Just a couple of days after actor, and now CM of Tamil Nadu, Vijay, granted “special permission” for 9 am shows of RJ Balaji’s action film Karuppu, the makers have now announced that the 9 am shows of the Suriya and Trisha-starrer stand cancelled “due to unavoidable reasons”. The producer’s word came only eight hours before the scheduled first day first show of the film on Thursday, May 14.
On Wednesday late night, SR Prabhu, co-owner of Dream Warrior Pictures, which is backing Karuppu, took to his X handle and wrote, “Due to unavoidable reasons 9 am shows will be cancelled for Karuppu. Our sincere apologies to everyone!” While he didn’t disclose the exact reason behind the cancellation, fans of the film couldn’t help but express their frustrations in the comments, blaming the producer for the last-minute update.
Due to unavoidable reasons 9am shows will be cancelled for Karuppu. Our sincere apologies to everyone!
— SR Prabu (@prabhu_sr) May 13, 2026
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Over the course of the past two days, fans have been flagging issues with their inability to book or even spot the 9 am shows of Karuppu on popular ticket booking platforms. Ever since the production house declared they’ve secured “special permission” from Vijay for the 9 am FDFS of the film on Thursday, excited fans began wondering why they could not see the option to book the said show.
‘No concrete answer for current situation’
The frustration rose to a point that director RJ Balaji took to X and said that producers were doing their best to resolve the situation. “Dearest fans, I don’t have a concrete answer to the current situation. Producers are doing their best to solve the hurdles. This film has always had hurdles, and somehow God has made us sail through all that and here we are after 32 months. This time as well, I have faith, complete faith in him,” he wrote on X.
Dearest fans, I dont have a concrete answer to the current situation. Producers are doing their best to solve the hurdles. This film has always had hurdles, and somehow God has made us sail through all that and here we are after 32 months. This time as well, I have faith,…
— RJ Balaji (@RJ_Balaji) May 13, 2026
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Some local theatre chains like Vasu Cinemas commented on Balaji’s post, and assured him of their support. “Days of struggle, sacrifice and patience and I can only imagine the countless hurdles and obstacles you must have crossed to reach this day. For us, you have always been far more than just a public personality you have always been a very, very good soul whom I genuinely respect and admire .. Good hearted people like you truly deserve massive success. We sincerely pray for #Karuppu to have a smoother release and achieve big in Box office. Win BIG RJ (bow down emoji),” the official handle of Vasu Cinemas wrote in the comments section.
Financial negotiations underway
While there’s no clarity on the “unavoidable reasons” that led to the cancellation of 9 am shows despite the “special permission” from Tamil Nadu CM, it’s believed to be the unending financial negotiations between the exhibitors, distributors, and producers. Exact details of the roadblocks aren’t known yet, but it’s believed the problem wouldn’t persist beyond the 9 am shows.
Karuppu has already earned Rs 7.2 crore from its advance booking on Day 1. After some overseas shows also got cancelled, it cast further suspicion over the fate of the film and whether it’d release as per schedule on May 14. However, there’s no official update from the makers on that front yet.
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Irrespective, if the morning shows on Thursday get cancelled, it’ll reduce the total shows of Karuppu by around 500. The film has already faced a couple of major hurdles over the past year. Initially scheduled to release in cinemas on Diwali 2025, it was postponed due to unfinished post-production work. The makers announced that the film would hit theatres only after the Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections.
Special thanks to our honorable Chief Minister Thiru. Joseph Vijay for granting the special permission for the 9AM shows of #Karuppu.#Karuppu – FDFS begins at 9AM, from May 14th🔥
A @SaiAbhyankkar Musical 🎵@Suriya_offl @trishtrashers @RJ_Balaji @dop_gkvishnu @prabhu_sr… pic.twitter.com/6sLumAcAFr
— DreamWarriorPictures (@DreamWarriorpic) May 12, 2026
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Why was ‘special permission’ required?
“Special permission” for the 9 am shows are required only in the state of Tamil Nadu because the DMK government had maintained an iron fist on limited shows, particularly of big star-driven vehicles, especially on festivals, for law and order reasons. After the Thinuvu-Varisu clash on Pongal 2023 led to the death of a fan, owing to the commotion caused by the double release, the government double down on not having early morning shows or late night shows across the state.
The Tamil Nadu government has made the exception of 9 am shows only for a few films, like Suriya-starrer Kanguva (2024) and Vijay-starrer Leo (2023). But even in the case of the latter, the permission was revoked soon after the release, forcing the producers to approach Madras High Court. However, the government maintained its stance in the court as well.
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The relaxation of these norms in the case of Karuppu also came under scanner given Vijay’s rumoured relationship with the leading lady, Trisha. The two were spotted attending a wedding together days after Vijay’s wife Sangeetha filed for divorce, alleging an “adulterous relationship with an actress”. Trisha was also seen visibly supporting Vijay’s win in the Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, even attending the swearing-in ceremony this past Sunday and hugging her longtime co-star’s mother at the event.
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