Review: Parasakthi: Shows Promise But Ultimately Disappoints

 

Movie: Parasakthi
Rating: 2.25/5

Cast: Sivakarthikeyan, Sreeleela, Ravi Mohan, Atharvaa and others

Director: Sudha Kongara

Produced By: Dawn Pictures

Streaming On: Zee5

Story:

Parasakthi is set against the backdrop of the Central Government’s decision in the 1960s to impose Hindi as the official language, a move that triggered widespread resistance from the Tamil-speaking population. The film attempts to portray how deeply rooted love for the mother tongue, especially among college students from regions like Madurai and Chidambaram, led to intense protests against the decision.

Performances:

Sivakarthikeyan delivers a sincere performance and stays true to his character. However, with stronger writing, his efforts could have made a deeper impact. Ravi Mohan has a few effective moments as the antagonist, but the character soon loses its grip and fails to remain engaging. Atharvaa’s role appears significant on paper, but the lack of substantial scenes does not allow him to showcase his acting potential. Sreeleela is adequate, though her character offers little scope to stand out. The supporting cast performs decently.

What Works:

Parasakthi is firmly rooted in the historical setting of the 1950s and 1960s, a period marked by strong opposition to the forced imposition of Hindi in Tamil Nadu. The film succeeds in recreating the social atmosphere of that era. Director Sudha Kongara deserves praise for her attention to period details in the production design, while Ravi K. Chandran’s cinematography effectively captures the essence of the time.

The opening sequence, featuring a train being set on fire, strongly establishes the film’s theme and intent. The narrative leading up to the interval, though predictable, maintains intensity and works reasonably well. The second half contains a few effective dialogues, and the idea of bringing in cameo appearances from actors across multiple languages near the pre-climax is interesting.

What Doesn’t Work:

Despite having a strong premise and a capable cast, the film never fully reaches its potential due to underdeveloped characters. There is a clear lack of depth and clarity in character motivations. The protagonist’s decision to step away from the movement and to return again at a crucial situation lacks emotional weight in both instances, weakening the consistency of his character arc.

The antagonist’s portrayal is also problematic. His extreme hostility toward the Tamil people, driven by personal resentment and anger, feels exaggerated and illogical. Instead of coming across as a powerful and authoritative officer, he appears unstable and overdone. The romantic portions between the lead pair feel like a mere formality and fail to leave an impression. Similarly, the emotional bond between the hero and his brother never connects, as the film lacks even a single strong emotional scene between them.

The climax is excessively long and repetitive, filled with unnecessarily stretched sequences of deaths that fail to move the audience. Rana Daggubati’s cameo is poorly handled and adds little value. By the time the hero and the people achieve their goal, the emotional impact is minimal due to a weak connection with the characters and an inconsistent, painfully slow screenplay.

Parasakthi Review And Verdict:

Sudha Kongara’s Parasakthi is built on a strong and relevant theme and features suitable casting with committed performances. But the narrative fails to grow beyond its core idea. With missing emotional depth and only a handful of engaging moments, the film struggles to sustain interest and ultimately falls short of making a lasting impact.