iBomma founder Immadhi Ravi is currently in Hyderabad police custody, where he is being questioned about financial irregularities. He reportedly uploaded hundreds of pirated films to various websites, including iBomma, and is believed to have earned hundreds of crores by promoting betting applications. After a long investigation, police finally arrested him and are continuing to interrogate him.
On social media, several users have been supporting Ravi and referring to him as “Robin Hood Ravi.” Their reasoning is that high ticket prices make it difficult for them to watch films in theatres, so they rely on the pirated copies Ravi uploaded.
Responding to these reactions, director Ram Gopal Varma criticised the comparison and addressed the issue of piracy. He said piracy will never fully stop, as catching the person who uploads the content is difficult. However, he argued that catching the viewers is much easier. He suggested that authorities should arrest 100 viewers who are caught watching pirated films and publicly reveal their names, believing this would deter others.
“If anyone is serious about stopping piracy, there’s only one real solution: apart from criminalising the supplier, they should also criminalise the viewer,” RGV said.
He added, “Catching the pirate is difficult because he’s hiding behind secretive digital ghettos. But catching the viewer is easy. Arrest 100 random people watching pirated content and publicise their names. Suddenly everyone will realise that watching or forwarding a movie link is equivalent to smuggling or receiving stolen goods. Fear works. Morality doesn’t.” (sic)
Varma also rejected the idea of Ravi being a ‘Robin Hood,’ calling the historical figure ‘the first recorded terrorist.’ He argued that high movie ticket prices or overpriced popcorn cannot justify piracy.
“By that logic, if a BMW is expensive, you should rob the showroom and give all the cars to everyone in the slum. Jewellery expensive? Rob the shop and distribute it for free. The same logic would apply to all goods. This kind of thinking will lead to social collapse and anarchy. People watch pirated content not because of some moral revolution but mainly because of convenience,” he said. (sic)
In his long post, Varma also admitted that many people in the industry, including himself, have watched pirated films because they were just a click away and they were too lazy to go to the theatre.
