Parasakthi: Sivakarthikeyan reveals they had 10 hours to make 25 cuts, didn’t have ‘the scope for discussion with CBFC’

Sivakarthikeyan's Parasakthi is finally playing in theatres.

Sivakarthikeyan’s Parasakthi finally hit theatres on Saturday though not without significant hurdles. The film was embroiled in a standoff with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) over securing its censor certificate, ultimately receiving approval only after implementing 25 cuts suggested by the board. The scale of these modifications has sparked intense discussion online among fans who found this quite absurd. Now, Sivakarthikeyan addressed the last-minute censor clearance, shedding light on the pressure under which the team was operating.

Reflecting on the rushed nature of the process, the actor explained to India Today that the team had little time to assess the implications of the suggested changes, as they were racing against the clock to meet the release date. He said, “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.”

Elaborating further, Sivakarthikeyan added, “We received the changes at the last minute. After that, we had to make the suggested changes and upload them to QUBE. Our main focus was to release the film as we were chasing a release date. The Censor Board functions according to their own regulations, and we didn’t have time to analyse whether it was an advantage or disadvantage.”

Parasakthi receives censor clearance.

When asked whether such interventions point to a larger issue surrounding freedom of expression, the actor struck a measured and diplomatic tone. He noted that the lack of time limited any scope for discussion or clarification. “If we had more time, we might have explained to them the context of certain dialogues that they asked us to mute. We were running after a release date, so we ensured that the core of the story remained unaffected while implementing the cuts.” Sivakarthikeyan also revealed that the team had just 10 hours to execute the mandated changes, describing the process as exhausting but ultimately successful.

“Our entire team functioned like a military camp. We had everyone on standby for 24 hours because it was quite challenging to implement these changes. The more advanced technology has become, the more difficult it has become in certain ways.” He further added, “Thankfully, the cuts weren’t too random; the team was able to match them somehow, ensuring they didn’t spoil the experience and deliver the final cut within the 10 hours we had.”

The controversy surrounding Parasakthi comes at a time when another major festive release, Thalapathy Vijay’s Jana Nayakan, is also facing uncertainty. The film’s release has been postponed, triggering strong reactions within the industry. Filmmakers such as Ram Gopal Varma and Karthik Subbaraj have taken to social media to criticise what they describe as an irregular and haphazard certification process by the CBFC.

However, offering a contrasting perspective, Parasakthi’s director, Sudha Kongara had earlier spoken positively about her experience with the censor board. In an interview with Galatta Plus, she praised the CBFC’s approach, calling it fair and democratic based on her interactions. “When we went to the revising committee, there was this censor board head who was so democratic, so fair. One tends to think the censor board is terrible, they are this or that, they were not really. The questions they had, the reservations they had, were pretty fair. And the way they allow the film to live and breathe is very fair,” she said.