How Dhurandhar and The Kashmir Files aided Parasakthi in receiving CBFC certification on time

Sudha Kongara's Parasakthi received certification from the CBFC on the eleventh hour before its January 10 release. Know what happened.

Out of the two Tamil films planned for Pongal this year, only one managed to receive certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), while the other remains pending clearance for release. Director Sudha Kongara, whose Sivakarthikeyan, Sreeleela, Ravi Mohan and Atharvaa-starrer Parasakthi hit screens on January 10 with UA certification, spoke about how Dhurandhar and The Kashmir Files inadvertently helped her on a show hosted by Sun TV. (Also Read: Sivakarthikeyan calls Vijay his ‘brother’ amid Jana Nayagan release troubles; says ‘no propaganda’ in Parasakthi)

Ravi Mohan, Sivakarthikeyan, Sreeleela and Atharvaa in a still from Sudha Kongara's Parasakthi.

Sudha Kongara cited Dhurandhar, The Kashmir Files to CBFC

On the show hosted by Guna, Sudha revealed that Parasakthi was sent to the revising committee just four days before the release. The director claims that she had already ‘cleaned up’ everything that could be a potential censor issue and that the film didn’t have much violence. “The only question left was, would they ban it due to its thought and ideology? Or will they believe in democracy and clear it?” she said, speaking about how she felt in the moment.

Sudha then stated that she faced ‘numerous questions’ that she patiently answered, including why she was making a film on an incident from the past. “I said, because we need to learn from history. Now, you make a Dhurandhar, you don't go to Pakistan and throw nuclear bombs on them. Nor in England, we make so many films about the freedom struggle. The Kashmir Files was made because a genocide happened, not to make two religious factions fight," said the filmmaker.

The director stated that she argued with the CBFC that people should be aware of what happened in history so they don't repeat the same mistakes. She also called Parasakthi a ‘pacifist film’, stating that the censor board agreed and passed the film after a ‘lot of talking and arguing’.

About Parasakthi

Parasakthi tells a story set in 1960s Madras (now Chennai) during the anti-Hindi imposition agitation. Sivakarthikeyan and Atharvaa play brothers who rebel against it. The film received mixed reviews upon its release and has grossed ₹54 crore worldwide in its first four days. The film was supposed to clash with Vijay's final film, Jana Nayagan, which was slated for release on January 9. However, the film still awaits certification.