Sarpatta Parambarai movie review rating: Four stars out of five
One hundred and seventy-four engaging minutes of North Chennai boxing clans fighting, conspiring against their own and other clans, their rise and fall, political upheaval, and a passionate simple-minded boxer caught in the swing of time and circumstances.
How does one tell a convincing boxing story set in the mid-seventies and eighties with the story arcs of a dozen characters unfolding? By razor sharp editing, ambitious hard-to-pull-off screenplay, strong cast, killer boxing sequences, and a majestic, carefully spaced background score.
Sarpatta Parambarai story: Mid-seventies, the heat of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposing the emergency, Tamil Nadu leaders rebel and continue to hold sporting events, like the crowd-pulling battle of the clans boxing tournament.
The Sarpatta clan boxers led by Coach Rangan (Pasupathy) win all major matches, but none can defeat the intimidating Idiyappa boxer Vembuli (John Kokken).
Meanwhile, banned from boxing practice by his dominating, ultra-angry mother Bakkiyam (Anupama Kumar), dock labourer Kabilan (Arya) remains passionate about the game.
In the turn of events, Kabilan finds himself facing Vembuli in a final face-off that will decide the Sarpatta clan’s fate. But some envious and notoriously ambitious Sarpatta folk have other devious plans.
Hard-thought treatment: Sarpatta Parambarai (Sarpatta Clan) has a pumping heart in its socio-political boxing story. Every rivalry has a history and bitter believable reasons to unfold.
A boxing movie screenplay for the ages: The rushed Selva R. K. editing both makes and softens a first-rate Thamizhprabha-Pa.Ranjith screenplay. Half of the movie’s victory is how the screenplay never feels overloaded, despite the numerous character threads.
The unlikely hero’s rise has predictable beats, until the tale turns on its head and takes an unexpected, rocky off-road route. Director Pa. Ranjith never loses narrative grip from then on. The fights are sharply done, the Dancing Rose bout, a splendid surprise.
The Murali G. cinematography is beautiful, in measured lighting bringing alive the mid-seventies and eighties’ North Chennai, aided by superb art direction and sets.
That final seashore training montage is cinema gold in boxing movies where the clipped editing work wonders.
Thankfully not hero-centric: The running time never feels like stretched elastic, the supporting cast is superb, especially John Vijay as Daddy, Shabeer Kallarakkal as ‘Dancing’ Rose, Dushara Vijayan as Kabilan’s wife Mariyamma, and Kalaiyarasan as Vetriselvan.
Pasupathy as the Sarpatta coach is nicely understated. For me Vettai Muthukumar as the vicious Thaniga stood out. His venom, shallowness and devilry, like other Sarpatta Parambarai characters, given valid foundation for his actions.
Arya doesn’t miss one beat, nailing the lead character with eager sincerity, making this probably a career-best performance.
Missed punches and alternatives: Loud, angry people screaming at each other seems over-the-top at times, especially Kabilan’s mother feeling almost one-note until the revelatory flashback gives a reason for her heightened tone.
The editing ensures there are few lingering moments, hard to judge it as a fault, as the length is justified. May be, just maybe, since it ended up as an OTT release, Sarpatta Parambarai could have been a two-part uncut saga.
Sarpatta Parambarai review: Sprawling, ambitious and cutting away from familiar boxing movie beats, Sarpatta Parambarai is best watched without pause, filled with several rocking moments, and is almost cinema, but for the hero-factor and a few familiar underdog boxing beats.
Santosh Narayan’s soundtrack and score is the beating sure-footed heart of Sarpatta Parambarai.
Rating verdict: Sarpatta Parambarai would have been a three and half star movie for me, but for sheer varied canvas strokes.
There is a roused mother, an unwitting boxer, a son desperate to make his mark, nagging and supportive wives, an English-speaking buddy, drunkard and spunky commentator at the bouts, cunning honour-is-everything uncle, selfishness, craving for power, sheer courage, and a calm beedi-spouting boxing teacher to bring it home.
(As seen on Amazon Prime)
