India's Largest Piracy Racket Exposed; Tollywood Takes Action
During the meeting, senior police officers explained the two major methods used by offenders to pirate films: Reports
HYDERABAD: In the wake of busting one of the largest film piracy rackets in recent times, Hyderabad police held a high-level meeting with prominent members of the Telugu film industry to share the investigation findings and discuss the precautions to be taken.
The meeting was attended by leading actors Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh, Nagarjuna and Nani, along with Telangana Film Development Corporation Chairman V. Venkata Ramana Reddy (Dil Raju), producers, exhibitors and digital distribution partners.
During the meeting, senior police officers explained the two major methods used by offenders to pirate films. In the first, culprits secretly record movies inside theatres using mobile phones. In the second, cybercriminals hack digital distribution systems before release to steal original studio content.
City police commissioner C.V. Anand said the investigation exposed several major piracy portals, including TamilMV, Tamil Blasters and Movierulz and showed how these platforms are promoted and monetised through sponsorship by online gaming and betting operators.
Pirated files are later shared across torrent sites, Telegram channels and unauthorised streaming platforms. The commissioner warned that user data collected from such sites is often misused for other cybercrimes like online fraud and ‘digital arrests’.
He announced a set of practical guidelines for each stakeholder. Digital platforms were asked to conduct regular cybersecurity audits, tighten access controls and report suspicious activity promptly. Theatre owners were advised to curb recording inside halls by deploying advanced surveillance and restricting device usage. Production houses were told to maintain strict custody of digital content and adopt strong watermarking systems.
The film fraternity welcomed the police initiative and pledged full cooperation to curb piracy.
