Madras High Court Clears Sivakarthikeyan’s Parasakthi for Pongal Release

The Madras High Court has cleared the way for the theatrical release of Parasakthi, rejecting a plea seeking to stall the film over alleged plagiarism. The ruling allows the Sivakarthikeyan-starrer to hit theatres as scheduled during the Pongal festive window.

The order was delivered by Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, following detailed submissions from all parties involved. The court declined to grant an interim stay on the film’s release, effectively removing the legal hurdle that had cast uncertainty over its January 10 launch.

Parasakthi, directed by Sudha Kongara, features Sivakarthikeyan in the lead role, alongside Ravi Mohan, Atharvaa, and Sreeleela. The film is produced by Dawn Pictures and is positioned as a major Pongal release.

The legal challenge was filed by assistant director KV Rajendran, who alleged that Parasakthi was plagiarised from his registered script titled Chemmozhi. He sought a stay on the release, claiming that the core narrative elements of the film were derived from his earlier work.

During the hearing, senior advocate PS Raman appeared on behalf of director Sudha Kongara, while senior advocate Aravind Pandian represented the producer. Both counsels argued against the imposition of a stay, maintaining that the allegations were unsubstantiated and that halting a major festive release would cause disproportionate harm.

After examining the submissions, the court concluded that there were no immediate grounds to block the film’s release. However, it directed the South Indian Film Writers’ Association to examine the plagiarism complaint in detail. The association has been asked to conduct an inquiry and submit a report, with both the petitioner and the filmmakers required to present their arguments during the process.

The ruling means Parasakthi will release as planned on January 10, a crucial date in the Tamil cinema calendar. The case has been closely followed within the industry, given the film’s scale and its importance during the Pongal box-office season.

Based on promotional material released so far, Parasakthi is believed to be set against the backdrop of the anti-Hindi agitations of the 1960s, adding a political and historical layer to its narrative. The subject matter, combined with Sivakarthikeyan’s growing box-office pull and Sudha Kongara’s reputation for socially rooted storytelling, has made the film one of the most anticipated releases of early 2026.

At the box office, Parasakthi is set to face stiff competition from Jana Nayagan, starring Vijay, which is slated for release a day earlier on January 9. With the legal uncertainty now resolved, trade analysts expect the Pongal clash to intensify, shifting focus squarely to audience response and word of mouth.