Parasakthi (English: The Goddess) is a 1952 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by R. Krishnan and S. Panju. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan in his cinematic acting debut, along with S. V. Sahasranamam, S. S. Rajendran, Sriranjani Jr., and Pandari Bai. It was jointly produced by National Pictures and AVM Productions and is based on the stage play of the same name, written by Pavalar Balasundaram. The film narrates the misfortunes that befall the members of a Tamil family during World War II, and how the members face their individual fate and reunite at the end. The screenplay and dialogues for Parasakthi were written by Karunanidhi, who would later become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. The film's soundtrack was composed by R. Sudarsanam. Parasakthi was released on 17 October 1952, during the festive occasion of Diwali, and faced controversies because of its portrayal of Brahmins and Hindu customs and practices in poor light. The elitarian society including the then ruling State government even demanded the film to be banned.