Claims of strong box-office momentum for the 2026 pro-DMK propaganda film Parasakthi came under scrutiny on Friday after multiple theatre owners and social media users challenged “sold out” narratives circulated by DMK mouthpiece Sun News’ X handle.
A post by Sun News under its Cinema Bytes segment claimed that early morning shows in Chennai were sold out and projected high demand for the film across Tamil Nadu. The post was widely shared on social media and amplified by several cinema-related accounts.
#CinemaBytes | சில மணி நேரத்திலேயெ முன்பதிவு டிக்கெட்டுகள் விற்றுத் தீர்த்த பராசக்தி!#SunNews | #Parasakthi | #TicketSales pic.twitter.com/kxRyvjxMVD
— Sun News (@sunnewstamil) January 9, 2026
Even grok mama giving slipper shot to this dog https://t.co/Q8q2E074cf pic.twitter.com/5mOYxdeJxk
— alpha #269 signing off (@viratsathruler) January 9, 2026
First show kooda fill agala enga oorula. Enda ipdi olu okringa https://t.co/CrtGrSJrZF pic.twitter.com/CoYg8inNNu
— LEO (@leodas315) January 9, 2026
That perumbalana theaters 🤡 https://t.co/0l02Zsv06I pic.twitter.com/ieWfpMHb6s
— Vel Vijay (@ravendran_tvk) January 9, 2026
Elame Oru Alavuku dha bro 😮💨 #Parasakthi FDFS https://t.co/xEtWWKSZlH pic.twitter.com/a5XQ3MGCPg
— Karur Films (@Karurfilms) January 10, 2026
Official handles of cinema owners and exhibitors joined the discussion, with some openly mocking what they described as manufactured publicity. Screenshots and posts from theatres suggested that occupancy levels outside Chennai did not match the impression created by promotional posts.
The X account of Dindigul Cinemas, a tracker and analyst, posted that only 24 tickets had been sold over three days for a 9:00 AM first-day-first-show screening, directly questioning the credibility of the “sold out” claim.
The episode also saw trolling aimed at the film’s producer Dawn Pictures, with users accusing the production house of attempting to inflate numbers through friendly media amplification. Several posts described the public rebuttal by theatre owners as unprecedented, noting that exhibitors rarely contradict promotional narratives so openly.
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