Ever since it was announced that Sivakarthikeyan's Parasakthi and Vijay's Jana Nayagan will be locking horns for the festive occasion of Pongal, social media has been abuzz with heated discussions and debates on why the former's release date was moved four days prior to the earlier-mentioned date of January 14. For the unversed, Jana Nayagan hits theatres on January 9, while Parasakthi releases on January 10.
Putting all rumours and speculations to rest, producer Aakash Baskaran of Dawn Pictures who has backed the Sudha Kongara-directorial has called the issue "unnecessary controversy" and revealed that the move was suggested by theatre owners, and not the director or the actor. "We had to move the release date as many theatre owners, exhibitors and distributors suggested that we release it with a one-day or two-day gap between major releases to utilise the 10-day festive holiday to the fullest. They noted that if we release it prior, they would be able to manage showtimes in a better way and ensure that both the films get equal space," he explained.
He dismissed all speculations around the clash between Parasakthi and Jana Nayagan, saying, "This is an unnecessary controversy. Usually, during the Pongal festival, it is common to see several films releasing together. 20 years ago, over ten films would release together. Then it reduced to five, and then three and two. During this time, it is highly unlikely to see just a single film releasing. It is quite common to see two films releasing. It is fair. I hope people see it as a healthy thing rather than in a competitive lens."
Parasakthi is set in the 1960s and is expected to revolve around the anti-Hindi agitations. Sivakarthikeyan stars alongside Ravi Mohan, Atharvaa, and Sreeleela for the first time, with the latter making her Tamil debut and marks the first time Ravi Mohan plays an antagonist. Atharvaa will also be seen playing a key role.
On the other hand, Jana Nayagan, directed by H Vinoth stars an ensemble cast and said to revolve around Vijay’s role as a police officer. Pooja Hegde and Bobby Deol essay pivotal roles. The rest of the cast members are: Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj, Priyamani, Mamitha Baiju, and others. Plot details have not been revealed yet. The film recently had its grand audio launch held at Bukit Jalil Stadium in Malaysia. The film marks Vijay's final film outing before his full-fledged entry to politics.
