Overview
- Suriya and Trisha’s Karuppu, which was due in theatres Thursday, saw its 9 am shows cancelled first, then noon and many evening screenings, with producer SR Prabhu apologising for the disruption.
- Reports from industry sources say the Tamil Nadu distributors’ federation pressed theatres to stop shows over unresolved losses tied to Dream Warrior Pictures’ 2023 film Japan, estimated around Rs 25 crore, alongside other pending payments.
- Theatre listings were pulled from ticketing apps and refunds began, with BookMyShow entries flagged for cancellation and chains such as Seven Screen’s Cinemas telling customers money would be returned for scrapped shows.
- Director RJ Balaji posted an emotional video apology and said the team was negotiating to restart screenings, as fans who had traveled for first-day shows waited outside cinemas hoping for updates.
- Advance sales were strong before the stoppage, with trackers citing more than 2 lakh day-one tickets and crores in pre-booking revenue, and peers like Dhanush urged a resolution as talks continued that could decide if and when shows resume.