Once in a while, an Indian film comes along, that knocks you out and sends you reeling with its richness. Pa Ranjith’s Sarpatta Parambarai (The Sarpatta Clan, Tamil) is that outstanding film, starring Arya, set amid the boxing cults of Tamil Nadu, that is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. There have been other boxing films, of course, including Mary Kom, Toofaan, and Sudha Kongara’s wonderful Irudhi Suttru (Final Round, Tamil, with the very hot Madhavan and spunky Ritika Singh; Tokyo Film Festival; Saala Khadoos/ ‘Rude’ in Hindi). The usual boxing film template is underdog triumph story plus romance toppings. But that is low hanging fruit for Ranjith. His film weaves a fascinating, multi-layered tapestry, as a boxing period film set in the 1970s, including caste issues, of course, but also class issues, boxing clan rivalries, politics (the Emergency, decline of the DMK, rise of MGR), Tamil boxing history, questioning of masculinity--all shot amid dock and coal workers, with a documentary grittiness. There are other sprawling epics on labour class struggles in Vetri Maaran’s brilliant Vada Chennai (Tamil), Mahesh Narayanan’s magnificent Malik and Rajeev Ravi’s period film Thuramukham (The Harbour), the last two in Malayalam. And yet, like many of those films, Sarpatta is intimate in its detailing of the characters and milieu. Moreover, there are hat-tips to international figures and politics, with references to Muhammad Ali, and a Muslim boxer called Black Panther Meeran. Bollywood’s last memorable working class films were mainly in the ’70s and ’80s; since then, they have been largely erased, with a few notable exceptions like Gully Boy.

The story is of boxing coach Rangan (Pasupathy), whose career is on the decline as his protegees lose in the boxing ring, who agrees to a final do-or-die match. Ranjith racks up the tension by having him cast, not the current favourite Raman, or even his own son Vetriselvan, but a rank outsider, Kabilan (Arya, attractive). Arya, who is not professionally trained, struggles to redeem the honour of a coach he reveres. Ranjith’s direction is absolutely assured, with superb craftsmanship. It is his finest work that I’ve seen; it follows his Attakathi, Madras, Kabali and Kaala. Ranjith’s Neelam Productions is devoted to discussing caste issues through films and music, and he has also produced many films, including Mari Selvaraj’s superb Pariyerum Perumal, as well as Kuthiraivaal, Seththumaan and the forthcoming Writer.