Parasakthi Movie Review: What's Good, What's Bad In Sivakarthikeyan's Film?

Sudha Kongara's Parasakthi arrives in theatres with enormous expectations riding on it. With Sivakarthikeyan, Ravi Mohan and Sreeleela headlining a large ensemble cast and a politically charged historical setting, the film promises a powerful cinematic statement. Set against the backdrop of the anti-Hindi agitation of the 1960s, Parasakthi aims to capture a defining phase of Tamil Nadu's socio-political awakening. However, while the film is noble in its intentions and ambitious in its scope, the final result ends up being an exhausting and largely underwhelming experience.

From the very first frame, Parasakthi impresses with its authentic period detailing. The production design, costumes and artwork convincingly recreate the mood and atmosphere of 1960s Tamil Nadu. The streets, houses, protest venues and political backdrops are crafted with care, giving the film a visually believable world. Ravi K. Chandran's cinematography further enhances this with his soft, earthy tones and classical framing, lending the film a nostalgic and old-school texture. On a purely visual level, Parasakthi looks every bit like a serious period drama.

Unfortunately, the film struggles to convert this rich backdrop into an engaging narrative. The first half, which should have established the emotional and ideological core of the story, instead gets bogged down by a slow and dull love track. Sivakarthikeyan's character is well-introduced, and his initial portions show promise, but the screenplay soon shifts focus to romance and routine character moments that do little to advance the plot. The pace is sluggish, and the political tension that should drive the film remains largely in the background for far too long.

Sivakarthikeyan delivers a sincere and committed performance, proving once again that he can shoulder serious roles. He portrays his character with restraint and conviction, particularly in moments of moral conflict. Ravi Mohan, however, is let down by weak writing. His character is introduced as an important player in the political landscape, but the lack of a strong backstory and emotional foundation makes his role feel underdeveloped. Despite his screen presence, Jayam Ravi never quite gets the space to leave a lasting impact. Sreeleela, meanwhile, is limited to a fairly predictable and uninspiring role that adds little to the central narrative.

The supporting cast - including Atharvaa, Prakash Belawadi, Guru Somasundaram and others - do their part well, but the film rarely uses them to deepen the story. Many of the characters exist more as symbolic figures rather than fully fleshed-out individuals, which weakens the emotional weight of the film.

The biggest problem with Parasakthi lies in its writing and screenplay. Sudha Kongara deserves credit for choosing such a bold and politically sensitive subject, but the execution lacks the sharpness required for a story of this nature. The emotions surrounding the pro-language movement feel superficial, as if the film is afraid to dig deeper into the pain, anger and ideological fire that defined the era. Instead of powerful dramatic moments, the film relies on convenient writing and predictable confrontations.

Post-interval, the film becomes even more exhausting. Scenes stretch on longer than necessary, conflicts are resolved too easily, and the narrative keeps circling around the same ideas without adding new layers. What should have been a gripping political drama turns into a repetitive and drawn-out experience that tests the viewer's patience.

GV Prakash Kumar's music is another weak link. Given the emotional and political weight of the story, one would expect a stirring background score and memorable songs. Instead, the music remains largely forgettable and fails to elevate key moments. Sathish Suriya's editing also struggles to control the film's bloated runtime, as several sequences could have been trimmed for a tighter, more engaging experience.

In the end, Parasakthi is a film that had the right intentions but lacked the storytelling finesse to do justice to its subject. While it looks impressive and features earnest performances, especially from Sivakarthikeyan, the sluggish pacing, weak writing and emotionally flat narrative make it a dull watch. For a film that sets out to portray a powerful political movement, Parasakthi ends up feeling strangely lifeless.

What Netizens Say About Parasakthi?

Sridevi Sreedhar: #Parasakthi :4/5 It is just not a movie but an emotion ❤️ It's powerful, engaging and thought- provoking. The struggle & pain of student community against the imposition of Hindi during 60's is well-depicted by dir @Sudha_Kongara. @Siva_Kartikeyan is perfect and his character is something he should be very, very proud of!
@iam_RaviMohan is a revelation with equal screen space as the hero.
@Atharvaamurali is energetic @sreeleela14 looks gorgeous, gets a cute meaty role. One of the best work from
@gvprakash, be it songs or bgm 🙌 On the whole, an authentic and emotional film which will compel us to think and debate.

G Dhananjheyan: #Parasakthi is authentic, powerful, impactful, well made and a superb film. Very engaging & emotionally moving film on the struggle of student community against the imposition of Hindi. So well made and presented by Director @Sudha_Kongara. She won big. Kudos Team
@DawnPicturesOff for producing this epic. A must watch for GenZ youth to know how our language pride was protected by students of 1960's 🏆
Hearty congratulations @Siva_Kartikeyan for living the role and making a big impact with his performance. Superb performances from
@iam_RaviMohan @Atharvaamurali #Sreeleela & others. Excellent songs & BGM by
@gvprakash. Cinematography by #RavikChandran , sharp editing, amazing Art Direction in every scene to recreate the period beautifully on screen supported the film 💐
Special appearances by 3 popular actors brought in huge applause 👏
Don't miss to experience in theatre. A well crafted Pongal Festival watch . My entire family loved the film and celebrated it 👍

AmuthaBharathi: #Parasakthi [#ABRatings - 4/5]

- While the First half establishes the character & Romantic portions, the second half was an excellent one🔥
- Sivakarthikeyan, RaviMohan, Sreeleela & Atharvaa has equally important scope in their own way 🌟
- Opening scene, Interval & Climax was theatre worthy high moments🤩
- GVPrakash Music well supported the film🎶
- Romantic portions felt a little stretched
- Making and period setup was well done with research👏

Overall a Good Intense drama, based on the true events 💯

Panipuri: #Parasakthi Review - "Boring Watch"

Rating: 2/5 ⭐️ ⭐️

Positives:
👉Strong star cast
👉Individual performances

Negatives:
👉Painfully slow first half
👉Dragged and unfocused screenplay
👉Zero emotional impact
👉Weak direction & Poor writing

#ParasakthiReview #SivaKarthikeyan

Christopher Kanagaraj: #Parasakthi - SK Leads the show. Ravi Mohan scores. Rebels Atharvaa & Sreeleela Gud Perf. GVP's BGM & Songs Super. Abrupt Edits lead to Emotional disconnect. Interval Block & Climax gud. Powerful Content; Very Convenient writing & Mediocre execution by Sudha Kongara. AVERAGE!

Balaji: #Parasakthi First Half 🍿
A well staged period drama with strong intent. Opens with a solid setup, impressive visuals, and smartly balances commercial elements with core content
@Sudha_Kongara
🙌
🔥 Powerful intro & a terrific interval block. SK vs Ravi 💥
👏
@Siva_Kartikeyan
continues his growth with a refined, matured performance
😈
@iam_RaviMohan
wins big he is menacing, convincing, and stylish
🎶
@gvprakash
score lifts the film consistently #GV100 🔥
👍 Hindi imposition scenes stand out
😍
@sreeleela14
is charming and her scenes with SK are cute
👌
@Atharvaamurali
is so good and delivers well
Love track slightly underwhelming, but the film holds strong.
Second half expectations high! 💥

Prashanth Rangaswamy: #Parasakthi interval - this is not a political film .

This is our film . A film that every Tamil will relate . A time capsule that shows the struggle of our forefathers to ensure language independence .

Venky Reviews: A Boring Period Drama with Honest Intentions but a Tedious, Lengthy Narration that Tests Your Patience!

The film initially grabs attention with an authentic period setup. However, a slow narration and dull love track dominate most of the first half. Post-interval, the film drags endlessly, testing patience with convenient writing and stretched-out sequences. The emotions surrounding the pro-language movement feel superficial and fail to land effectively.

Director Sudha Kongara picks a gutsy and honest subject but falters badly in the writing and screenplay.

SK performs well. Jayam Ravi's character lacks a proper backstory, limiting impact. Artwork deserves a special mention. The music is subpar.

Overall, a boring watch.

Rating: 2/5

#Parasakthi Dull 1st Half!

Film jumps straight into the story with an authentic period setup, but drags right after the setup with a very slow narration and a filler love track that takes up most of the time and is boring. Interval is ok. 2nd half awaits!

Aravinth43AK: #ParasakthiReview 1st half:
Brilliant 1st half 🔥
Sudha strong telling 👌

Interval Block...🔥

Maxy_Crypto: #Parasakthi - ⭐⭐⭐ /5
Bold subject and sincere performances hold the film together.
However, uneven narration and lag in key portions reduce the overall impact.
A film with purpose, but not enough punch to fully deliver.

Sudhaoffl: #Parasakthi - Empty First Half !

Visually, it looks very authentic and the casting works, but the drama is painfully flat so far. The entire first half relies on a few scattered anti-Hindi sentiments with no proper conflict or engaging drama/story.

Abhishiek: #parasakthi 1st half

Decent story, very dull screenplay..
cringe love scenes.🤢
Set works are very poor, SK and Sreeleela don't suit. Atharva ok. Ravi Mohan less screentime.
Clumsy editing. Below average..

Saloon Kada Shanmugam: #PARASAKTHI INTERVAL - IMPACTFUL INTERVAL BLOCK🫡🔥

SIVAKARTHIKEYAN THE PERFOEMER😎👌🏽!!

Teja1409: #Parasakthi terrific applause in USA for the interval block🔥🔥🔥 senna mass and goosebumps 🔥🔥🔥

X DUDE 😎: SK doesn't have any screen presence/ aura..it looks like Ravi is hero.
Sk look weak infront of ravi and even atharva.
Sk can only match sreeleela like poor actress not even nayan or trisha.

He have weak screen presence than most of actress forget male actors

Spoidy: #Parasakthi
First half :
Jayam Ravi steals d show as a villain.
Adharva - one of the best role in career.
#Sivakarthikeyan as usual dummy role as like in Velaikkaran.
Romance scenes 🙏🥲
Second half :
Too lengthy.
Easily predictable.
BELOW AVERAGE
1.5 / 5
#ParasakthiDisaster

Tony Soprano: #Parasakthi is powerfully packed film with revolutionary elements. This is going to be a massive hit. Congratulations
@Siva_Kartikeyan
Blindly go and book your tickets.

Naresh: #parasakthi 1st half

Decent story, plain screenplay, cringe love scenes.

Set works are very poor, SK and Sreeleela don't suit. Atharva ok. Ravi Mohan less screentime.

Clumsy editing. Below average.