Parasakthi (2026) [Movie Review] — Flaws and all, still a rousing resistance drama

The film Parasakthi set against the turbulent backdrop of the 1960s anti-Hindi agitations in Tamil Nadu, this Tamil political action drama is a bold, often theatrical attempt to dramatise a defining chapter of regional history. It tells the story of two brothers swept up in student-led protests and community resistance, and never shies from its political convictions. The tone is muscular and grand — celebratory when it rallies, somber when it mourns — and director Sudha Kongara’s film prefers earnest spectacle over subtlety.

Key credits — who made it

Directed by Sudha Kongara; written by Ganeshaa, Prashanth Hosamane, and Madhan Karky. The ensemble cast includes Sivakarthikeyan, Ravi Mohan, Atharvaa Murali, Rana Daggubati, Dhananjaya, Basil Joseph, Sreeleela, Prakash Belawadi, Sandhya Mridul, and Kaali Venkat. The score is by GV Prakash Kumar, and the film is lensed by Ravi K Chandran. Veteran performer Kulappulli Leela also stands out in a touching supporting role.

Performances — committed, often commanding

The lead — playing the elder brother who spearheads the resistance — anchors the film with a blend of quiet authority and eruptive intensity. His portrayal balances the swagger of a movement leader with the vulnerability of a son and brother, and he rarely lets the film’s melodrama overrun his scenes. The younger-brother role offers a complementary energy: brash where the elder is measured, impatient where the other is strategic. Among the supporting cast, a few cameo appearances provide genuine surprises, and an older, maternal figure provides emotional ballast in quieter sequences. One of the film’s strengths is that even smaller characters are afforded arcs that make their stakes feel real.

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Direction & screenplay — ambitious and unapologetic

For a directorial venture, the filmmaker displays notable control over spectacle and rhetoric. The screenplay compresses years of political agitation into a cohesive narrative, and while the compression sometimes yields melodramatic shorthand, it also keeps the film propulsive. Dialogue is often deliberately declamatory — every speech aims to stir and to instruct — which suits the film’s civic purpose but occasionally flattens nuance. Still, the director’s conviction is evident: this is filmmaking with a mission rather than an exercise in ambiguity.

Music, visuals & technical craft — evocative period detail

GV Prakash Kumar’s background score supplies many of the film’s goosebump moments, swelling at the film’s emotional crescendos and helping unify protest sequences and intimate beats alike. The songs, while melodically strong, sometimes overstay their welcome and interrupt narrative momentum. Visually, the cinematography is a highlight: period production design and careful framing evoke both the scale of mass protests and the intimacy of kitchen-table conversations. Minor censor cuts (lip-sync issues in a few scenes) are noticeable but do not derail the aesthetic impact.

Themes & relevance — civic urgency in contemporary times

The film’s primary achievement is its insistence that youth agency and civic responsibility matter — now as much as then. Without devolving into jingoism, it underlines how ordinary citizens can contest political neglect and cultural imposition. Its treatment of female characters is refreshingly layered: one principal woman is drawn not merely as a love interest but as an activist and believer in the cause, which gives the drama additional moral complexity.

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Verdict — rousing, imperfect, necessary

Parasakthi is far from a perfect film — its runtime could be tighter, and the rhetoric sometimes tips into grandstanding — but its heart is undeniably in the right place. With assured direction, strong technical craft, stirring music, and performances that sell both the politics and the personal, the film succeeds as a rousing resistance drama that educates as much as it entertains. For viewers interested in cinematic takes on social movements, regional history, or emotionally charged political cinema, this is a compelling, worthwhile watch.

Final Rating: 6.5 out of 10