The much-awaited Tamil film Karuppu, starring Suriya and Trisha Krishnan and directed by RJ Balaji, faced an unexpected setback on its release day. The special 9 AM first-day-first-show (FDFS) screenings, which were granted special permission by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay just days after he took oath, have been cancelled in several theatres across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and other parts of India. Advance bookings for these early morning shows were abruptly halted, leaving fans who had already purchased tickets disappointed.
Theatre chains such as Vetri Cinemas issued statements citing “production issues” and “last-minute financial hurdles” as the reason for the cancellation. Online bookings are being automatically refunded, while counter-ticket buyers have been asked to collect refunds at the box office. Similar cancellations have been reported for late-night premiere shows in the USA.
The film’s producer, S.R. Prabhu of Dream Warrior Pictures, addressed the issue directly on X (formerly Twitter), tweeting: “Due to unavoidable reasons 9am shows will be cancelled for Karuppu. Our sincere apologies to everyone!”. He described it as a minor and resolvable roadblock, assuring that *Karuppu* will still hit the screens today as planned with regular shows proceeding normally.
Fans expressed frustration on social media over the sudden change, especially after the team had publicly thanked CM Vijay for approving the early morning slots. Updated show timings for affected theatres are expected to be announced later today. Despite the hiccup, advance bookings for the film had crossed ₹2 crore in Tamil Nadu, indicating strong excitement for Suriya’s dual-role drama.
