Suriya and Trisha Krishnan’s Karuppu was supposed to be released on May 14, and fans across the country were eagerly awaiting the premiere. However, while in South India they were told that the screenings
had been cancelled, in parts of North India, the film was mistakenly played in some theatres. Now, the producers are worried about the film getting pirated and being circulated online.
Karuppu Mistakenly Leaked In North India
Many fans from Mumbai, Pune and Varanasi took to social media to share that the film was being screened in their city. Many even shared videos of key scenes and spoilers. Producer SR Prabhu of Dream Warrior Pictures then held a press conference with the Producers Council, fearing piracy. Siva, General Secretary of the Council, said that it was “shocking” that the film was screened without approval, causing financial losses to the makers.
It was said in the press conference, “They said Jana Nayagan was pirated due to the negligence of an editor. Now, if Karuppu was released due to a staff member’s negligence, where will this end? We have condemned Qube (the digital cinema system) and asked them how they will fix this. Since this is a huge loss, we have asked for compensation.”
Producers Worry About Piracy
Producer Dhanu said, “We have immense faith in Qube. This has never happened in their career. They have admitted that it was their fault. They have informed us that they will discuss the loss incurred with their legal team and pay for it.” The council also revealed that the makers were worried about the Rs 140 crore film being pirated.
Producers Issue Public Notice, Warn Fans Against Piracy
Later on Thursday, Prabhu’s legal team issued a public notice warning fans against sharing the leaked clips. The legal notice read: “I am the legal counsel for Dream Warrior Pictures, the Production House of the Tamil feature film ‘Karuppu’, and I issue this Public Notice under instructions from and on behalf of my client.
My client is the Producer and copyright owner of the film Karuppu, a high-budget feature film starring Actor Suriya, Trishna Krishnan and others, directed by RJ Balaji, and with music composed by Sai Abhyankkar and the film is produced with investments running into several hundreds of crores.
The film carries substantial theatrical, satellite, OTT, overseas and commercial value and was scheduled for a grand worldwide theatrical release across more than 20 countries and approximately 3,000 screens worldwide.
It has come to my client’s utmost shock and dismay that due to unauthorised and illegal activation of KDMs by Qube Cinema Technologies, certain theatrical screenings of the Tamil version of the film Karuppu were unlawfully exhibited in North India without the final authorisation or approval of my client.
As a consequence of such unauthorised exhibition, visuals, scenes, clips and other copyrighted portions from the film have been illegally recorded, accessed and circulated through various social media platforms and digital mediums.
It is hereby notified that any downloading, recording, storing, forwarding, sharing, uploading, reposting, transmitting or circulating of any scenes, clips or leaked content relating to the film Karuppu through WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, torrent websites or any other online or offline platform constitutes serious offences under the Copyright Act, 1957, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Such acts amount to piracy, copyright infringement and unlawful dissemination of protected cinematographic content and are punishable with severe civil and criminal consequences. The general public is therefore strictly cautioned and advised not to download, receive, access, store, circulate, forward, exhibit or share any unauthorised content relating to the film Karuppu in any form whatsoever.
Any person found involved in such activities hereafter shall face immediate legal action, including civil and criminal proceedings before the appropriate authorities and courts, entirely at their own risk as to costs and consequences.”
Karuppu Release Date
Meanwhile, after this delay, Karuppu has finally been released in theatres on May 15. Production banner Dream Warrior Pictures issued a statement on social media, apologising to audiences for the delay. The note thanked fans for standing by the team despite setbacks. Meanwhile, Suriya also thanked fans for their patience and support.
Directed by RJ Balaji, Karuppu stars Trisha Krishnan as the female lead, marking her reunion with Suriya after Aaru in 2005. The film also features Yogi Babu, Indrans, Sshivada, Swasika, Natty, Supreeth Reddy and Anagha Maya Ravi in important roles. RJ Balaji also appears in the film in a negative role.
The story revolves around a father-daughter duo fighting for justice while dealing with repeated delays in their court case. The narrative takes a dramatic turn when Suriya’s character Saravanan enters the picture, with the film teasing him as an incarnation of Karuppusamy.
