The Tamil Nadu Youth Congress has called for a ban on actor Sivakarthikeyan’s recently released film Parasakthi, claiming that it distorts historical events involving the Congress party and misrepresents its legacy.
Released in theaters on January 10, the film centers on the student movement and anti-Hindi protests of the 1960s. It underwent 25 cuts from the censor board, with some scenes labeled as fictional.
In a statement posted on X, the Tamil Nadu Youth Congress highlighted what they termed historical inaccuracies that portray the Congress party unfavorably. They stated, “In 1965, the Congress government never officially announced that Post Office forms must be filled only in Hindi across all states. This is a complete fabrication deliberately created to malign our party,” they said.
The organization criticized the filmmakers for their apparent ignorance of the law, which forbids fictional depictions of deceased national leaders in events that did not occur. They accused the film’s team of irresponsibly fabricating scenes lacking historical basis.
Furthermore, the statement pointed out that the film unrealistically depicts a visit by Indira Gandhi to Coimbatore on February 12, 1965, which did not happen. The film allegedly includes scenes of a train being set ablaze in her presence and suggests that she acquiesced to protests against Hindi imposition—events that have no historical record, which the Youth Congress condemned.
Additionally, the film contains depictions of the Congress flag being burned, which the Youth Congress alleges were inserted to vilify the party. They assert that Parasakthi is founded on the filmmakers’ imaginative fabrications and contradicts historical reality, with the intent of attacking the Indian National Congress through inaccuracies and falsehoods. The statement concluded with a demand for the immediate removal of all fictitious scenes from the film and a public apology from the production team, warning of potential legal action otherwise.
Parasakthi, directed by Sudha Kongara and starring Sivakarthikeyan alongside Ravi Mohan, Atharvaa, and Sreeleela, faced delays due to censorship challenges prior to its release. The politically charged narrative focuses on Tamil Nadu’s resistance to Hindi imposition, with the trailer showcasing a confrontation between Sivakarthikeyan’s character and Ravi Mohan on a train rooftop. In the film, Sivakarthikeyan portrays a coal tosser at Indian Railways.
(With contributions from agencies)
