Sudha Kongara’s ‘Parasakthi’ is a frantic, underwhelming political drama
Posted on January 10, 2026
Sivakarthikeyan and Ravi Mohan battle it out in Tamil Nadu when the Centre imposes Hindi as the official language. But despite a lot of research, ‘Parasakthi’ never becomes the fiery slice of history it wants to be. That’s the short take. A longer review follows, and it may contain spoilers.
What is language? Sudha Kongara’s new film, Parasakthi, answers this question right at the beginning with these words: “oru inathoda moochu kaathu.” In other words, language is the air we breathe, and the film that follows is about the attempts to choke a community. The Centre decides to make Hindi the official language throughout the country, and this proves a major problem not just for Tamils but also to people from other non-Hindi states. Parasakthi focuses on a Tamilian who’s cleverly named Chezhiyan. The “Che” part of the name suggests a revolutionary, and the “zha” in the middle is a letter that’s not in the Hindi alphabet. Sivakarthikeyan plays Chezhiyan with all the earnestness and anger at his disposal, and he’s slowly joined by people from other non-Hindi states. But in trying to paint a broad picture of a Tamilian protest that is one of the Dravidian movement’s signature events, the film tries to do too much and ends up meaning very little.
You can read the rest of the review here:
https://galattaplus.com/sudha-kongaras-parasakthi-is-a-frantic-underwhelming-political-drama/
You can watch the trailer / video review here:
Copyright ©2026 GALATTA.
Rate this:
Share this:
- Print (Opens in new window)Print
- Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook
- Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Email
- Share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Reddit
- Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Tumblr
- Share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Pocket
- Share on X (Opens in new window)X
- Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)LinkedIn
- Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Pinterest
Honestly more excited for this than the movie itself…Just waiting to see if BR’s most anticipated list turns out to be a total whitewash… or if Parashakti sneaks in as the lone consolation. 5–0 so far 👀🔥 jk
Are we getting your most anticipated 2026 list?
LikeLike
This is easily Sudha’s weakest film. Felt like a longer movie that was cut to 2.5 hrs. Scenes just flow through mechanically and none of the emotions work. Bringing in characters just to kill them later felt cheap and got boring after a while. The songs and the romance portions were not great and trimming them would have helped the movie. Sivakarthikeyan was good but Ravi Mohan couldn’t do much with a one note role.
I can now confirm that I don’t like the Sudha Kongra style of movie making. I didn’t particularly like Soorarai as well but outstanding performances by all involved made it palatable. I am not Tamil and definitely wouldn’t identify with the subject matter as a native would but I was never pulled into the era by the movie making as well. It didn’t help that there were so many songs in the movie. I can understand that the movie is kind of a throwback to the big movies that we used to see in the past. The only way this movie would have been palatable for me would have been the original cast of Surya, DQ and Nazriya
The frantic editing was a problem in Soorarai Pottru as well. Especially in the first half in the Air Force portions. But it eventually settled into a rhythm and the performances worked. Despite the shady politics, it was reasonably well crafted. I hope Sudha’s DMK pandering ends with this film and her next one comes from a place of honesty. Like she said in her interview, Thangam is still her best work.
LikeLike
Spot on review.
Terrible staging, editing, use of music, choreography and screenplay.
Siva K was beautifully lit and shot. Sreeleela plays a manic pixie dream guerilla.
An important story that needed Dhurandar style treatment.
Where’s Aditya Dharaneedharan when you need him?
LikeLike
Parasakthi is victory garland for DMK history: Kamal Haasan to Udhayanidhi Stalin.
Kamal Haasan wrote a letter to Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, praising Sivakarthikeyan’s ‘Parasakthi’ as a ‘war-drum’ for the upcoming elections. He blessed the film, calling it as a “victory garland” for DMK history.
His X post read, “Let the Tamil flame spread! To the Honourable Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru Udhayanidhi Stalin,
Before I started watching the film Parasakthi, I did not expect at all that this film would become a resounding call for the elections our alliance is going to face. Yes, my wish is not just that this film should succeed, but it is also my genuine blessing. This film is the victory garland placed upon DMK history. With affection, Kamal Haasan…P.S.: I should have said this first, but my emotions took precedence . The first praise goes to this biopic-fiction story, its director Mrs. Sudha Kongara, and to brother Sivakarthikeyan who chose this story, worked hard for it, and is going to achieve success (sic).”
“My heartfelt congratulations to all the actors who are part of this cinema history, including Ravi Mohan, Atharvaa, Sreeleela, and to the technical artists including cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran, music composer G.V. Prakash, editor Sathish Surya, and everyone who worked on this film,” the post concluded.
LikeLike
TrickyCyclist: “manic pixie dream guerilla”… “Aditya Dharaneedharan” when you need him?”…
<slow clap>
LikeLike
Good to know that this propaganda movie tanked.
Hope this brings out tamil cinema from the caste/politics/wokeist/hero worship rut it has got stuck into. 2025 was a bleak year for Tamil cinema with lot of movie lovers staying away. 2026 doesn’t look promising.
LikeLike
Who needs an Aditya Dhar when Tamil cinema already has Mohan G Tarantino anna 🔥🔥🔥
The movie felt inauthentic to the setting and it felt like Sudha just used the Hindi imposition protests as a saaku to differentiate it from the countless hero vs villain masala movies.
The movies Pa.Ranjith , Mari Selvaraj and Vetrimaaran feels lived in and makes us invest in their characters with their strong writing and millieu setup.
Even in Ranjith’s weakest movie Thangalaan , I could sense a feel of authenticity in the way the characters are designed and perform.
But , Parasakthi doesn’t have that and feels emotionally distant.
It wants to tell an often forgotten chapter of Tamilnadu politics to a newer generation that couldn’t differentiate between MGR and Bhakthavachalam and thinks Karunanidhi , Arignar Anna left ADMK to start DMK (I’m not making this up , I heard someone actually ask this to her friend), but makes it a royal mess out of this.
The movie just takes off without properly establishing the cause the people are struggling , the relationship between the characters in the assumption that we know everything about it.
Atleast in Hey Ram , another socio-political movie that did less spoon-feeding , it took its patient time to establish the issue , the relationship between the characters and the inciting incidents.
Unlike Parasakthi , the romance in Hey Ram felt a part of the story and it didn’t feel distracting.
This should have been a more subtler ,less manipulative , lengthier movie.
Apparently I watched a longer ‘uncut’ version of this movie with a few extra scenes. Still checking up to see what exactly were these scenes.
The film felt very rushed to me still. Right at the beginning, Chezhiyan’s “firebrand revolutionary” to “docile idealist” transformation came across as extremely snippetted to me. But when the title cards rolled, I decided to just register it as a dramatis personae section and watch the rest of the movie. But none of the emotions landed for me at all. And it is a pity because this period of India, and Tamil Nadu, is a treasure trove for any aspiring political filmmaker on any side of the political spectrum. There was so much upheaval. So sad, flashes of brilliance and all that…
One thing I was extremely surprised by (I mean, not really considering Hero demands in Kollywood) was why Sudha didn’t pair Atharva and Sreeleela up. Their romantic relationship would have (and already, in this version of the story) made so much more sense.
Politically speaking, and this is just my opinion, if anyone has a problem with the way this film portrays or propagandizes issues even after all the whitewashing and censor-skirting, then they are just stupid.
so a broad overview that does not focus on any issue enough to make it emotionally resonant. Which was hinted at by Soorarai Pottru.
LikeLike
Yeah , it is a mad rush to put in all elements that supposedly work with the commercial movie watching audience . It is such a cheap compromise and cowardly. It is like she isn’t sure whether a hard hitting drama would work and therefore she has to make sure to add elements that the supposed mass audience likes and enjoys. I think she is capable of doing gritty stuff but every minute of her movie making is playing the safe game to make sure the movie doesn’t flop
@brangan, Enna sir ippo othukareengala intha padam ideological nu? Antha “Aandavare” yen pakkam thaan.
LikeLike
“The frantic editing was a problem in Soorarai Pottru as well. Especially in the first half in the Air Force portions. But it eventually settled into a rhythm and the performances worked. Despite the shady politics, it was reasonably well crafted. ” – Its main attraction was bringing an earthy, slice of life flavour to a star vehicle. That was the best part of the movie, how grounded and devoid of mass hi-jinx it was, and how it simply tried to tell the story itself. But it didn’t tell the story very well then either. Apparently not this time too. Shame, I like SK. But in the overall context – of using censors to keep Jana Nayagan out of theaters – he may just have bet on the wrong horse here.
Wait, She is your idol ?
LikeLike
lol, no! SK here expands to Sivakarthikeyan. I suppose that was clear enough from the gender “he may have bet on the wrong horse”.
LikeLike
@Madan: +1 on SK. Easily a superior, and more charming actor to the Thala-Thalapathy duopoly. Hopefully, Parasakthi does reasonable money due to the holidays.
LikeLike
Jay Krishnan: Kamal Hassan
LikeLike
Would love to see Sivakarthikeyan in a punch-drunk-love kind of a film, something that’s different from his usual template and yet uses his strengths. You have to give massive credit to Nelson for the way he used him in Doctor. Unfortunately Tamil Cinema has a lack of directors of that caliber to use in him in different ways.
LikeLike
… therefore she has to make sure to add elements that the supposed mass audience likes and enjoys.
She’s been doing that since Drohi. No wonder, she aspired to be like Perarasu!
LikeLike
I liked the movie and it was engaging throughout. I watched it with my 12 yo who is into Indian history, particularly Tamil. It was educational enough for him and asked quite a bit of questions after the movie. He was excited to see my Alma mater(Annamalai university) and our native place on big screen.
The romance numbers were a bit distracting and I found the climax to be very dramatic and ineffective. I was unhappy with SreeLeelas characterization.
Overall, a good effort from Sudha. Her contemporaries have made mediocre movies and still made good numbers. I hope the same happens for this movie as well.
Sadly , no.
Vijay fans who are mad at their Thalapathy’s supposed last dance getting ruined by the censors and also Parasakthi being their movie’s competitor won’t let it happen.
They think boycotting this movie is their version of The French Revolution.
And also the unfavorable word of mouth would definitely affect the box office collections.
LikeLike
I am no Vijay fan nor is baddy from what I have seen. Why don’t you watch the movie and comment ? If the movie was good with such a potent subject , no one would have criticized it. I really don’t like the bootlicking in Dhurandhar but it is a very well made movie. I think Sudha is watering down movies for it to appeal to a larger audience . She shouldn’t have done that for this subject
LikeLike
Thambi , konjam mela scroll panni paaru pa.
I’ve already watched the movie and shared my thoughts about it at this very same comment section.
I know a lot have less attention span nowadays , but not at this level.
LikeLike
Sorry, just read that. I haven’t read every comment here obviously . So, you are agreeing that the movie wasn’t great. I don’t think the tantrum of VJ na fans would have mattered at all if the movie was more authentic. Having said that, we will see if Sudha knows the mass audience better or us. She did similar things in Soorarai and got away with it because the performances masked those issues.
LikeLike
This was certainly more straightforward and story-driven than SP. Went in with low expectations and enjoyed it. Loosu heroine and predictable fates of some characters was frustrating though.
LikeLike
I thought Sudha had it in her to make this film, not sure if there was interference from producers(everyone knows who they are) or she just lacked the depth or understanding of the events that film is universally being dismissed as mid. Or is the censor cuts?
LikeLike
@sachita: No one can say for sure but my guess is it is a combination of (a) Frantic editing – believing the audience doesn’t have patience or that they want fast paced films (b) Trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator – having a romantic track, heighten the melodrama, make every scene punchy eventually compromising on characterization (c) One note villain – Sudha’s perennial weakness. On appealing to the lowest common denominator – this itself is not a problem for me. I love how Anil Ravipudi does it. And I am eagerly waiting for Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu. The guy makes you laugh. But Sudha wants to be classier but yet dials up the melodrama to a screechy pitch.
LikeLike
I liked Bhagavanth Kesari for the fact that it toned down all the Balayyaisms , made it palatable enough to accommodate a typical but strong story.
I hoped Jana Nayagan was a straight remake that would give us back the fun side of Vijay like we saw in Ghilli , Thirupachi and Sivakasi that would be a perfect sendoff movie for him , but with the heavy political messaging , the robots warfare , I don’t think so
LikeLike
Bhagavanth Kesari, the first few minutes I saw of it before getting up and doing more useful things, was definitely more tolerable than most Vijay movies. At least there is some willingness to embrace a lack of ambition/adherence to logic? It was kind of funny. I would love to see Vijay say “brother…I don’t care!!” But his kannis and kanni directors want to insist that he is “higher” than a hero in “illogical” Telugu movies. I am sure that whatever fun came out of BK will be deflated for Jana Nayagan, a 2-3 hour commercial.
LikeLike
Dude – take a look at salliyargal – I am surprised that film lovers are missing this gem of a movie.
Ambitious in its goals, yet achieves it masterfully with minimalist craftsmanship that is needed for rest of Thamizh cinema which is wasting money on non essentials.
LikeLike
… the film does look gorgeously old-fashioned – but the film doesn’t feel old-fashioned, or like a period piece. It feels very contemporary.
This is the biggest problem with the film (I guess it’s a deliberate choice on Sudha’s part). And, there’s a scene towards the end where Annadurai, while in a casual conversation, speaks to his close aides in chaste Tamil. 🙂
LikeLike
To be frank, Sudha Kongara is just another victim of “inject anti-Brahmin politics into a good Tamil movie for it to be released”. Irudhi Suttru was a fine movie. I mean entire Tamil film industry is so monopolized by ruling party ideology that star directors are looking outside.
LikeLike
But our supreme leader and supposed savior of Brahmins and Sanatan Dharma didn’t think so and had celebrated Pongal with the team of Parasakthi in Delhi.
LikeLike
This is a DMK-sponsored movie that depicts the anti -Hindi anti-Congress(with whom the DMK is in alliance right now)) sentiments of the 60s, but is being celebrated by the BJP right now. If this circus of ironies isn’t meme-worthy, nothing is.
LikeLike
@hari : ‘keep your friends close.. keep your enemies closer’, a regular tactic used by all kinds of politicians.
LikeLike
Maybe with the bashing Congress and Bhakthavachalam received in Parasakthi , Ji might have thought it as a movie that speaks their ideology.
Epadi paathalum Sudha business success dhan.
LikeLike
We really enjoyed the movie.. more from the buried history unearthed perspective than the art of film making. But everything worked – his purpose, his withdrawal, the immediacy of the law, it’s aftermath and the uprising. How a supposed democracy turned authoritarian with 1 rule. It’s no Bison but a solid commercial flick. Loved the brothers relationship, Paati, ponnu, the dynamism of that time period. I could imagine my mom in her 20s. If baddy could enjoy Master (which was rambam number 1) why not parasakthi.
LikeLike
Leave a comment
Blog Stats
- 28,880,091 hits
Other blogs
Recent Comments
Archives
Categories
Recent Posts
- Berlinale 2026 Diary 1: Mainstream cinema, slow cinema, political cinema, and Arundhati Roy’s no-show
- Vishal Bhardwaj’s ‘O’Romeo’…
- Briefly Reviewed – Arun Bose’s ‘Mindiyum Paranjum’
- Interview: Bejoy Nambiar (‘Tu Yaa Main’)
- From the Web (FTW) #35: The roots of India’s disinterest in reading
- Bejoy Nambiar’s ‘Tu Yaa Main’ is a terrific couples-therapy drama inside a terrific creature feature
- Interview: Siddhant Chaturvedi / Mrunal Thakur (‘Do Deewane Seher Mein’)
- The Oscars – 2026 edition
- Readers Write In #926: Election talk, TVK, etc.
- Interview: Raju Murugan / M Sasikumar (‘My Lord’)
- Briefly Reviewed – Jeethu Joseph’s ‘Valathu Vashathe Kallan’
- Briefly Reviewed – Madhan’s ‘With Love’
- Readers Write In #925: What do I want from life?
- Interview: Rani Mukerji (‘Mardaani 3’, 30 years)
- Aravind Siva’s ‘The Tablet’, which world-premiered at the Bengaluru International Film Festival, is a quietly powerful story of a woman with a secret
- Interview: Radikaa Sarathkumar (‘Thaai Kizhavi’)
- The Amateur’s Art #73 – The Order of Time
- Interview: Soundarya Rajinikanth (‘With Love’)
- Abhiraj Minawala’s ‘Mardaani 3’ shows that the female-led cop franchise still has fuel
- Interview: Shashwat Sachdev (‘Dhurandhar’)
- Interview: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra – 20 years of ‘Rang De Basanti’
- Sutan Gowda’s ‘Valavaara’ is an earnest, watchable tale about the importance of love and money
- Readers Write In #924: My favourite Indian films of 2025
- Twenty-three years, and counting…
- Interview: Mithoon
- Arijit Singh retires
- Interview: Jayaram / Kalidas Jayaram (‘Ashakal Aayiram’)
- KJ Surendar’s ‘Maayabimbum’ is an old-school, ‘Sethu’-like romantic melodrama
- Anurag Singh’s ‘Border 2’ is a solid, satisfying old-school war film
- The Amateur’s Art #72 – Chapter One – The Exchange
- Briefly Reviewed – Josh Safdie’s ‘Marty Supreme’
- Mankatha re-release…
- Sharan Koppisetty’s ‘Cheekatilo’ is a solid serial-killer drama, narrated with empathy
- Adhvaith Nayar’s ‘Chatha Pacha’ is a rousing, joyous action-drama
- Interview: Team ‘Chatha Pacha’
- Readers Write In #923: Kalamkaval and the reinterpretation of Mammootty
- Interview: Bhavana (‘Anomie’)
- Readers Write In #922: The burdens of having a good parent
- IMDb-BR most anticipated films of 2026
- Vir Das & Kavi Shastri’s ‘Happy Patel: Khatarnaak Jasoos’ is an okayish gag machine that overstays its welcome
- Nithish Sahadev’s ‘Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil’ is an entertaining mix of dry comedy and low-key drama
- Nalan Kumarasamy’s ‘Vaa Vaathiyaar’ is a beautifully directed minor movie that’s fun despite its flaws
- Anil Ravipudi’s ‘Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu’ is the comedy-action star vehicle we need right now
- Interview: Meenakshi Chaudhary (‘Anaganaga Oka Raju’)
- Interview: Nalan Kumarasamy (‘Vaa Vaathiyaar’)
- Sudha Kongara’s ‘Parasakthi’ is a frantic, underwhelming political drama
- Ankit Sakhiya’s ‘Laalo – Krishna Sada Sahaayate’ is an earnest, simplistic morality tale
- Interview: Naveen Polishetty (‘Anaganaga Oka Raju’)
- Maruthi’s ‘The RajaSaab’ has some goofy gags that (sadly) give way to tiresome sentiment
- Jana Nayagan
Baradwaj Rangan