Sivakarthikeyanâs Parasakthi Wraps Up: Sudha Kongaraâs Political Epic Set for a Pongal 2026 Clash with Vijayâs Jana Nayagan
The highly anticipated Tamil film Parasakthi, directed by Sudha Kongara and starring Sivakarthikeyan, Jayam Ravi, and Atharvaa, has officially wrapped production and is gearing up for a grand Pongal release on January 14, 2026. The announcement came through the teamâs latest post on X, confirming that the film has completed its shoot and entered the final phase of post-production. Produced by Dawn Pictures and distributed by Red Giant Movies, Parasakthi is a large-scale political period drama set against the backdrop of the 1965 anti-Hindi imposition agitations in Tamil Nadu. Sivakarthikeyan plays a revolutionary student leader, while Atharvaa takes on the role of a fiery activist, and Jayam Ravi is rumoured to appear as the antagonist, with Sreeleela making her Tamil debut. Backed by an impressive technical crew featuring G. V. Prakash Kumarâmarking his 100th film as a music composerâRavi K. Chandran on cinematography, and Sathish Suriya handling editing, the film promises a compelling blend of social relevance and mass appeal.
Shot across locations such as Madurai, Pollachi, and parts of Sri Lanka, the film is said to have been made on a speculative budget estimated between âč150â250 crore, making it one of the most ambitious Tamil productions of 2026.The Pongal window will witness a major box-office face-off as Parasakthi goes head-to-head with Vijayâs Jana Nayagan, directed by H. Vinoth and releasing just days earlier. Both films carry strong political undercurrentsâParasakthi rooted in historical rebellion, and Jana Nayagan exploring modern-day politicsâsetting the stage for one of Tamil cinemaâs biggest festival face-offs.While Vijayâs pan-Indian star power gives Jana Nayagan an early edge, Parasakthiâs stellar lineup, guided by Sudha Kongaraâs direction and elevated by G. V. Prakashâs milestone soundtrack, makes it a formidable contender.
With such a high-profile festive clash on the horizon, itâs insightful to look at the recent box-office performances of the leading actors to gauge the potential stakes for Parasakthi. Itâs worth looking back at the previous releases of the two leading actors to understand the stakes: Vijayâs Leo (2023) emerged as a mammoth commercial success, reporting a worldwide gross of around âč605.9 crore, including an overseas haul of about âč204 crore. Meanwhile, Sivakarthikeyanâs Madharaasi (2025) opened to good initial buzz but with more modest results: it collected approximately âč98.75 crore worldwide (including about âč25 crore overseas)
Given this backdrop, Parasakthi appears to be stepping into a high-stakes arena. While Vijayâs Leo sets a very high benchmark, Sivakarthikeyanâs Madharaasi shows that although there is strong potential, sustaining performance is key. For Parasakthi, the challenge is dual: to out-perform Sivakarthikeyanâs own recent benchmark and to hold ground against the lingering aura of Vijayâs blockbuster success. The competition is real â and the festival release adds further pressure. If Parasakthi wants to emerge not just as a hit but as a defining film of the season, it will need strong word-of-mouth, robust box-office momentum and favorable timing to overcome both past performance pressure and existing star-driven precedents.All eyes are now on Pongal 2026, as two of the industryâs most awaited films prepare for a high-voltage cinematic showdown.
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