The path to the final theatrical release of Karuppu was filled with several impediments. Originally scheduled for a May 14 release, shows of the Suriya-starrer were cancelled at the last minute. The film was released a day later, and emerged as a huge success. Months later, Suriya has opened up about the situation behind the scenes during such a crisis.
What Suriya said
In a conversation with THR India, Suriya and Jyotika were asked about the Karuppu release delay and how emotional director RJ Balaji had reacted on that occasion. Suriya thanked Jyotika, and said, “It was a lot financial burden on me which came on last minute and for me to take those extra loans. She was trusting me and allowing me to take the risk of Loans. If something goes wrong as a family we will be facing it. Even if we are in an industry for such a long time, these situations are a little above us. It was a big step for me to take but there was trust that was present at that time.”
Jyotika refused to take the compliment and added, “This was completely his work. But we do everything together, even when we are parenting we are always on the same side of the page we never really discuss… here it was completely his generosity and him wanting to make the film work its way out. It was a big film.”
Reasons for delay
‘Unforeseen reasons’ and ‘financial reasons’ were terms that theatres across the state echoed when announcing show cancellations. While the production house hasn’t offered any clarity, The Statesman reported that ₹10 crore in unsettled dues is the reason behind Karuppu’s delay. The report claims that in the Tamil film industry, it is standard practice for distributors to withhold the Key Delivery Message (KDM), the secure digital key that allows a film to be screened in theatres, until pending payments are cleared. The producer reportedly did not clear this payment in time.
The production house, Dream Warrior Pictures, also reportedly owes a significant amount of ₹50 crore to multiple parties. Among the unpaid dues is money owed to EVP Studios near Chennai, where the film was partially shot. The report states that this also creates a bottleneck, as the producer requires a final clearance from creditors. With no clarity from the film’s team, Balaji is hoping that Karuppu’s shows will resume from 6 PM on Thursday. It remains to be seen when the film will be released.
About Karuppu
Karuppu is directed by RJ Balaji from a screenplay he co-wrote with Rathna Kumar, Ashwin Ravichandran, Rahul Raj, TS Gopi Krishnan and Karan Aravind Kumar. It is produced by Dream Warrior Pictures and stars Suriya, Trisha Krishnan and Balaji, alongside Indrans, Anagha Maya Ravi, Natty Subramaniam, Swasika, Sshivada and Supreeth Reddy. Sai Abhyankkar composed the film’s music.
The film delivered Suriya a much-needed hit. It tells the story of a guardian deity, Karuppusamy (Suriya), who takes on a human form after being challenged by a corrupt lawyer, Baby Kannan (Balaji). Another lawyer, Preethi (Trisha), joins the deity in his endeavour to prove justice can be delivered through fair means.