Tag

RJ Balaji

15 articles on RJ Balaji — including 1 review.

News · 28 May 2026

RJ Balaji wrote Karuppu for Vijay first, found its climax in Kantara

RJ Balaji says he first wrote Karuppu for Vijay, as his last film before politics, and that the Suriya-Trisha hit's climax came to him while watching Kantara.

Suriya stands with arms folded in front of a Karuppu Mega Blockbuster banner at a Chennai hotel

News · 23 May 2026

Suriya turns up in person to thank the room for Karuppu

With Karuppu past 200 crore and the biggest hit of his career, Suriya skipped the usual playbook and came to say thank you to everyone himself.

Suriya in the title role of Karuppu, crouched and holding the aruval sickle, in the dust-and-ash colour treatment RJ Balaji used for the film's hero key art

News · 20 May 2026

Karuppu past Rs 161 crore in five days, Suriya's highest-grosser ever

Karuppu has crossed Rs 161 crore worldwide by day 5, passing Singam 2 to become Suriya's highest-grossing film and the top Tamil grosser of 2026.

News · 17 May 2026

Karuppu after the chaos: gratitude, a hug, and a Vijay card

Suriya quietly cleared his producers' debts to get the film out. RJ Balaji went from tears to a viral Rohini scream. The credits thank the chief minister.

Suriya in the title role of Karuppu, shot in temple-fire reds, the look RJ Balaji built the film around

News · 16 May 2026

Karuppu opens at Rs 15.5 crore net, a day late

Karuppu lost all of May 14 to a financial-logistics crisis and still posted Rs 15.5 crore net on day one. The Retro comparison, and the weekend that will decide things.

Review

Suriya in Karuppu, in an olive shirt holding a temple-painted aruval, grinning at the camera with a Karuppasamy procession in the deep background

Karuppu review: Suriya in god mode rewards the room

RJ Balaji builds a whole film around himself before Suriya walks in. The first half earns its patience; the second leans on spectacle. 3.5/5.

15 May 2026 ★★★ ★★ ★

BookMyShow listings page for Karuppu (Tamil) on the night of May 13, showing only standalone single-screen theatres with PVR INOX absent

News · 13 May 2026

Karuppu opens at 9 AM. Or does it?

PVR INOX has cleared its Karuppu listings on release eve. RJ Balaji is asking fans for faith. Yesterday the studio was issuing 9 AM thank-you posters.

Karuppu thank-you poster from Team Suriya featuring Vijay seated at the Tamil Nadu chief minister's desk

News · 13 May 2026

Karuppu lands 9 AM first shows under new CM Vijay

Tamil Nadu rarely clears early-morning shows. The new CM does it for Suriya's release; the makers reply with a poster that doubles as a Vijay-fan ad.

Suriya in a plain black shirt and trousers on stage at the Karuppu pre-release event in Hyderabad, mid-speech with mic in hand

News · 12 May 2026

Suriya's Karuppu pitch is mostly about his director

At Karuppu's Hyderabad pitch, Suriya spent most of his speech on director RJ Balaji's faith, and quietly gave away the film's two-half structure.

RJ Balaji in a black velvet jacket on stage at the Veerabadhrudu pre-release event in Hyderabad, speaking into a mic in front of a red backdrop

News · 12 May 2026

RJ Balaji wants Karuppu in theatres, not in post-mortems

Two days from release, RJ Balaji closed his Hyderabad pitch for Karuppu with a request: watch the film, don't post-mortem it. The framing has drawn pushback.

Suriya as Karuppasamy on the Karuppu trailer key art, holding a bloodied aruval in a torn white shirt against a red background, with 14.5.26 release date marked

News · 11 May 2026

Karuppu trailer out: Suriya as Karuppasamy, May 14 release

RJ Balaji used Sunday's CSK home match to flip the Karuppu trailer after the political-week hold; Suriya plays Karuppasamy, Trisha the lawyer.

RJ Balaji in a portrait, leaning on a balcony rail in a white shirt and dark-rimmed glasses

News · 9 May 2026

RJ Balaji shuts down Karuppu delay talk; May 14 holds

Karuppu's May 14 release stands, RJ Balaji posted, killing chatter that the Suriya film would shift. Five days out, the trailer has still not landed.