famous strip in karakaattakaran where he draws a parallel with the pazhani incident in kailasam!
Great acting, interesting classical dance performance, a good comedy
track – hold your breath, I was talking of the Shivaji-Padmini starrer here –
the actual movie in question doesn’t boast of any of these components – but
offspring always have something in common with the parent – and in this case its
awesome music. The “prachanai” here is simple – a battle waged between folk
dance and classic dance. The hero is Rehman and the heroine is a newcomer who, to put it
in plain English, can’t act for nuts. 
That leaves you hoping that
they might have chosen her for that role because she might be a good dancer. Well, you are
relieved of the suspense very soon. I’m tempted to think she has an influential
relative in the tinsel world. The movie starts with the song “Alalaganda adalukku
thagappa vanakkamungo”. For those who haven’t followed the thamizh here
it’s a tribute to Lord Shiva. A very nice song which repeats in the climax in a
different form. The crux of the story is a challenge between the folk troupe headed by
Manivannan and the dance medhai Vijayakumar (thankfully we are spared a Vijayakumar dance
performance). Debates heat up to a point where the two challenge each other as to who will
raise more money at a dance performance. The central theme is good. Classical dance being
an art of the elite draws fewer people but allows for expensive tickets while folk dance
belongs more to the common man and cannot, by its own nature, demand high ticket prices.
The climax is well made in keeping with this theme.
Kaithattal scene: Of course I don’t have to mention that the hero and heroine don’t have a big part in this one. Manivannan returns home after his savaal with Vijayakumar and the members of his troupe themselves go against him saying that defeat is imminent. Manivannan surpasses himself in that scene. Watch the movie for the songs. “Mudhal murai” is a duet between a car and bullock cart. A good song but it seems to have shades of “Naalai Ulagam” from Love Birds. “Marghazhi Thingal Allavaa” is also good and so is “Varaaha nadhi karai” and “Sowkiyama” sung by Nithyashree. Get the mp3s from here. I’d like to hear comments on the songs. Comments on the movie? It gets 0.5 of the 3 stars. See it for the songs, like it for the songs, forget the movie.
Original Photograph (Sangamam):
Thanks to Cinema Express, Kumudam
Photograph scanned & reworked by:
Krishna