Piracy claims its latest victim in Roberrt

Just as filmmakers heaved a sigh of relief at theatres being reopened post the pandemic-induced lockdown, the Kannada film fraternity is battling another issue — piracy. While the cast and crew of Darshan-starrer Roberrt were basking in the stupendous success of the commercial entertainer, the news broke of pirated links of the film being circulated widely. 

The film, which was released on March 11, opened to packed houses across Karnataka and set cash registers ringing. The collection is said to have crossed a gross amount of Rs 50 crore in just four days. However, producer Umapathy S Gowda and his team have barely had time to soak in the success as they are now busier than ever, trying to safeguard the film from piracy.

The film was pirated within 24 hours of its release, and so far, over 8,000 links have been deleted. With no option left, Umapathy has now sought the help of police.

Meanwhile, the production house on its part has assigned a team to watch out for known mischief makers, and has even managed to catch a handful of people recording the movie. In a swift operation, the team filed an FIR against two miscreants who have copied and circulated the film.

“We didn’t have an option but to take legal action. The two culprits were caught recording the movie at different theatres in Bengaluru, post which they shared it with over 30 people who, in turn, shared with others. We have taken legal action against all of them,” says Umapathy, adding, “This is being done only to safeguard our film. It will, hopefully, be a lesson for others who are involved in this racket. A lot of work has gone into bringing the film to the big screen, so our appeal is that viewers watch it in theatres.” 

Even Rishab Shetty-starrer Hero, which was released on March 5, has become a victim of piracy. The actor and producer, tied up with an anti-piracy service company and sought their help in removing the links. “We have removed a lot of links, and are continuing to do. We are also in consultation with legal experts, and are following the necessary steps to take action on those involved in this,” says Rishab.