Director Sudha Kongara Exposes Frantic CBFC Certification Process for Parasakthi
Filmmaker Sudha Kongara has made startling revelations about the intense pressure her team faced during the certification of the Tamil film Parasakthi. The director disclosed that the Central Board of Film Certification gave her just one day to implement a staggering 25 cuts before the movie's release last Saturday.
No Time to Challenge Censor Board Decisions
In a candid interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Kongara explained the impossible timeline. "I got the cut list at 11 AM, two days away from release," she revealed. "Tomorrow is all I have before I cut and give the film, because the day after is the release. Where is the time to fight this cut list?"
The director described how her perspective changed dramatically. Earlier, she had praised the CBFC as "democratic" and "fair" in another interview. However, that assessment came before she received the official list of required modifications.
Seventy Hours Without Sleep Implementing Changes
The implementation process took a severe physical and emotional toll on Kongara and her team. "We didn't sleep for 70 hours. It was hell," she recounted. The director expressed particular frustration over seemingly trivial requests, like removing the word "Sirikki" from dialogue when songs containing the same word remained untouched.
Kongara detailed specific cuts that puzzled her:
- Reducing a self-immolation scene by just two-and-a-half seconds
- Shortening the Pollachi massacre sequence from 17 to 10 seconds
- Adding "constructed" disclaimers for scenes based on real policies
"I was so damn careful with this film," she emphasized, questioning why such extensive cuts were necessary.
Allegations of Targeted Online Attacks
Beyond the censorship battle, Kongara raised serious concerns about coordinated social media attacks against Parasakthi. While not naming anyone directly, she strongly suggested the backlash originated from fans of actor Vijay, whose film Jana Nayagan initially clashed with her release.
"There is slandering, defamation of the worst kind, hiding behind unknown IDs," Kongara stated. "You wonder where it is coming from, and you know where it is coming from."
The director shared a threatening post from an X account called BlastingTamilCinema that appeared to come from Vijay's fan base. The message suggested the film needed to apologize to "Anna fans" (referring to Vijay) to succeed at the box office.
Marketing Challenges in Current Climate
Kongara also discussed the difficulties of promoting a film amid such controversies. "Just allowing your film to speak doesn't seem to be enough anymore," she observed, expressing hope that the Pongal weekend would help Parasakthi reach wider audiences.
Lead actor Sivakarthikeyan previously commented on the rushed certification process, telling India Today that the team focused entirely on implementing changes without questioning the CBFC's reasoning due to time constraints.
The entire episode highlights the intense pressures facing filmmakers navigating both regulatory requirements and the volatile landscape of online fan culture in Indian cinema today.
