The scheduled January 10 release of Sivakarthikeyan-starrer Parasakthi hangs in balance due to pending certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
Industry sources told PTI the big-budget film had not received clearance from the board as of Thursday evening.
Directed by Sudha Kongara, Parasakthi stars Sivakarthikeyan, Ravi Mohan and Sreeleela. Set in the 1960s, the film explores the language protests in Tamil Nadu.
The uncertainty surrounding certification has affected theatre bookings across several centres, with exhibitors holding back advance ticket sales for both the Pongal releases — Parasakthi and Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan — until clearance is confirmed.
As of Thursday evening, ticketing platform BookMyShow listed only three theatres selling tickets in Chennai, all located in the city’s suburban areas.
Produced by Dawn Pictures, the Parasakthi is being distributed by Red Giant Movies, founded by Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.
Filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj voiced concern over the situation, saying both major and independent productions were being affected. In a post on X on Thursday, he said, “Bookings are yet to open in many centres due to the issue of certificate for other big budget film #Parasakthi slated to release day after tomorrow”.
Subbaraj added that the current censorship process, especially for large-scale releases with overseas schedules, required “streamlining and flexibility” and said film teams needed at least three months of clearance time to prevent last-minute disruptions.
“Otherwise, postponement of big films on festival dates will eventually kill the industry,” he said.
Neither the CBFC nor the production team has issued an official statement on the certification status of Parasakthi.
The uncertainty over Parasakthi’s release follows a similar situation for Thalapathy Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan, which was slated to hit theatres on January 9. The makers approached the Madras High Court over delay in CBFC clearance, leading to a postponement in the film’s release.
