Parasakthi may have cleared the censor hurdle, but the film continues to remain embroiled in controversy. The Tamil Nadu Youth Congress has now demanded removal of certain scenes from the Sivakarthikeyan film which it alleges distort history, and are defamatory towards Congress leaders, including late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Now, director Sudha Kongara has addressed the controversy surrounding the Indira Gandhi scenes in the film, explaining how she blended historical facts with creative liberty to engage audiences.
Speaking to SUN News, Sudha said, “As filmmakers, our intention is for the film to reach as many people as possible. At that time, against protocol, Indira Gandhi had come to Madras. She came to the state to see what was happening. This is a true incident. There was a meeting with Congress leaders. I used these factual elements and tried to make them engaging while serving the narrative.”
She further clarified that the film presents events from a student-centric perspective. “The entire film is shown through the students’ point of view. The politics, too, is seen through their eyes. Secondly, between January 26 and February 12, 1965, when the agitation was at its peak, all non-Congress leaders were jailed. This protest was 2,000 per cent driven by students,” she claimed.
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The depiction has triggered significant backlash within the Congress party, with several leaders demanding a ban on the film.
As reported by NDTV, INC’s Tamil Nadu State Senior Vice President Arun Bhaskar said in a statement, , “In the name of filmmaking, the makers have distorted facts. There are at least four problematic scenes. First, the Congress government never officially announced that Hindi would be the only mandatory language across India. Showing such a scene is a deliberate attempt to malign our party.”
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He further added, “There are two scenes involving Indira Gandhi. In one, Sivakarthikeyan’s character travels to Delhi, confronts her, and after their conversation, a dialogue portrays her in a negative light.”
The leader also questioned the historical accuracy of another sequence. “The film shows Indira Gandhi being in Coimbatore on February 12, 1965. In reality, she was not there on that day. This is a complete distortion of facts.”
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Addressing one of the most debated scenes, he said, “They have even shown Indira Gandhi at a railway station where Sivakarthikeyan and Ravi Mohan’s characters are fighting, and a burning train halts near her. This is utter nonsense.”
The film’s certification journey itself was fraught with uncertainty. Until January 9, the makers of Parasakthi were unsure whether the film would clear censorship. After submission, it was sent directly to the Revising Committee. While the makers were initially praised and informed that only audio cuts would be suggested, they were later handed a list of over 25 cuts and modifications on January 9, following which the film was finally granted a UA16+ certificate.
In contrast, Jana Nayagan, which was originally slated for a January 9 release, is still to receive certification. The matter will be heard in the Supreme Court on January 15.
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