The announcement of Tamil film Karuppu, in which Suriya and Trisha Krishnan starred on its first day, was met with overwhelming release mayhem after financing issues saw the theatres cancel their planned screenings in several locations.
Thousands of disappointed fans reacted angrily against the abrupt disturbance, and director RJ Balaji said in a tearful video message that he was sorry. Karuppu was scheduled for a massive worldwide release on May 14, already with massive ticket sales in advance of scheduled early morning shows.
But theatres were stunned to discover that many of those shows had been cancelled at the last minute. The production team initially informed moviegoers that only the 9 A.M. shows were being postponed because of money; the following movies were booked as planned, but only what they could see was not.
Even afternoon shows were said to have been cancelled in many theatres in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and foreign markets, shocking fans on social media. Online, the situation quickly boiled over, and a flood of angry fans criticised the creators for bad planning, even as some of their audience booked on his site in advance with high volumes.
Amidst the raging criticism, RJ Balaji issued a video from his car in which he spoke out, apologising to movie fans, and said that he was feeling deeply emotional over the fiasco. Balaji, in the video, admitted that he never thought his production would ever come to such a crisis in terms of release day and said he was heartbroken when he noticed fans coming back disappointed from the theatres.
People watch movies to make themselves forget about life,” he said, and that after travelling long distances to see the film, audiences deserved better treatment. “When I thought on May 14, Karuppu was a blockbuster, I thought, I have the possibility. I still have hope. It hurts me a lot, and that’s why I’m emotional,” Balaji said, reportedly weeping through the video.
The director also said that the team was “working intensely to reconcile the financial dispute,” and that the film would be released by 6 p.m. in India and other international markets, including the United States. Dulquer Salmaan reacted to the online backlash against the emotional video immediately, announcing his support for RJ Balaji and, in some cases, even joining a media campaign.
Many of the world’s cinema stars, as well as famous people, also expressed their love for Balaji. The man's candidness and personal touch made an impression on individuals of all stripes worldwide. RJ Balaji starts his career as a radio jockey and comedian and is popular in the Tamil cinema for his humble beginnings and familiar personality.
This moving emotional apology was widely celebrated by the director, but there will be no going back on any release issues for now. The crisis, it was reported, stemmed from a lack of resolution on the part of the film’s financiers and production house over money disputes.
The production company is reportedly said to owe over Rs 50 crore in debts, and cinema owners and distributors have halted or postponed premieres in the industry, and the theatre owners and distributors are cancelling premieres as well as curtailing screenings until payment has been fixed in dispute, industry partners have reported.
It’s under pressure, but the film is getting plenty of buzz, given Suriya’s intense mass look, what Trisha does, the action-fantasy theme, and the movie’s premise. Expectations are high that new show times will be confirmed soon, and the situation will be quickly resolved. Trade analysts say the next few hours are going to be critical for Karuppu, too: If the financial situation is settled satisfactorily here, Karuppu could be well supported by word of mouth from fans.
