Vishnu Manchu's Kannappa hit with piracy issue, over 30,000 illegal links taken down in just three days

The film's illegal distribution is still going strong despite the producers' quick and forceful takedown attempts.

The mythological epic Kannappa has found itself battling a 21st-century menace—widespread digital piracy. Just three days after its release, over 30,000 pirated URLs of the film have been identified and removed from platforms such as YouTube, Meta, Instagram, and X.

Kannappa released in theatres on June 27, 2025. The film's illegal distribution is still going strong despite the producers' quick and forceful takedown attempts.

The growing danger of digital content theft in India's entertainment industry is highlighted by this developing crisis.

The repercussions are severe and detrimental. While viewers lose out on the immersive cinematic experience that the filmmakers had envisioned, filmmakers suffer significant financial losses. What this shows about India's larger digital ecosystem—a glaring lack of effective deterrents, inadequate legal enforcement, and little accountability in the online sphere—may be even more worrisome.

India is still dangerously vulnerable to film piracy as well as other digital threats like personal data breaches and national cybersecurity flaws, in contrast to nations that have strong anti-piracy laws and employ state-of-the-art monitoring tools to prevent digital theft.

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This crisis demonstrates that piracy is no longer just an issue facing the entertainment sector. It undermines artistic investments, deters new productions, and damages India's reputation in the international digital economy.

The wave of Kannappa piracy is a warning. It calls for immediate, systemic changes, including stricter laws, more rapid enforcement, and increased public awareness.