In the 1950's
Boxing culture begins in North Madras.
Yougsters from the slumps and traditional fishing families
began to learn boxing.
The emphasis was not only on being fit
and having an imposing physical structure.
People began to watch these youngsters
because of their extraordinary boxing techniques.
As boxing developed and became
a preferred sport.
The boxing fraternity split
into two major clans.
The Sarpatta clan and Idiyappan Naicker clan.
There's a lot of hatred and competition
among these two clans.
One is a family of Fishermen folks while the other family
belongs to the oppressed caste.
It was not just about winning
in the boxing ring.
It was also about who won the most matches
rose to fame and progressed in life.
There is constant conflict between
these two clans.
All the youngsters were eager
to learn boxing.
They didn't want to be idle.
and wanted to make use of the energy within.
They didn't just play for the money.
Boxing was seen as an outlet
for all their supressed emotions.
These boxing matches were conducted in Jayant Stadium
in Kannapan Thedal.
Pa Ranjith is taking us back to the 70's
through this film.
This film will show us what true self respect
really is.
This film will show us what
real victory is.
All the professional boxers of the 70's and 80'sare in good positions in reputednational organizations.
Because of the existing laws and restrictions.
boxing has been stopped
and the old time boxers are feeling bad
about it.The rules have been implemented to stop boxing once and for all.
A lot of lower middle class uneducated
poor people might have ventured into boxing
in the 80's and the early 2000's
But right after 2000 the middle class
and the upper middle class
began to learn boxing.
The film showcases the two major clans
of North Chennai boxing fraternity.
The Sarpatta clan and Idiyappan Naicker clan.
The conflict among them and who
won at the end.
Watch Kabilan's story on Amazon Prime soon.
Arya and Kalaiyarasan play the leads
in this Pa Ranjith directorial.
Sometimes no dialogues are needed
just saying action is enough.
Hi All.
We can call this the reunion
of the Sarpatta clan.
We have had seperate interviews with them before
and now it's good to see them together
Congrats Ranjith bro.
The expectations for a film is being created
artifically these days.
But from the moment the Sarpatta trailer released...
people have been eager
to watch it on Amazon.
and are feeling bad about missing
the film in theatre.
But people of all ages can watch the movie
from their homes.
I would like to start the interview
on that happy note.
We will start with Ranjith bro.
You have been working on this
for the past 10 years...
and your vision has turned into
a grand spectacle now.
Period films are very rare these days.
But you are taking us down the memory lane
to almost 50 years back.
How did you revisit and sharpen the Sarpatta
script over the years?
like taking notes and re-writing it.
Did the experience of handling a big budget film
like Kaala help you?
Can you tell us how this script was improvised
over a period of time?
I wrote this script right after Attakathi
I wrote this, Madras and an another one
I wrote 3 scripts.
I haven't attempted to film
the other story yet.
as I had to do two back to back
films with Rajinikanth
I wrote Sarpatta right after Attakathi
and reworked on it after Madras.
because I wanted to do the film.
But two films with Rajinikanth meant
that I had to put Sarpatta on hold.
But immediately after Kabali and Kaala
I wanted to do Sarpatta in Tamil.
I wanted a third person's point of view
for this story.
I was looking to collaborate with someone
and got in touch with Tamil Prabha.
I was introduced to him through Pettai novel.
I happened to read his writings on Facebook.
His writings and views on certain films
made me feel that he would apt for Sarpatta Parambarai as a writer.
As he was from Chennai I knew
that he understood the city very well.
I felt that collaborating with him
would be very interesting.
His words have the ability
to keep you hooked.
As his writings were very engaging
I felt that it would be good to collaborate with him.
This helped me create new characters.
Mariamma's character was not there at first.
There was a North Indian character
in the film.
I removed that character from the story
and introduced a new character.
There was a character named Rathi which was
my favourite character in the film.
I had written this character in a previous
version of the film.
But I couldn't bring out Rathi in the final version
of this film.
Sarpatta Parambarai has undergone many changes
and has become what it is today.
But the process was awesome.
The journey of the film
over a period of time.
The journey of making changes
according to the needs of the script.
Tell us about Aarya's fitness.
Kokken you can also tell as fitness is a part of your routine.
Every time I see Arya I am amazed at his ability
to switch on and switch off.
Arya has always been fit and ready.
He approached me with the interest
of being part of the story.
He has said this himself
in a lot of interviews.
But I was a little apprehensive
of his fair complexion.
If he was darker I would have agreed
to get him onboard immediately.
and agreed to do the film with him.
That was the reason for the delay in casting him.
But eventually I decided that he was going
to play this character.
I shot this film in reverse.
The climax portion was shot first.
He used to be very fit at that time.
After that we ensured that
he lost weight gradually.
For the younger look of the character...
We wanted a normal physique.
He had to look young and thin.
He understood all of this and supported the film immensely.
He was ready to go for multiple takes if I wanted.
That dedication amazed me.
He wouldn't ask questions when I gave him
instructions regarding what I wanted.
He would rarely question the need
for the retakes.
He was always willing
to do more.
The artists in the film trusted me.
So I needed to showcase them properly
in the film.
All the artists in the film understood
my need for perfection.
Even John was very co-operative.
John had actually fainted during
one of the fight sequences.
Oh no!
We had to admit him in the hospital.
He almost got a heart attack.
John was finding it difficult.
We rehearsed from the morning
and shot the whole day.
John slept during the rehearsals itself.
But we wanted to do the fight sequence.
Every fight was being set up differently.
I wanted the fight sequence to be shot in a particular way
for it to be authentic and exciting.
We tried to get it done in the first day itself
but we couldn't.
On the second day we too
we shot the fight sequence first.
And he did co-operated.
John, John Vijay, Kalaiyarasan, Santhosh Prathap were all co-operative
The artists weren't just physically ready.
They were mentally ready to give their best.
They knew I would be firm.
So you made them perform
as you wanted.
Of course!
We know about your emphasis on fitness.
I can't believe that you actually fainted.
I guess that's what makes an actor's life
very exciting.
The story allows you to push your limits.
So how was it to be part
of such a clan.
Ranjith was actually doubtful at first regarding my ability
to pull off this character.
So he wanted me to train first.
and then see how it goes.
He saw me after I finished training
for a couple of months.
Then he checked my moves.
One great thing about Ranjith Sir is...
he knew everything about boxing
when he shot the film.
He knew the footwork needed for boxing.
I could have easily faked the punches.
But he wanted authenticity with the proper
hook and an upper cut.
He clearly told us what he wanted.
After my training he checked out
whether I would fit the role.
Then he decided I would be apt.
The shocking part was my look
for this film.
I had a handle bar moustache.
I still don't understand how he envisioned
such a character for me.
Because when I met him I had a beard.
When I changed my look and went home...
I asked my wife how Ranjith Sir could visualize
such a character for me.
I don't know how his mind works,
and how he could visualize such a character
when he saw me.
He somehow knew that I would fit
the character.
When we started shooting...
Ranjith Sir told me that the film about North Chennai boxing
and the different clans in it.
He said that Muhammad Ali had come to Chennai.
That really shocked me.
He replied in the affirmative
and showed me some old photos.
Ranjith Sir had researched the whole thing
and he showed me the photos.
He told me about the boxing competitions
that existed back in those days.
He said that my character is from
an era of unbeatable guys.
So he wanted my character to be like a beast
who makes the opponent shiver in fear.
We trained for that character
and started shooting.
As Ranjith Sir said the climax
was shot first.
I got beaten up on the first day itself.
It was hard.
Ranjith Sir said that Arya was ready
for retakes, right?
Only if Ranjith said Ok
we could move to the next shot.
We were beating up each other
until he said Ok.
It was that realistic.
When you see these shots
in the film...
whether it's beating or getting beaten up
you will feel the authenticity.
Everyone lived the roles
because Ranjith wanted it to be realistic.
He would never say Ok to a shot
until he was satisfied.
I have never touched a hero
before in my life.
So it's a big thing for me.
Arya Sir would laugh it off...
and ask me to hit him.
Until Ranjith said Ok we would keep on
hitting each other.
We were talking about a 2 and half minutes
fight sequence, right?
I did well on the first take itself
when the fight sequence was shot.
But my heart rate increased in the second take
as I was being beaten up continuously.
I had to beat and get beaten up continuously.
I was getting beaten up continously
and couldn't understand what was happening.
After the director said cut I became breathless.
I couldn't breathe even as the others
tried to bring in some air.
It was an exhausting experience.
I am not sure if I would be able
to do a sports film like this in the future.
You can feel proud about giving
your 100 percent for this film.
What inspires you to switch like this
when the film demands?
How are you able to do that?
I have been in sports and have been a fitness freak
for a long time.
But I have never done a sports film before.
I came to know that Ranjith had a boxing script.
I had played boxing before for my fitness.
Boxing is not like other sports.
I used to show my frustration and anger
on the punching bag often.
I played boxing to bring out the frustration.
Once I knew that Ranjith had this script
I got hold of Kalaiyarasan
Told him that I know boxing
You knew how to get hold of the right person.
Kalaiyarasan ensured that I got in touch
with Ranjith.
and told Ranjith that I would be able
to pull off the role.
But Ranjith took his time.
But I insisted and he narrated
the story to me.
I wanted to start the shoot immediately.
He told me that he had pre-production work
for 6 months after which we could shoot.
I maintained my fitness because of my eagerness
to be part of a boxing film.
I was eager to show off my boxing skills.
Ranjith Sir is a Master story teller.
He has researched for this film for almost 10 years.
The one aspect I liked about the film was that
it was not just about boxing.
There was an authentic story
which needed to be told.
It took us back to the 70's
and showcased the life of people in North
Chennai back in those days.
It explored the political background and social issues
The film has a lot of interesting characters.
The characters of John kokken
John Vijay, Santhosh
Shabeer has played the character of dancing rose.
There's Pasupathy Sir.
When you watch the film you will feel that
all the characters are strong.
None of the characters are insignificant
or small.
After watching the film you will feel that
a life has been projected to you.
After hearing the story I felt that
I would not get an opportunity like this again
So I wanted to give my best
and prove myself to the audience.
I wanted to satisfy Ranjith.
So I was ready to work hard.
That's awesome.
The detailing to achieve the period film feel.
Even the moustache had to represent
that period.
Everything had to look authentic.
How did you go about this?
Because Arya is a very producer friendly hero.
He has also been a producer...
The film came out so well because of Arya.
Without his support this would not have been possible
because we spent more than the actual budget.
He has been supporting the film till date.
The one thing that came to my mind
when I knew that this was a period film...
I had actually planned on a minimalistic budget
to bring out the period look.
But that was very difficult.
We had decided that the year was going
to be 75.
Then we had to figure out the sequence of events
that happened in 75.
As I said in earlier interviews...
I had decided not to overdo it
by adding unnecessary detailing.
The period details have been highlighted according
to the needs of the film.
That's why I specifically chose 75.
I felt that particular period
would blend in with the story.
75 was the emergency period.
Emergency was announced throughout India.
The situation of Tamil Nadu during those times.
While setting the backdrop
for the story.
I felt that the audience would easily connect
to that time period.
At the same time it could influence
the story as well.
That felt like a positive approach to me.
and made it easier for me
to tell the story.
It wasn't difficult for me
to set that period.
But I had to be very careful with the smallest
of details.
I want both John and Arya to answer.
An actor will submit himself only if the director has command.
It doesn't happen just like that
for all the films.
I think the director earns that respect.
And Ranjith is a grandmaster.
There is an authority in his body language
and the way he speaks
He commands respect.
He has that energy and aura.
Both of you tell me about
the Master in him.
Because I believe he himself
has trained in boxing.
Even before we started training in boxing
Sir had begun to train himself.
I asked him why he was training.
He said that he had to know what boxing was
before filming it.
So he trained with National trainer Thiru.
and he trained with another boxing trainer.
The boxers of the actual Sarpatta clan
are trainers today.
He trained with them as well
and did a lot of field work.
Seeing his hard work
I was also motivated to give my best.
Otherwise the film would not
come out well.
As far as the film goes in a lot of scenes and situations
I just followed him.
I would ask him to act the scene out.
He would ask me why and I would respond
that he is so good.
and insist that him acting out
will be useful for me.
The way he conveys emotions
and his dialogue delivery style
He speaks at a certain pace.
All that was very useful for the film.
I have even used his laughing style a little.
Because he has analysed and visualized
thee character in a certain way.
So I used to ask him for reference
and do it.
His energy gave me the confidence
to give my 100 percent.
He would visualize the character
in his mind...
Right from the way the character laughs
to the way he gets angry.
and his body language in the ring.
Everything is there in Ranjith's mind already.
When I started shooting for the film
he told me what he wanted.
He would want me to be in beast mode
at times.
He was that precise.
That was the only thing missing.
Keep going.
His visualization was like that.
He wanted each of the cast member
to live their roles.
to even feel and walk like that character.
So all of us tried to give our best.
I hope the audience likes what we have done.
When did you feel that you have to tell the story
of Sarpatta to the world?
and how did you feel when Arya came on board for the film.
The thought of Sarpatta came to my mind
when I was scouting locations for Madras.
I was in Pulianthopu to take
a look at the wall paintings.
This was way back in 2012.
I saw kids playing football.
They were not wearing any socks
while playing.
They were all bare-footed.
That visual impacted me a lot.
And another group of boys
were playing boxing.
Then I spoke to my friend who took me there.
I asked him about the boxers.
He told me that they were amateur boxers.
and he told me stories about professional boxers
who used to be there.
The journey of Sarpatta started
from there.
The visuals that I saw are still there
in my mind.
There were a lot of casting changes in the film
over a period of time.
Eventually when Arya came onboard the first
question that came to my mind was....
Will I be able to pull this off
with Arya as the main lead?
I felt that his complexion might
not be right for the film.
But when I talked to him I felt that he
could do justice to my vision.
That was because of his confidence and the interest
that he showed.
and the trust that he had on me.
I feel that every actor should have this confidence.
I wanted to do justice to the faith
that he had on me.
I started working towards making
the character gain acceptance from the audience
by bringing out the Kabilan that I wanted.
To set the character correctly
I worked on the body language
to bring out the screen presence.
I began to set his body language
and his features.
His transformation was very convincing
which made me very happy.
I felt that he had worked really hard
to get the look right.
After which I began to work confidently.
Did you have a set discipline as such?
because the original you is a very happy guy.
Did you notice any such changes in behaviour
John Sir?
Ranjith asked me why I was being silent on his set.
He had heard about me being a fun person on set.
He was very concerned as to whether
something was wrong.
He was actually worried.
I told him that I had to energy
to have fun.
I only had the energy to perform
on the set.
I told him that I cannot talk
and waste my energy.
and that it would make me tired while acting.
He understood what the problem was.
I assured him that we could have
fun right after the shoot is over.
Kalai used to tell me stories
about him having fun on set.
But in my set he was always silent.
He used to be very tensed.
I was wondering whether he disliked
my way of shooting.
because I used to shoot constantly from
morning to night.
I was very worried while shooting.
After that I understood...
The hard work that he put in
to maintain the shape.
I heard that he didn't even drink water
on sets.
Even when the climax was shot over a period
of 6-7 days
It is very draining at night.
Even when the others slept
I used to shoot.
There used to be so much pressure.
He used to be very tensed
because of not drinking water
I understood that he was feeling the pressure.
I visited another shooting spot of his
where he was very jovial.
He must have been having fun on
Sundar C Sir's sets.
Yes, He was actually having fun over there.
I was able to survive the climax fight only
because of John's Ragi ladoo.
It was very sweet and gave me enough energy.
It didn't impact my weight either.
He used to bring a couple of boxes daily
for him and for me.
I used to ask him often for the ladoo.
I used to ask him for ladoo
after beating him up on shoot.
It was quite hectic that way.
As Ranjith Sir said he would shoot continuously
without a break.
I used to plead with him to give me
a 10 minutes break for lunch.
He would ask me to eat between the shots
without giving me a break.
The actors must have secretly thought of faking illness
for you to give them a break I guess
When it was lunch time Pasupathy Sir's look towards me would imply
that it's time for lunch.
I would tell him that I had my lunch secretly.
He would ask whether he can also
eat over there.
Ranjith used to shoot non-stop
while we ate in secret between the shots.
That's where we got our energy.
The shoot went on like that.
The audience wants to know
if all the songs will be there in the amazon cut.
There are only 2 songs in total.
I heard that only one of the songs
will be there in the film.
The two songs will be there, right?
Yes, Both the songs will be there.
That's good.
What did you learn from him?
-He knows a lot of things of which I know nothing.
So he just let me be.
He would tell me about his social image and stuff
I would tell him that I know nothing of that.
and that I am ok with whatever he says.
The one thing I like about him is the way
he expresses his thoughts.
But he doesn't impose or force his thoughts
or ideologies on others.
I believe the film will be a different experience and if it inspires
atleast one person in North chennai to take up boxing
Then it is a win for the film.
Olympics is also going to start
and we have won a medal in boxing.
The wish is to see more boxers from Chennai
in the future.
Thank you so much for giving us a wonderful film
to discuss about.
Give us more films like this and we will
keep discussing.
Ok. Thank you.