RJ Balaji's latest directorial Karuppu, headlined by Suriya, is enjoying a successful run at the box office. After crossing the Rs 150 crore mark on Monday, the action drama is steadily marching towards the Rs 200 crore milestone. However, before its release, the film encountered several delays and hurdles, eventually arriving in theatres on May 15 — a day later than originally planned. Initially slated for a Deepavali release last year, Karuppu was later pushed, as RJ Balaji was keen on bringing the film to screens in May.
Explaining the reason behind his decision, RJ Balaji said in a recent interview, "I was waiting only for this date. It was slated for a Deepavali release, which got pushed due to delays. Then the production side offered me many dates including January 23, and a few other dates in February. I didn't want any of it. When we missed the Pongal window, my next goal was a May release. I was very clear about it. This is a entertaining, family-based entertainer that needs to be caught in theatres."
"We cannot release it on any day in January or February, or when students are having their exams. The entire state was also focused on the election campaign. I was advised to release it for Tamil New Year, but I immediately disagreed. I knew that if we released it then, conversations around the film would fade as election buzz intensified. Later, May 1 was suggested, but that too didn’t feel ideal, since public attention would shift to discussions about the state’s next Chief Minister once the results were announced on May 4,” he explained, sharing how he zeroed in on May 14 as the release date.
"Ten days after swearing in, everyone will be back to their routine lives. Discussions regarding IPL would have also reached a monotony. The time was ripe as students would also be on their summer holidays," he said.
Karuppu stars Trisha as the female lead, reuniting with her Aaru (2005) co-star Suriya. The supporting cast includes Yogi Babu, Indrans, Sshivada, Swasika, Natty, Supreeth Reddy, and Anagha Maya Ravi. RJ Balaji also plays a key role in the film.
