You've achieved: Rajinikanth congratulates Karuppu director over film's success
Rajinikanth called RJ Balaji after watching Karuppu and praised the film's success. The appreciation came as Suriya's fantasy drama crossed Rs 200 crore globally and revived box-office momentum for Tamil cinema.
Rajinikanth has praised Suriya’s latest film Karuppu after watching it recently, with director RJ Balaji sharing details of the appreciation he received from the actor. Speaking about the moment, Balaji recalled a phone call from Rajinikanth and said the veteran actor congratulated him warmly for the film’s success.
The development comes as Karuppu continues its strong run at the box office. The fantasy action drama, directed by RJ Balaji, has crossed the Rs 100-crore mark (nett) in India and over Rs 200 crore globally within seven days of its release, giving Suriya one of the biggest commercial successes of his recent career and offering a boost to Kollywood, which had been waiting for a strong theatrical performer in 2026.
Rajinikanth’s call to RJ Balaji
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, RJ Balaji said Rajinikanth called him after watching Karuppu. Recalling the phone conversation, Balaji said, “Whenever a good film is released [in theatres], Rajinikanth will watch it and meet the film crew in person or over the phone to congratulate them. He called me to congratulate. He said, in his style, ‘Balaji, super, super, super, you have achieved; you have achieved. What a big hit! We will meet again soon’.”
Karuppu crosses Rs 200 crore
Karuppu has drawn audiences back to theatres in large numbers and has emerged as a major box office performer. According to reported figures, the film has earned Rs 200 crore globally and also became the first Tamil film in nearly nine months to mint Rs 100 crore nett (gross minus taxes) domestically. The film’s performance has also come as a major lift for the Tamil film industry at a time when it had been awaiting a strong commercial release this year.
The last Tamil film to comfortably cross the Rs 100-crore mark nett was Rajinikanth-starrer Coolie. Released during the Independence Day weekend last year, the film reportedly collected Rs 285 crore nett in India and more than Rs 518 crore worldwide.