Parasakthi (2026) Review: Why This Period Drama Struggles Despite Good Intentions

Director Sudha Kongara takes on Tamil Nadu’s pivotal 1965 language protests with Parasakthi, starring Sivakarthikeyan as Chezhaiyan. Ravi Mohan plays the cop villain Thirunaadan, while Atharvaa steps in as Che’s brother caught up in student movements. Sreeleela debuts in Tamil cinema as the female lead. Dawn Pictures produced this political drama that opened during Pongal 2026.

Behind the camera, G.V. Prakash Kumar delivers his 100th music score, and Ravi K. Chandran shoots the period visuals. Sathish Suriya cuts the 162-minute runtime together. The cast includes Rana Daggubati, Basil Joseph, plus actors portraying real political figures from that era.

The Plot

Chezhaiyan wants nothing but peace in his 1960s Madras life. His brother Chinna Durai thinks differently, throwing himself into protests when the government pushes Hindi. Things shift when Rathnamala walks into Che’s world, and cop Thirunaadan starts cracking down hard on protesters.

The film mixes family bonds with political fire from that crucial moment in history. Early scenes take their time building up characters and setting mood. Later portions lose steam with obvious plotting and scenes that run longer than they should.

Acting

Sivakarthikeyan tries moving past his comedy roots into heavier territory. He gives it genuine effort, particularly when emotions run high at the halfway mark. The role doesn’t offer layers for a breakthrough performance, but he commits fully. You can see him working hard even when material gets thin.

Atharvaa pumps life into every scene as the fiery younger brother. Multiple viewers noticed how he grabbed attention with raw passion. Their sibling chemistry clicks naturally. Ravi Mohan handles villain duties without breaking new ground. Sreeleela spent months learning Tamil, though her character’s love story feels tacked on.

Making and Look

Kongara chose challenging material and actually talked with people who lived through 1965. She frames the movement through individual lives instead of just political speeches. Still, the script itself needed much stronger work regardless of her good intentions.

Chandran’s camera captures the era beautifully. Filming across Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka gives variety to the locations. Everything from clothes to buildings looks period-accurate. The editing should’ve been sharper, cutting fat from the back half especially.

Sound

Prakash reaches his century mark with tracks like Adi Alaye and others. Songs match the time but haven’t become hits people remember. The romance numbers actually slow things down when the story needs momentum.

Music underneath scenes does its job without stealing focus. But it doesn’t lift the film higher like great scores do. Nothing sticks with you after leaving the theater, which feels like a missed chance.

Strong Points

Choosing the 1965 struggle as subject matter matters. Production money shows up on screen through quality details everywhere. Chandran creates a visual world you believe in from start to finish.

The midpoint climax gets hearts racing with real power. Brotherly connection between leads adds soul to political content. Sivakarthikeyan pushes his range by taking risks. Language identity themes connect with modern viewers even decades later.

Weak Points

Writing kills what could’ve worked. Critics threw around words like stale and predictable for good reason. Opening hour moves like molasses establishing every little thing. The couple’s romance subplot drags without serving the bigger story.

Second half gets worse with lazy plotting and bloated scenes. Comedy bits land with a thud against serious context. Feelings about defending Tamil should’ve resonated deeply but come off fake. Nearly three hours asks too much when content doesn’t justify it.

What People Said

M9 News scored it 2/5, finding Sivakarthikeyan appealing but underwritten. India Today went 3/5, acknowledging political strength while noting execution problems. Times Now settled at 2.5/5, suggesting period fans might find value in pieces.

Twitter reactions split down the middle. Most ratings land between 1.5 and 2 stars from regular viewers. Some called it unwatchable with terrible pacing. Others defended the interval punch and actor work. Zee5 still paid huge money for streaming rights.

Rating: 3/5