Sivakarthikeyan Parasakthi Movie Review
Director Sudha Kongara, in her fifth film and first collaboration with Sivakarthikeyan, delivers Parasakthi, a Tamil period drama that is relevant in intent but falls short of being truly riveting. Despite undergoing several censor cuts, the film manages to retain the essential elements expected from a star-led commercial entertainer aimed at a mass audience.
Blending political themes with mainstream cinema is never easy, and Parasakthi often walks a thin line between seriousness and melodrama. The film occasionally teeters on the edge of pulp, yet Kongara ensures that the narrative does not completely lose its ideological core. Co-written with Arjun Nadesan, the screenplay attempts to maintain gravitas while accommodating the demands of a big-star vehicle.
Sivakarthikeyan approaches his role with restraint, steering away from excessive heroics for the most part. However, the script sometimes prioritises familiar commercial beats over narrative depth, which slightly weakens the political undertone the film aims to highlight. The director clearly struggles to strike a perfect balance between substance and spectacle.
A romantic subplot, loosely woven into the story, dilutes the film’s impact in the first half. These portions feel unnecessary and reduce the urgency of the central conflict. The film, however, finds better footing after the interval, when it shifts focus to the core political narrative and begins to move at a steadier pace.
The post-intermission segments are more engaging, with sharper scenes and a clearer sense of purpose. This is where Parasakthi regains some lost momentum and allows its themes to surface with greater clarity. Even so, the impact is somewhat muted, possibly due to the censorial edits that appear to have trimmed the film’s sharper edges.
Overall, Parasakthi stands as a sincere but uneven effort. While it may not rank among Sudha Kongara’s strongest works, it remains a competent attempt to combine political commentary with mainstream appeal. The film engages intellectually in parts, even if it doesn’t consistently deliver the emotional or dramatic punch one might expect.
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