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Sudha Kongara Defends 'Parasakthi' Portrayal of Indira Gandhi, Nehru as Great Leaders

Director Sudha Kongara has dismissed criticism from the Tamil Nadu Youth Congress about misportraying leaders in her film 'Parasakthi'. She emphasized that she depicted former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as one of the greatest leaders the country has ever seen. Kongara also highlighted Jawaharlal Nehru's democratic promise regarding the Hindi language issue. The film, starring Sivakarthikeyan, revolves around the 1960s anti-Hindi agitation in Tamil Nadu.

Key Points: Director Sudha Kongara on Portraying Indira Gandhi in 'Parasakthi'

  • Director defends film portrayal
  • Highlights Nehru's language promise
  • Praises Indira Gandhi's democratic nature
  • Film based on anti-Hindi agitation
3 min read

Sudha Kongara: I have shown Indira Gandhi as one of the greatest leaders ever!(IANS Exclusive)

Director Sudha Kongara responds to criticism, stating she portrayed Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru as positive, democratic leaders in her film 'Parasakthi'.

"I have shown her as one of the greatest leaders ever. - Sudha Kongara"

Chennai, Jan 14

Dismissing the criticism that she had misportrayed leaders of the Congress in her recently released film 'Parasakthi', ace director Sudha Kongara has now stressed upon the fact that she had shown Congress leaders to be extremely positive leaders and pointed out that her film portrayed former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as one of the greatest leaders ever to have led the country.

During an exclusive interaction with IANS, the ace director's attention was drawn to the claim made by the Tamil Nadu Youth Congress that its leaders had been mis portrayed in the film.

Responding to the question, Sudha Kongara said, "Not at all. Can there be a greater leader than Nehru who comes and who says, 'I want to ally your fears, I want to tell you, do not fear. Till my brothers from the south (the non-Hindi speaking states) say 'yes', Hindi will not become the sole official language.' He promises. The protagonist actually tells one Hindi-speaking person, the loco pilot, saying that Panditji had promised us in the Parliament and he's not going to go back on his words and that's exactly how they lived and how he was such a great leader. People believed him."

The director then went on say, "Then you show Mrs. Gandhi. Who in this world can actually go and meet a leader of that stature? People are trying to stop her. People who actually misled her. She actually says stop when they're trying to pull him (the protagonist) away. She says "Stop!" and she listens to him. She's having a dialogue with him and how much better can a democratic leader be than this? She's great and I've shown her as one of the greatest leaders ever."

"I have the utmost respect for Mrs. Gandhi, Mr. Nehru and I have shown them as extremely positive leaders who came down here who actually were democratic. They were not dictatorial," she said.

For the unaware, director Sudha Kongara's film 'Parasakthi', featuring Sivakarthikeyan and Sreeleela in the lead, revolves around the anti-Hindi agitation that rocked the state of Tamil Nadu in the 1960s.

Apart from Sivakarthikeyan and Sreeleela, the film also features Ravi Mohan as the antagonist and Atharvaa in a pivotal role.

'Parasakthi', which was tentatively being referred to as #SK25 as it is Sivakarthikeyan's 25th film, has music by G V Prakash and cinematography by experienced cameraman Ravi K Chandran. Stunts for the film are by Supreme Sundar. The film hit screens on January 10 for the festival of Pongal.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
While I respect Sudha Kongara's work, portraying Indira Gandhi as "one of the greatest leaders ever" is a very selective reading of history. The Emergency period cannot be ignored. Films have a responsibility to present a balanced view, not just hagiography.
K
Karthik V
As a Tamilian, the language issue is close to my heart. Nehru's assurance was historic. Glad a mainstream film is tackling this. My grandfather still talks about those days. Hope the film does justice to the sentiments of the people.
A
Aman W
Saw the film on Pongal. Sivakarthikeyan's performance was brilliant! The historical scenes felt authentic. Whether you agree with the political portrayal or not, it's a well-made movie that starts an important conversation. Thumbs up from me! 🎬
S
Sarah B
Interesting perspective. As someone from outside India, I find these historical and regional nuances fascinating. It shows how complex and layered Indian democracy is. Art should provoke discussion, and this film seems to be doing just that.
V
Vikram M
The Youth Congress criticism seems misplaced. A film is a creative interpretation, not a documentary. If the core message about democratic dialogue and respecting regional identities comes through, that's what matters. Jai Hind!

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