The producers of Suriya’s Karuppu issued a statement on Tuesday, May 19, expressing regret over a controversial scene that mocked music composer Ilaiyaraaja’s practice of suing films that feature his music without his expressed consent. The producers,Dream Warrior Pictures, said that they will remove and/or modify the said scene in future versions of the film.
Stating that they have sincere respect and admiration for Ilaiyaraaja, the makers said that the controversial scene was not meant to hurt him.
“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.
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,” the statement read.
The statement added, “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. We extend our sincere regards and continue to hold him in the highest respect.”
Karuppu starring Suriya, Trisha, Natarajan Subramaniam, Anagha Ravi, Indrans, and others, was recently released in theatres. The film, written and directed by R J Balaji, continues to have a good run at the box office across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. As per official figures, the film has so far collected over Rs 147 crores worldwide.
While the film has found overwhelming success, many Ilaiyaraaja fans expressed disappointment over the scene in which RJ Balaji makes fun of the veteran music composer. The controversial scene features the song “Poradada Oru Vaalenthuda” from Alai Osai (1985). The iconic song that gives a call to protest against oppression has over the years become an anthem of sorts for Dalits. Director Mari Selvaraj recently popularised the song by featuring it in his movies to evoke the emotion of assertion against caste-based oppression. In Karuppu, R J Balaji, who plays the antagonist, uses the song when he launches a protest— a juxstapostion. The situation is meant to evoke laughter, and Balaji abruptly cuts the song with a meta reference saying that Ilaiyaraaja would sue them if he found out that his song was used in the movie.
In the past, Ilaiyaraaja has filed copyright infringement cases against many films including Manjummel Boys for using his music without seeking prior permission.
