RJ Balaji‘Karuppu’ became one of the highest-grossing Tamil blockbusters of the year. Starring SuryaTrisha, Indrans and Swasika, the film enjoyed a fantastic run in theaters and has reportedly crossed the Rs 300-crore mark at the global box office. The film’s success also ended Surya’s long wait for a hit show. After the film became a huge success, Surya even gifted cars to director RJ Balaji and key members of the technical team as a token of gratitude. However, the conversation surrounding the film changed after its OTT premiere, with audiences starting to notice certain visual flaws that went largely unnoticed on the big screen.
RJ Balaji explains the challenges behind visual effects
As criticism mounts online for some of the CGI-heavy scenes, RJ Balaji addressed the issue in a recent interview with Galatta. Instead of shying away from the topic, the filmmakers openly explained the practical challenges the team faced. Talking about the controversial head replacement surgery, he said: “A head replacement takes nearly eight months to complete, and the cost must be paid in advance.” Unfortunately, we are unable to meet these timelines. He further revealed that deleting the clip was never an option as it plays an important role in the film’s narrative.
‘Karuppu’ director admits mistakes and accepts audience feedback
What has caught the attention of many is RJ Balaji’s willingness to take responsibility. The official acknowledged that some parts did not meet the expected quality standards and said the team was fully aware of the shortcomings. “We need to accept our mistakes. We will plan better next time,” he said. He also added with honesty and humor: “I have the screenshots of these errors before the audience does. We know everything that is being discussed.”His candid response was appreciated by many fans, who felt that the filmmaker handled the criticism in a mature manner rather than making excuses.
The viral ‘Singam’ scene and what went wrong
RJ Balaji also spoke about the viral Singam sequence, which became a major talking point after its OTT release. According to him, the team intentionally used fewer shots in the segment to manage technical limitations. “We expected this scene to be discussed after the OTT release because we knew its execution wasn’t perfect,” he admits. He explained that action scenes often involve protagonists and stunt doubles, which can sometimes create lighting and continuity issues.Although there was a lot of criticism of the film online, RJ Balaji’s clear explanations and willingness to accept his mistakes allowed them to transform the discussion into one that reflected the practical aspects of filmmaking.
