The southern film industry, which has been hit hard by piracy and online leaks of their big-budget movies in the recent past, has decided to fight back and take strict action against the perpetrators.
The big-budget movies in almost all the regional languages are getting leaked within a few hours of their release,, and it has left many producers worried.
Highest grossers like Pushpa 2: The Rule, Kalki 2898 AD, Devara: Part 1, Game Changer, Thandel, and HanuMan were released on illegal websites in HD prints hours after their release.
The Telugu film industry has now decided to take a firm stand against the piracy.
Worried filmmakers have now announced plans to crack down on piracy and also said that arrests are likely soon.
Allu Aravind, Bunny Vas, and Dil Raju, along with actors Vishwak Sen and Anjali, have raised their concerns over the growing piracy menace.
Producers are saying that complaints have been filed, and arrests are also being made, but filmmakers say they need the support of the audience to fight this menace.
The producers are making appeals to the audience and film lovers to watch their favorite film in theaters in order to bring an end to piracy.
Director Chandoo Mondeti’s Thandel, starring Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi, earned an impressive Rs 62 crore worldwide in its opening weekend. But it was also hit hard by piracy, and its HD print was screened on an APSRTC bus through a cable network.
Makers have come to know that their film’s HD print is also being circulated across WhatsApp and Telegram groups.
“Piracy went down for a while thanks to our efforts and the advent of OTT, but it’s rearing its ugly head again. We want to curb it now before it does more damage. People seem to have forgotten it’s illegal to both upload and download such prints,” said Allu Aravind recently.
"We have filed complaints, and arrests will be made soon. As for the film being screened in a government RTC bus, is it out of innocence? It’s hard to see when a film is doing well, but these things happen," he further said.
Producer Vas said that the production team has decided to take legal action, like they did when Geetha Govindam and Taxiwaala prints were leaked.
"Those people are still languishing in jail; we won’t leave anyone. An overseas print of Thandel was screened on an RTC bus going from Palasa to Vijayawada. I will inform Pawan Kalyan (Deputy CM of AP) about this; we intend to fight back because it affects box office numbers.”
APSRTC Chairman Konakalla Narayana Rao has ordered an inquiry into the screening of pirated movies on the state-run bus.
Vas and Aravind have urged people to report any instances of Thandel piracy by contacting them at their number 9573225069.
Additionally, the Film Chamber’s anti-piracy cell continues to play a crucial role in addressing such concerns.
Recently, Shankar’s Game Changer, starring Ram Charan and Kiara Advani, was also hit by piracy as its print was also broadcast on a cable TV channel and leaked online shortly after its January release. Film's producer, Dil Raju, had then filed a cyber complaint against 45 individuals.
"Please do not encourage piracy on buses or elsewhere. A lot of hard work goes into making a film, and it’s best experienced in theaters with an auditorium full of people enjoying it as much as you do," said Dil Raju.
There are legal consequences under the Copyright Act of 1957 if you watch pirated content.
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