‘Karuppu’ Makers Say Sorry to Ilaiyaraaja

The makers of Karuppu, starring Suriya and Trisha, have issued an apology for a dialogue from the film that appeared to mock music maestro Ilaiyaraaja. They have also undertaken to delete the offending lines.

The dialogue in question is spoken by RJ Balaji, who says, “Enna… idhukkum Ilaiyaraaja kitta permission vaanganuma?” (“What…do we need to get permission from Ilaiyaraaja for this too?”)

The line appeared to reference the ongoing debates surrounding music copyrights and royalty permissions associated with the legendary composer. While the scene drew loud cheers in theatres for the timely sarcasm, some viewers felt the joke crossed a line.

Following backlash, on May 19, production house Dream Warrior Pictures took to X to inform fans that there was “no intention to offend, hurt, or disrespect him [Ilaiyaraaja].”

The official statement read, “We understand that a particular dialogue appearing in Karuppu has caused concern and has upset him. We sincerely regret that the dialogue has resulted in such sentiments. We deeply value and respect his feelings and, as a gesture of our regard, we have decided to remove/modify the concerned portion in future versions and subsequent exploitations of the film.”

Karuppu continues its successful box office run, grossing `147 crore globally during its opening weekend.

Not funny, says Ilaiyaraaja

Iconic composer Ilaiyaraaja has taken offense to a line of dialogue in the new Suriya-starrer Karuppu. The casual banter by characters in the film appears to take a potshot at the composer over his well-known stand on the copyright protection issue.

The makers have issued a statement clarifying that, “There was absolutely no intention to offend, hurt, or disrespect Mr. Ilaiyaraaja, his contribution, or his rights in any manner. The reference formed part of a broader satirical context and was not conceived as a personal remark directed at him.”

Ilaiyaraaja has responded, saying, “I am as open to jokes and laughs as anyone else. But they should not be personal or below the belt.”

Subhash K Jha