Fans of Tamil star Suriya were in for a shock on Thursday (May 14), as the morning, noon and matinee shows of the actor’s much-awaited film, Karuppu, were cancelled. Since early this morning, fans have been expressing their disappointment over the last-minute cancellation of the shows on social media, with reports alleging the financial troubles of the film’s production banner, Dream Warrior Pictures, as the cause of the delay in the release.

Amidst an air of uncertainty and disappointment, RJ Balaji, the writer-director who has shouldered the project for over two years, apologised to fans and assured them that the film will release this evening. An emotional Balaji broke down in a video posted on his Instagram profile, stating, “I’m really sorry to all the fans. It shouldn’t have happened. Many of you would have travelled a lot so early in the morning to catch the 9 am show of Karuppu. The very reason we watch films is to escape from the problems we have back home and in our lives. But that very activity of watching the film shouldn’t have become this stressful. I didn’t expect this as well. I am really hopeful that all these problems will be fixed and that the film will be released this evening”

“I’ve manifested that Karuppu will release on May 14 and that it’ll turn out to be a blockbuster. I am getting emotional, but that’s the pain. But I’m hopeful that God will ensure the film will release this evening. So many people are working towards fixing these problems... Suriya sir has given so much. Sorry for all the stress, but the film will be worth it all. The film will release this evening. I believe in it. God is with us,” he added.

Meanwhile, the film’s producers have yet to clarify the cause of the delay in the release of the film. At the time of publishing this article, most ticketing platforms show only a handful of theatres accepting bookings for the evening shows. Along with Balaji, millions of Suriya fans are hoping that the situation changes and that the film sees the light of the day soon.

Featuring Trisha as the female lead and Balaji in a pivotal role, Karuppu also stars Indrans, Natty, Swasika, Sshivadha, Anagha Maya Ravi, Supreeth Reddy and Deepa, among others. With music scored by Sai Abhyankkar, the film has cinematography by GK Vishnu and editing by R Kalaivanan.

Ashwin Ravichandran, Rahul Raj, TS Gopi Krishnan and Karan Aravind Kumar have written Karuppu along with Balaji. SR Prakash Babu and SR Prabu produce the film under their Dream Warrior Pictures banner.