The Sankranti box office race saw another major setback with the release of Parasakthi, starring Shivakarthikeyan and Sreleela.
Despite expectations, the film opened to largely negative talk and quickly slipped into controversy, impacting its reception across regions.
A major flashpoint was the use of the derogatory term “Gulti” referring to Telugu people in insulting manner.
Although the makers reportedly agreed before the Mumbai censor revision committee to remove the word, it remained in the Tamil version, triggering the #BoycottParasakthi campaign and strong backlash from Telugu audiences.
Directed by Sudha Kongara, the political drama is set against the 1960s anti Hindi agitations in Madras.
Ironically, the director being Telugu herself intensified criticism. She argued that removing certain elements would dilute the film’s core ideology, a stance that fueled further debate.
The film also faced legal and censor hurdles. Objections arose over the title, previously used by Sivaji Ganesan in 1952, and over claims by some writers alleging story ownership.
The CBFC demanded extensive cuts, muted harsh language and dialogue changes, granting U/A 16+ certification barely ten hours before release.
Narratively, the film follows student politics and social change, with Shivakarthikeyan portraying a fiery student leader.
However, sluggish pacing, an ill fitting romance track, and excessive ideological exposition weakened emotional engagement, further disrupted by censor imposed edits.
On the positive side, period recreation, strong cinematography and G. V. Prakash Kumar’s background score stood out.
Yet controversies, regional insensitivity and storytelling flaws overshadowed merits, resulting in a box office disappointment. |
