Amid Jana Nayagan censor fiasco, Hemanth M Rao reacts on Parasakthi’s 25 cuts and mutes: ‘Absolutely ridiculous…’
Kannada filmmaker Hemanth M Rao is only one of many who’ve been appalled at the extent of censorship the team of Parasakthi had to agree to get the film certified in time for the theatrical release
Last Updated: 07.39 PM, Jan 09, 2026
All eyes are on the tussle between the censor board and the makers of Thalapathy Vijay’s Jana Nayagan, which, after the 27 recommended changes for certification, is still not certified. Amid this high-stakes battle, what has also been playing out is the censor of yet another Pongal/Sankranti release, Sivakartikeyan’s Parasakthi, directed by Sudha Kongra. Details of the cuts and mutes recommendations that the team of Parasakthi had to undertake to get certified have now emerged, and netizens, including filmmaker Hemanth M Rao, have been aghast at the sheer number of changes – 25 in total – and the contents of the same.
Hemanth M Rao: Give a rating and let audience decide fate of film
Reacting to a post about the Parasakthi censor certificate, Hemanth wrote, “Absolutely ridiculous!! If we only protect the (speech) expression that we like, we aren't defending a right; we’re just curating a playlist." Hemanth added that the job of the board should be limited to giving a rating and letting the audience decide the fate of the film. Hemanth’s is one of many voices on social media that have been saying that the Censor Board ought to stick to certification and not censor, thereby leaving it up to audiences what to make of the content.
Incidentally, the team of Parasakthi had to approach the revising committee after the censor board requested further cuts, which director Sudha Kongra believed would affect the narrative and declined to oblige. The current deletions amount to less than a minute, apart from at least 12-13 instances of words being muted, and several dialogue modifications.
With two major Tamil movies currently under the spotlight, netizens have been highlighting a Sandeep Reddy Vanga interview in which he called for the censor board to be run only by people who understand cinema, including veteran filmmakers.
Parasakthi FAQs
Q. Is Parasakthi a real story?
A. Parasakthi is partially based on the anti-Hindi agitations that took place in Tamil Nadu in 1965.
Q. Is Parasakthi a biopic?
A. No, Parasakthi is not a biopic or based on any one person.
Q. What is the story of Parasakthi Sivakarthikeyan?
A. Parasakthi starring Sivakarthikeyan is based on the anti-Hindi agitations that took place in Tamil Nadu in 1965.