Return to frontpage
  • ePaper
Return to frontpage
15
Return to frontpage
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • International
    • States
    • Cities
  • Opinion
    • Cartoon
    • Columns
    • Editorial
    • Interview
    • Lead
    • Readers' Editor
    • Comment
    • Open Page
    • Letters
  • Business
    • Agri-Business
    • Industry
    • Economy
    • Markets
    • Budget 2022
    • Stock Quotes
  • Sport
    • Cricket
    • Football
    • Hockey
    • Tennis
    • Athletics
    • Motorsport
    • Races
    • Other Sports
  • Entertainment
    • Art
    • Dance
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Reviews
    • Theatre
  • Crossword+
  • Science
  • Life & Style
    • Fashion
    • Fitness
    • Food
    • Motoring
    • Travel
    • Homes and gardens
    • Luxury
  • thREAD
  • Start Trial
  • SUBSCRIBE NOW
  • Log In
Return to frontpage
‘Sarpatta Parambarai’ movie review: Packs a punch, but follows a predictable path
    Share On
  • Entertainment
  • Art
  • Dance
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Reviews
  • Theatre
Congress chooses Channi | Talking Politics with Nistula Hebbar
  • Entertainment
  • Movies
CLOSE THIS MENU
TRENDING TODAY
  • Chennai
  • Hyderabad
  • Bengaluru
  • Videos
  • Entertainment
  • Subscription
  • Latest News
  • Today's Paper
  • ePaper
  • Housing
  • Coupons
  • News
    • National
    • International
  • Coronavirus
    • Video & Podcast
    • All Reports
  • States
    • Andhra Pradesh
    • Karnataka
    • Kerala
    • Tamil Nadu
    • Telangana
    • Other States
  • Business
    • Agri-Business
    • Industry
    • Economy
    • Markets
    • Budget 2022
  • Real Estate
  • Crossword+ "Free Games"
  • Cities
    • Bengaluru
    • Chennai
    • Coimbatore
    • Delhi
    • Hyderabad
    • Kochi
    • Kolkata
    • Mumbai
    • Kozhikode
    • Madurai
    • Mangaluru
    • Puducherry
    • Thiruvananthapuram
    • Tiruchirapalli
    • Vijayawada
    • Visakhapatnam
  • Elections
    • Goa
    • Manipur
    • Punjab
    • Uttar pradesh
    • Uttarakhand
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Lead
    • Comment
    • Columns
    • Interview
    • Cartoon
    • Open Page
    • Readers' Editor
    • Letters
  • Sport
    • Athletics
    • Cricket
    • Football
    • Hockey
    • Motorsport
    • Other Sports
    • Races
    • Tennis
  • Entertainment
    • Art
    • Dance
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Reviews
    • Theatre
  • Society
    • Faith
    • History & Culture
  • Books
    • Reviews
    • Authors
  • Children
  • Life & Style
    • Fashion
    • Fitness
    • Food
    • Motoring
    • Travel
    • Homes and gardens
    • Luxury
  • Technology
    • Gadgets
    • Internet
  • Sci-Tech
    • Science
    • Technology
    • Health
    • Agriculture
    • Environment
  • Education
    • Careers
    • Colleges
    • Schools
  • Multimedia
    • Photos
    • Videos
    • Podcast
  • Data
  • Specials
  • Resources
  • Tags
  • thREAD
  • Theatre - Fest
  • November Fest
  • Lit for Life
  • Tamil Nadu Smiling
  • Newsletter
  • Archive
  • Classifieds
  • eBooks
  • Subscribe
  • Social
  • About Us
  • CONNECT WITH US
CLOSE THIS MENU
Movies

‘Sarpatta Parambarai’ movie review: Packs a punch, but follows a predictable path

Srinivasa Ramanujam
July 25, 2021 19:04 IST
Updated: July 25, 2021 19:04 IST
Srinivasa Ramanujam
July 25, 2021 19:04 IST
Updated: July 25, 2021 19:04 IST

With the Arya-starrer, director Pa. Ranjith brings to life the vibrant boxing culture in ‘70s North Madras

    Share Article
  • PRINT
  • AAA
Arya in ‘Sarpatta Parambarai’

Arya in ‘Sarpatta Parambarai’ | Photo Credit: Amazon Prime Video

With the Arya-starrer, director Pa. Ranjith brings to life the vibrant boxing culture in ‘70s North Madras

There’s an inherent problem with the arc of sports-based films: its predictable nature. The protagonist shows a keen interest in a sport, but the road to success is filled with thorns. He/she overcomes all that with difficulty, and emerges victorious. This very staple formula is what most sporting dramas are constructed with.

Also Read | Get ‘First Day First Show’, our weekly newsletter from the world of cinema, in your inbox . You can subscribe for free here

Pa. Ranjith’s latest Tamil offering, Sarpatta Parambarai , is not too different. It has a protagonist (Kabilan, played by Arya) wanting to do well in boxing, but has several roadblocks. It’s Ranjith’s trademark flourishes that make this otherwise lengthy film worthwhile.

Also Read
Watch | Actor Arya on how he trained for his role as a boxer in 'Sarpatta Parambarai'
 

Unlike Farhan Akthar’s recent Hindi boxing drama Toofan , which lay emphasis primarily on the challenges in front of the protagonist, Ranjith designs Sarpatta... about the lifestyle of the people. It focusses on North Madras, the epicentre of boxing in the city that was home to two warring boxing clans: Sarpatta and Idiyappa. This cultural history comes alive in the film, with the set design and clothing patterns taking you back to the ‘70s. Even the political landscape of the country plays a role; the way it has been incorporated into the script makes for interesting viewing.

Sarpatta Parambarai

    The first half packs a punch, but the film withers in the second when the protagonist undergoes a transformation. Suddenly, the editing and sequences look all over the place. A supposedly important character is introduced quite late, before Ranjith designs a last-ball finish style to end proceedings.

    Also Read | Boxing in North Madras: How actor Arya and coach Thiru worked on ‘Sarpatta Parambarai’

    The film might open and end with Arya’s Kabilan, but there are several memorable characters that you meet along the way: John Vijay as Daddy (watch out for the scene with Arya in which he says, “You’ve found your path, bugger”) and Shabeer Kallarakkal as Dancing Rose (his fight with Kabilan is the best of all the bouts in the film) are two that stand out. There are other neat performances by Pasupathy and Kalaiarasan, but one wishes that John Kokken’s Vembuli character had as much meat as his muscles.

    Arya and Pasupathy in a still from the film

    Arya and Pasupathy in a still from the film

    You do get reminded of Vetri Maaran’s earlier works and a bit of Ranjith’s work in Madras as well here, but Sarpatta Parambarai incorporates elements like caste conflict and the question of pride into the sporting milieu to make it an engaging watch. It is also an ode to Madras of the past; watch out for the commentary team remarking how, “people from faraway villages like Guindy and Adyar have gathered here!” during one of the matches.

    Ranjith’s unique path in Tamil cinema, in which he has thrown light on several aspects that other mainstream filmmakers don’t, continues with Sarpatta ... With dialogues like ‘Idhu namba kaalam’ (This is our time) and an entire sequence about the need to fight, the director’s stamp is unmissable. He’s helped in this task by cinematographer Murali G and composer Santhosh Narayanan’s background score.

    The men in the film might be rough and tough in the ring, but back home, the women prove they are the boss. While Arya’s mother Bakkiyam gets written a one-dimensional character, his love interest Mariyamma (Dushara Vijayan) gets better treatment. After one particularly heated confrontation, she instructs Kabilan, “I’m starving. Come and feed me,” and the two proceed to make small talk. It’s a quiet little moment in an otherwise loud film. It reminded me a little of the Rajinikanth-Huma Qureshi moment in Kaala, and is the reason I look forward to Ranjith’s next, which is reportedly a full-fledged love story.

    Sarpatta Parambarai is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video

    Return to frontpage
    Our code of editorial values

    Related Topics
    Tamil cinema
    reviews
    This article is closed for comments.
    Please Email the Editor

    Printable version | Feb 13, 2022 7:36:48 am | https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/sarpatta-parambarai-movie-review-packs-a-punch-but-follows-a-predictable-path/article62129458.ece

    © THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD.

    Top Picks in The Hindu today
    All about differences The Hindu Science Quiz
    The future of commentary must work harder to get there
    U.K. 'no longer the laggard' of G-7 economies after upgrades
    Modi talks to Mangaluru girl who won PM Rashtreeya Bal Puraskar
    In pictures | A tumultuous journey
    Crime Branch collects Monson’s voice samples
    Vacate villages voluntarily: Collector
    Silverline project: Kerala Rail ropes in Indian Institute of Science, start-up for safety technology
    Tamil prisoners file Fundamental Rights petition at Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court
    69% of India’s adult population has got at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, 25% both: Government
    TRENDING TODAY
    • Coronavirus
    • Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022
    • Housing
    11 | News in frames | Hungry nation
    11 | News in frames | Hungry nation
    5 | Crime Branch collects Monson’s voice samples
    4 | Retail inflation for industrial workers eases to 4.79% in August
    3 | Analysis | From Afghan withdrawal to AUKUS, a Biden doctrine takes shape
    3 | Watch | Vietnam's incense village
    1 | Drawings from India
    2 | Mustard seed sowing up 22%; wheat slightly down this rabi season, says Agriculture Ministry
    2 | 69% of India’s adult population has got at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, 25% both: Government
    1 | Drawings from India
    1 | From atoms to animal science: The Hindu Science Quiz
    1 | A scheme before its time: On digital health mission
    1 | Horticulture Park in Madhavaram will get nursery, exotic plant species
    1 | Government exempts COVID-19 vaccine from customs duty till December 31
    1 | Brown Paperbag — August 11, 2019
    1 | From Asimov to anaerobes: The Hindu Science Quiz
    1 | New on Amazon Prime in February: ‘Mahaan,’ ‘Gehraiyaan’ and more
    • ePaper
    Return to frontpage
    TRENDING TODAY
    • News in frames | Hungry nation
    • Crime Branch collects Monson’s voice samples
    • Retail inflation for industrial workers eases to 4.79% in August
    • Analysis | From Afghan withdrawal to AUKUS, a Biden doctrine takes shape
    TRENDING TOPIC
    • Kerala
    • Australia
    Trending on our group sites
    Businessline
    • NSE
    • company law
    • Home
    • News
      • National
      • International
      • States
      • Cities
    • Coronavirus
      • Video & Podcast
      • All Reports
      • All Reports
      • E-BOOK
    • Opinion
      • Cartoon
      • Columns
      • Editorial
      • Interview
      • Lead
      • Readers' Editor
      • Comment
      • Open Page
      • Letters
    • Business
      • Agri-Business
      • Industry
      • Economy
      • Markets
      • Budget 2022
      • Stock Quotes
    • Sport
      • Cricket
      • Football
      • Hockey
      • Tennis
      • Athletics
      • Motorsport
      • Races
      • Other Sports
    • Crossword+
    • Coupons
    • Entertainment
    • Life & Style
    • thREAD
    THE SITE
    • About Us
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contacts
    • Archive
    • Print Subscription
    • ePaper
    • Digital Subscription
    • Rss Feeds
    • Sitemap
    GROUP SITES
    • The Hindu
    • இந்து தமிழ் திசை
    • Business Line
    • BL on Campus
    • Sportstar
    • Frontline
    • The Hindu Centre
    • RoofandFloor
    • STEP
    • Young World Club
    • Publications
    • eBooks
    • Images
    • Classifieds
    Contact us Copyright© 2022, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD.
    JUST IN
    • ‘The Tinder Swindler’ review: Netflix’s latest true-crime documentary is a lesson in vulnerability
    • Magical realism meets teenage drama in ‘The Sky is Everywhere’
    • 2022 K-Dramas to look out for: ‘Thirty-Nine,’ ‘Juvenile Justice’ and more
    • ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ review: Wears its space western identity with flair
    • Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist to headline Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Challengers’
    • Simu Liu set to join Margot Robbie’s ‘Barbie’ movie
    • ‘DJ Tillu’ movie review: Siddhu steals the show in this outlandish comic caper
    • ‘Archana 31 Not Out’ movie review: Loses the match by quite a wide margin
    • ‘Death on the Nile’ movie review: Comme ci, comme ça
    • ‘Gehraiyaan’ movie review: Needs to be relished for its deeper meanings and heartfelt performances
    • Lata Mangeshkar’s voice carried divinity: Pakistani historian Fakir Syed Aijazuddin
    • Ali Fazal and his Christie caper
    • What happened in Vesoul during the Festival International des Cinemas d’Asie
    • Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Shamshera’ to release in theatres on July 22
    • Vishnu Vishal on fighting back injuries and depression, and what prompted him to make ‘F.I.R’
    CLOSE