Sarpatta Parambarai is a Tamil language period sports drama film co-written and directed by Pa. Ranjith. Due to Covid-19 Pandemic, the film was released on Amazon Prime Video on 22nd July 2021.
The film sets in North Madras (now Chennai) in the early 1970s. The film revolves around a clash between two clans namely Idiyappa Parambarai and Sarpatta Parambarai, who wants to gain dominance in the sports of Boxing. The film follows Kabilan (Arya), a Dalit (a lower-caste) laborer working at Madras port, who belongs to the Sarpatta Parambarai clan and who has an immense passion for boxing. The film starts when the Idiyappa clan is at the peak of their power and dominance, & the Sarpatta clan is on the brink of collapse. Then, Rangan (Pasupathy), a former boxer and the coach of Sarpatta, announces that he will bring up a prominent boxer for the last bout to defeat Vembuli (John Kokken), a powerful and talented boxer representing the Idiyappa clan.
The plot of the film is very simple; It is about two clans who are fighting for their pride and glory. While watching the film, we pretty much know where it is going, but how is it going to unfold is an experience, and there is so much going on in this simple plot. The film accurately showcases that era, the boxing culture in the locality, the caste-based social discrimination, and also the politics involved in it. We as an audience immediately connect with this story and characters, and we go on a journey with them. Along with the high entertainment value, the film also has a believability factor to it. I enjoyed the performances of all the characters, especially, Arya, Pasupathy, John Kokken, Shabeer Kallarakkal as Dancing Rose, Dushara Vijayan as Mariyamma, John Vijay as Kevin (Daddy), Anupama Kumar as Bhagyam, Kalaiyarasan as Vetriselvan, and many more.
The film has done a great job in almost all aspects of film-making – the performances of the leads, realistic portrayal of the characters and the era, the direction, story, screenplay, music, cinematography, etc. And, the credit must go to Pa. Ranjith. He has got a good grab on delivering a content-driven film having a great entertainment value, which has the potential to reach the masses. In the first half, the film is just perfect; In the second half, at the start, the film goes a little out of track but bounces back again to complement the first half. The film keeps boxing at the center stage, but also has subtle social and political undertones to it. It highlights a parallel storyline of the community, which has to fight at every step to reclaim its rights.
Verdict : The film is engaging, inspiring, and thought-provoking, which delivers an intense sports drama. Undoubtedly, a must-watch.
Rating : 4.3/5
Check the trailer here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTTAHt4VlUA&ab_channel=AmazonPrimeVideoIndia