Sudha Kongara alleges targeted online attacks against Parasakthi; says she had no time to challenge censor cuts

Sivakarthikeyan’s Parasakthi release delayed following clash with Censor Board.

Sivakarthikeyan’s Parasakthi released last Saturday amid considerable turmoil surrounding its certification. The film found itself entangled in a censorship standoff with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), eventually receiving approval only after implementing 25 cuts suggested by the board. The sheer scale of these modifications has triggered intense online discussion, with many fans calling the situation excessive and absurd. Director Sudha Kongara has now spoken in detail about the ordeal in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, shedding light on the frantic days leading up to the release.

Notably, prior to the film’s release, Sudha had expressed only praise for the CBFC, describing the body as “democratic” and “fair” in a conversation with Galatta Plus. However, her perspective changed after receiving the official cut list. Explaining the shift, she told THR India, “When I did that interview I had not gotten my cut list. I had just been told that I would be certified but only audio cuts would be asked. Two days away from release, I got the cut list at 11 AM, and tomorrow is all I have before I cut and give the film, because the day after is the release. Where is the time to fight this cut list?”

Detailing the frantic race against time that followed, Sudha Kongara described the physical and emotional toll on her team. “We didn’t sleep for 70 hours. It was hell. Things like removing the word ‘Sirikki’ was so silly, because there are songs with ‘Sirikki’ in it. Why cut it? Because there is nothing in this film to be cut off because I was so damn careful.” She further elaborated on the specific trims requested: “But at the same time, if a guy is self immolating, and they are asking it to be cut by 50 per cent, two-and-half seconds was all I was reducing it by. Similarly with the massacre in Pollachi, from 17 to 10 seconds.”

Sudha also opened up about being asked to include a “this is fiction” statutory warning, despite the film drawing inspiration from real events. “It is not a statutory warning. There were three scenes where we spoke of three policies made at that time. The CBFC asked for proof. I gave them proof. But did that particular scene happen? No. But the policy happened. They asked us to put it down as ‘constructed’. Fair enough. They are making me say the big things. None of the cuts, basically bad words and some violence, affected my film. You choose your battles wisely. I didn’t cut any scenes, except for Annadurai’s dialogue. They asked me to mute the dialogue and so instead cut it.”

Sudha Kongara revealed that the film has been subjected to slander and defamation, claiming that the attacks are being carried out by a targeted group on social media.

In the same interview, the director also addressed what she described as a targeted online attack against the film, allegedly originating from fans of actor Vijay (whose film Jana Nayagan was initially clashing with Parasakthi), though she did not name him directly. Speaking about the challenges of navigating the current marketing climate, she said, “We have a long way to go before we take the film to where it needs to reach, and I have to do it in this day and age of marketing. Just allowing your film to speak doesn’t seem to be enough. I am hoping it takes off during the Pongal weekend, reaching more people.” When asked about the source of the backlash, she added, “There is slandering, defamation of the worst kind, hiding behind unknown IDs. We have to counter that. You wonder where it is coming from, and you know where it is coming from.”

Sudha Kongara also quoted a threatening post from X that she said originated from a fan account of Vijay. The post, shared by the handle BlastingTamilCinema, read: “CBFC kitta Certificate vangurathu perusu illa ..Anna fans kitta Sorry keetu, Apology Certificate vaangu… Innum 1 week iruku, avanga manichu vitta #Parasakthi oodum (It is not a big deal to get a CBFC certificate. Apologise to fans of Anna, Vijay, and get the ahat apology certificate. There is one more week. They will forgive you. Parasakthi will run).”

Earlier, Sivakarthikeyan had also spoken about the rushed nature of the certification process. Reflecting on the limited time the team had to respond to the CBFC’s suggestions, the actor told India Today, “The Censor Board operates according to their own regulations and criteria. Our team’s complete focus was on how we could implement the changes they suggested in a way that wouldn’t affect the creativity of the film. We didn’t have time to figure out why they suggested these changes.”