The Pongal festive season witnessed a box office rivalry between ‘Parasakthi’ and ‘Jana Nayagan’, where the latster couldn’t release in theatres due to delayed censor certification. Whereas, ‘Parasakthi’ got its censor certificate a day prior to the release and got to see the daylight on multiple screens. During its theatrical run, the film’s director, Sudha Kongara, gave a statement about the troubles that filmmakers face due to rowdy fans, particularly pointing out that certain fanbases of actors tend to be “goonda and rowdy” in nature. This statement of Kongara triggered reactions on X (formerly Twitter) and other social media platforms wherein Vijay fans trolled the director.
Netizens take over social media
Fans responded with memes, videos, and posts mocking Sudha Kongara’s words. One popular meme showed a two-wheeler skidding and a woman claiming it was hit by a vehicle behind, tagged as “Lady Director.” Another post used a Vadivelu template jokingly suggesting that a director should be beaten if they ask for a salary like actor Lokesh. Several users recreated Arjun’s iconic dialogue from Mudhalvan, posting, “Parasakthi running? Vijay fans are the reason. Vettaiyan running? Vijay fans are the reason,” to ridicule her statement.
Criticism beyond memes
Political figures and public commentators also joined the discussion. Shalin Maria Lawrence, who belongs to the Naam Tamilar Katchi, referred to Sudha Kongara as “a bougie path” for trashing the movie and requested that she recognize the film instead of blaming the fans. Netizens, on the other hand, highlighted that ‘Parasakthi’ had not earned the reported amount and shared memes under the hashtag #ParasakthiDisaster. Many other fans noted that a movie poster can’t call a whole set of fans rowdies, as this sort of statement is not supportive of Tamil cinema. A netizen had called the female director the ‘most disgusting face of 2026’.
Audience reaction and advice
Though trolled, many fans and commentators have advised caution and restraint. Critics pointed out that criticism is nothing new to cinema, but bashing audiences was out of bounds. Social media users had reiterated that the family audience demand for ‘Parasakthi’ is extremely high and that no individual segment of fans can determine a movie’s success. The view held by social media users is that Sudha Kongara must be more careful with her choice of words during future interviews to avoid any controversies and trolls.