Director Sudha Kongara Opens Up About Parasakthi Release Controversy
Filmmaker Sudha Kongara has finally shared detailed thoughts about the controversy surrounding her movie Parasakthi. The film originally planned to release on January 9. However, the makers shifted the date to January 10 after facing significant backlash on social media platforms.
Sudha Kongara's Admiration for Vijay
In a recent interview with India Today, Sudha Kongara expressed her deep admiration for actor Vijay. She made her feelings very clear. "I love Vijay. I am probably his biggest fan and there is no doubt about it," the director stated firmly. She added that Vijay himself knows about her fandom. Kongara mentioned she has met the actor and told him the same directly.
The director emphasized she never intended to compete with Vijay or his film. She explained the immense respect she holds for him as a major star. Sudha shared a long-standing desire to collaborate with Vijay on a project. Unfortunately, various reasons prevented this from happening so far.
Dismissing Any Notion of Rivalry
Sudha Kongara strongly dismissed any idea of a rivalry between her film and Vijay's Jana Nayagan. She explained that competing with Vijay is not even a consideration for her. "How do you compete with the biggest star in the country? You don't," she remarked.
The director revealed her personal viewing habits. She typically watches her own films around 2,000 times. However, Vijay is the only actor whose films she watches on the very first show of the opening day. Kongara said she had been eagerly anticipating the release of Jana Nayagan.
Regarding the release dates, she clarified the timing was purely about securing a festival window. "Our film and Vijay’s film were scheduled to release around the same time and we only wanted a Pongal release for our movie," Sudha explained.
Addressing the Censor Board Issue
Sudha Kongara also spoke about the censor certificate problem that affected Jana Nayagan. She called the situation very unfortunate. "The Censor Board refused to issue a certificate just two days before the planned release. This is something no film should have to face," she stated.
She expressed sympathy for what happened to Vijay's film. Kongara stressed once again that there was never any intention of competition from her side. "It was never our intention to compete with that film," she reiterated. The director ended her comments by affirming, "I still have immense love for him."
Parasakthi's Box Office Performance
Parasakthi continues to perform steadily at the box office. The film has now completed 10 days in theaters. It has earned approximately Rs 49.45 crore in India net collections.
Here is a breakdown of the earnings:
- The first week brought in Rs 36.25 crore.
- Day 7 collected Rs 5 crore.
- Day 8 earned Rs 4.85 crore.
- Day 9 dropped to Rs 2.65 crore.
- Day 10 slowed down to around Rs 80 lakhs according to early estimates from Sacnilk.
This slowdown on a weekday is normal for films. Despite the drop, Parasakthi is now very close to crossing the significant Rs 50 crore mark. The film's steady performance indicates strong audience support despite the initial online controversies.
