Telugu film industry tackles piracy and threats after HD prints of Game Changer, Thandel leak online: We will fight back

HD prints of recent Telugu films were leaked online within hours of release and Telugu filmmakers are in no mood to take it lying down.

After the early 2000s, when CDs of leaked films found their way into bootleg shops and were screened on cable TV within hours of release, the Telugu film industry seems to face a piracy crisis again. A stellar 2024 saw films like Pushpa 2: The Rule, Kalki 2898 AD, Devara: Part 1, and HanuMan become India's highest-grossers. (Also Read: Allu Aravind clarifies if he took a dig at Ram Charan for Game Changer's failure: ‘This is emotional and personal’)

Kiara Advani, Ram Charan, Naga Chaitanya, Sai Pallavi in stills from Game Changer and Thandel.

But hardly two months into the year, films like Game Changer and Thandel have fallen prey to piracy, with HD prints leaking online. Tollywood filmmakers like Allu Aravind, Bunny Vas and Dil Raju and actors like Vishwak Sen and Anjali have spoken about the issue, making it clear that the industry is ready to fight back.

Complaints have been filed, and arrests have been made, but at the end of it all, the change must come from people, say these filmmakers, urging the audience to watch films in theatres.

Thandel screened in APSRTC bus

Ever since Chandoo Mondeti’s Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi-starrer Thandel hit screens last Friday, the film has performed well worldwide, collecting ₹62 crore gross by its first weekend. But the film’s producers, Aravind and Vas, were shocked to see it screened in an APSRTC (Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation) bus via a cable network. According to Aravind, the film’s HD print also circulated on 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,” pointed out Aravind while talking to the press in Hyderabad, adding, “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 said.

Vas also made it clear that, like they did when prints of Geetha Govindam and Taxiwaala leaked, they would follow through and take the perpetrators to court. “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 since ordered an inquiry into it.

Vas and Aravind also urged people to inform them on 9573225069 should they come across a leaked print of Thandel. The film chamber also has an anti-piracy cell to tackle these issues.

Threats to leak HD prints on the rise

Unfortunately, fan wars and trolling on social media have become the norm for any celebrity. Threats to leak HD prints of films online for various reasons are on the rise. Vishwak Sen spoke to the press to apologise for a political statement made by his co-star, ‘30 Years’ Prudhvi, at his upcoming film Laila’s pre-release event this weekend. He looked on the verge of tears while revealing he received threats after it.

“25,000 tweets are saying Boycott Laila because Prudhvi made a political comment. Some have threatened to leak the film’s HD print on opening day. I apologise because this happened at our event. I am not well-versed enough to talk politics; I am only 29. We worked hard on this film, so please, it’s heartbreaking,” he pleaded. Producer Sahu Garapati, who was also present, made it clear that should people make good on the threat, he would follow Aravind’s lead and take legal action.

This comes after Shankar’s Ram Charan, Kiara Advani-starrer Game Changer was also illegally broadcast on a cable TV channel and leaked online after its release in January. Producer Dil Raju filed a cyber complaint against 45 individuals and claimed that the film was leaked because they did not comply with an extortion demand. He pleaded with the audience, saying, “Please do not encourage piracy in buses or elsewhere. A lot of hard work goes into making a film, and it's best experienced in theatres with an auditorium full of people enjoying it as much as you do.”

Anjali, who acted in the film, also alluded to the box office collections being affected by the leak when she said, “As an actor, I can only take responsibility for how well I played my character. To hope a movie works at the box office is something we strive for with promotions. But beyond that, I’ll need more time to speak about Game Changer than we have. Everyone knows why I’m saying that. Sometimes, we get hurt; it hurts so badly. So, that’s all it is.”