Parasakthi. The Supreme Power. Sivaji Ganesan's Parasakthi in 1952 showcased Dravidian ideology and created a cultural movement in Tamil Nadu. In 2026, Sivakarthikeyan's Parasakthi focuses on the anti-Hindi agitations of the 1960s spearheaded by DMK's CN Annadurai. Director Sudha Kongara has crafted a highly-nuanced fictional story based on Tamil Nadu's political history.
Set in Madurai, Parasakthi revolves around Chezhian (Sivakarthikeyan) who is the leader of the Pooranaanooru squad, an anti-Hindi student group. His younger brothers, Chinnadurai (Atharvaa) and Rathnamala (Sreeleela), are also part of this strong anti-Hindi movement of the time. As the film progresses, we are taken through the student uprising and how ruthless and spiteful police officer Thirunaadan (Jayam Ravi, the antagonist) is hell-bent on putting an end to it.
Parasakthi is mainstream Tamil cinema spoken in the language of politics, ideology, and moral urgency. Director Sudha Kongara has done an exceptional job. She stages the film like an argument - measured in the early stretches, then steadily sharpening into a forceful declaration.
She refuses to dilute the film's politics for easy applause, choosing instead to root the narrative in class conflict, institutional power, and moral resistance. The movie progresses slowly and this could be jarring for some. However, this story cannot be rushed because it is not event-driven - it is about political awakening and moral conflict. Some of the hard-hitting dialogues in the film reflect this conflict as well turning into goose bump moments.
Sivakarthikeyan delivers the most decisive and strongest performance of his career. He inhabits the role of Che with restraint, anger, and conviction. His silences and controlled rage convey as much as his dialogues and this shows us how well the script has been written.
But it's not just Sivakarthikeyan's performance that shines in the film. Ravi Mohan brings quiet authority and moral weight to his role, exhibiting controlled intensity. Atharvaa is strikingly restrained and purposeful as Chinnadurai, while Sreeleela adds emotional urgency and grace as Rathnamala. There are some unexpected cameos as well.
Technically, Parasakthi is taut and purposeful. The staging, background score, and pacing work in service of its politics, not spectacle. Music director GV Prakash Kumar's songs and BGM beautifully amplify the film's ideological core.
Parasakthi will resonate most with the Tamil audience and ahead of the Tamil Nadu 2026 elections, it delivers a fiery political statement especially when the slogan 'Long live Tamil' echoes in the theatre. Parasakthi is a must-watch.
My rating: 4/5
