Tamil star Suriya’s recent release Karuppu not only received critical acclaim but also emerged as a commercial success. However, the film faced significant hurdles before its release. Now, veteran Tamil film financier and distributor Tiruppur Subramaniam has lashed out at director RJ Balaji over the handling of the film’s release. Claiming that he has recovered only half of his investment, Subramaniam said that while several people worked behind the scenes to ensure the film reached theatres, RJ Balaji ultimately took credit for its success.
Karuppu distributor slams RJ Balaji
During a conversation on Sri Sakthi Cinemas’ YouTube channel, Tiruppur said, “We know the kind of problems we faced two days before its release. The director should have come and faced it along with us, but instead, he chose to go to his car and record himself crying. The director is raising his collar now, flaunting that the film is a hit, but only Suriya came forward to help the film hit screens. Except Suriya, nobody involved themselves in resolving the issue.”
He further claimed that he had recovered only 50 per cent of the money he invested in the film and said, “This film was supposed to release during Deepavali 2025, but it was released eight months later. If they quote ₹30–40 crore as the budget, then exceeding it up to ₹45 crore is fine, but when it goes to ₹80 crore, then what can one do? It puts producers and financiers at risk. I invested my own money for the release of this film. I have only got 50 per cent of it back.”
About the release delay
Karuppu was originally scheduled to release on May 14, with Chief Minister Vijay approving 9 am shows. However, the screenings were cancelled at the last minute. Theatres across the state cited “unforeseen reasons” and “financial reasons” while announcing the cancellations. Dindigul Cinemas wrote, “Karuppu might be pushed to tomorrow. Financiers need clearance after settlement of a previous pending issue.”
The film’s director shared a video in which he broke down in tears after the shows were cancelled. According to The Statesman, unsettled dues of ₹10 crore allegedly owed by Dream Warrior Pictures were behind the delay. The report stated that, in the Tamil film industry, distributors often withhold the Key Delivery Message (KDM) — the secure digital key required for a film to be screened in theatres — until outstanding payments are cleared. The producer reportedly failed to settle the amount in time.
The film eventually released in cinemas on May 15 and opened to positive reviews from both critics and audiences. It went on to earn over ₹300 crore worldwide at the box office, emerging as the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2026 so far.