Director Sudha Kongara is awaiting the Pongal release of her next film Parasakthi, starring Sivakarthikeyan, Sreeleela, Ravi Mohan, and Atharvaa, among others. Interestingly, the film is expected to hit theatres alongside her idol Vijay's swan song, Jana Nayagan, directed by H Vinoth. In a recent interview with Galatta Plus, the Parasakthi director revealed that she once wanted to be a successful name in mainstream cinema, such as Perarasu, who is known for directing Vijay's Thirupaachi and Sivakasi and Ajith Kumar's Thirupathi, among other films. “I do not know why; it is a chip on my shoulder. That happened,” the filmmaker said about her past desire. The filmmaker also revealed that her desire influenced her film viewing habits, especially those starring her favourite actor Vijay. “I used to catch Vijay films first day first show. I did not know how to whistle, so I would take my friends along and make them do it,” the director said, referring to how she would respond to the actor’s films.
However, Sudha Kongara disclosed that she also admired the Mani Ratnam brand of cinema just as how she liked the Vijay entertainers. Consequently, the filmmaker admitted that she got caught between the two cinematic worlds as she made her debut film Drohi (2010). She revealed that the 2010 film ended up being neither a Mani Ratnam kind of film nor one reminiscent of Perarasu's brand of cinema. “It was like a contradictory tone. My voice was not there; it was all jumbled,” she candidly admitted while speaking about the film.
Interestingly, she also recalled a conversation with Mani Ratnam after her directorial debut. The legendary director appreciated the sense of realism in the film and encouraged Sudha Kongara to pursue more such films over typical commercial entertainers. It made her reconsider her choices, which played a role in her coming back strongly with films such as Irudhi Suttru and Soorarai Pottru.
