What was supposed to be a massive celebration suddenly turned into a tense and emotional wait for fans of Suriya and director RJ Balaji. After facing unexpected last-minute delays, financial complications and cancelled screenings, Karuppu finally released in theatres on May 15, 2026. The action drama, which also stars Trisha Krishnan, opened to packed theatres and loud celebrations across Tamil Nadu after nearly 24 hours of uncertainty surrounding its release. As the situation settled, veteran actor Kamal Haasan also reacted to the chaos and congratulated the team for overcoming the issues.
Kamal Haasan reacts after the release issues are resolved
On Friday morning, Kamal Haasan shared a message on X after the film finally made it to theatres. He wrote in Tamil, “Brother @Suriya_offl’s film Karuppu, which faced issues from the time of its release, has now been resolved smoothly, and the film has been released today. My congratulations to Brother Suriya, the producers, director @RJ_Balaji, and the entire film crew.”
What went wrong before the release?
The film had reportedly received permission for special early morning screenings, and advance bookings were said to be extremely strong, with reports suggesting collections close to ₹8 crore before release.
However, things suddenly changed late on the night of May 13. Rumours about financial troubles began circulating in the industry before several major theatre chains quietly removed the film from ticket booking platforms after midnight. Fans who had already booked tickets were left confused as shows started disappearing online.
Soon after, producer SR Prabu from Dream Warrior Pictures shared a late-night statement apologising to audiences and confirming that the early morning screenings had been cancelled due to unavoidable issues. The sudden cancellation came as a huge disappointment for fans who had planned celebrations outside theatres.
The financial complications behind the delay
In the film industry, theatres require a KDM (Key Delivery Message), which is essentially the digital key needed to screen a movie. If payment disputes remain unresolved, these digital keys can be withheld, preventing theatres from playing the film.
According to reports, Karuppu got caught in a larger financial issue involving pending dues, distributor-related payments and studio charges connected to earlier projects. Reports suggested that around ₹10 crore needed to be settled immediately for the Tamil Nadu release to move forward smoothly.
As delays continued through Thursday, frustration began growing among fans outside theatres. In some places, including Puducherry, disappointed fans reportedly protested after shows were cancelled.
RJ Balaji’s emotional video struck a chord online
The pressure surrounding the delay became even more visible when RJ Balaji shared an emotional video message online. Sitting inside his car, the filmmaker apologised to audiences and admitted that he never expected the situation to become so stressful for fans.
“The very reason we watch films is to escape from the problems we have back home and in our lives. But that very activity of watching the film shouldn’t have become this stressful. I didn’t expect this as well. I am really hopeful that all these problems will be fixed and that the film will be released this evening,” he said.
Balaji also opened up about the effort and struggles behind making the film and expressed confidence that things would eventually work out.
“I’ve manifested that Karuppu will release on May 14 and that it’ll turn out to be a blockbuster. I am getting emotional, but that’s the pain. But I’m hopeful that God will ensure the film will release this evening. So many people are working towards fixing these problems… Suriya sir has given so much. Sorry for all the stress, but the film will be worth it all. The film will release this evening. I believe in it. God is with us,” he added.
How the issue was eventually solved
Reports later claimed that Suriya personally stepped in to help resolve the crisis. The actor was reportedly involved in discussions to clear the immediate dues affecting the film’s theatrical release while other financial matters continued separately.
After overnight negotiations, the required permissions and digital screening keys were finally approved, allowing theatres to begin shows on Friday morning.
Suriya later shared fresh posters from the film online and thanked fans for staying patient and supportive throughout the delay.
Fans celebrate Karuppu in theatres
Despite the one-day delay, the excitement around Karuppu remained strong. Friday morning screenings across Tamil Nadu turned into full-scale celebrations with fans gathering outside theatres carrying banners, bursting crackers and dancing to drum beats.
In Chennai, fans were also surprised when RJ Balaji and Karthi made an appearance at a theatre to watch the film alongside audiences.
Dream Warrior Pictures later shared a note thanking fans for standing by the team during the uncertainty.
Karuppu has been written by Ashwin Ravichandran, Rahul Raj, TS Gopi Krishnan and Karan Aravind Kumar along with RJ Balaji, while SR Prakash Babu and SR Prabu have produced the film under the Dream Warrior Pictures banner.