Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
RJ Balaji sits down with Anupama Chopra for a candid, deeply personal conversation about Karuppu, the Suriya-led action drama that has stormed past 200 crore worldwide in just eight days to become the actor's biggest box office success ever. Balaji walks through the 950-day journey that almost broke him — the financial delays, the postponed release, the morning shows that were cancelled, and the tearful apology video that made him a vulnerable figurehead overnight. He talks about how Karuppu was originally written for Thalapathy Vijay, how Suriya entered the project just twelve days after Kanguva's release, and how he made the conscious choice to keep Suriya off-screen for stretches so that Indrans could carry the soul of the first half. Balaji also breaks down the climax sequence he reshot after being floored by Kantara Chapter 1, the meaning behind every "God Mode" and "Naanga Naalu Peru" beat composed by Sai Abhyankkar, and why he insisted on crediting his cinematographer G.K. Vishnu, editor R. Kalaivanan, and the rest of his crew as co-authors of the film.
The conversation moves into sharper terrain as Balaji takes on the critics who have called Karuppu loud, heavy-handed, and old-school, arguing that reviewers are out of sync with the 99 percent of the audience that is dancing in theatres. He draws a pointed parallel to Vijay's TVK victory in the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections, where he says voters were similarly underestimated, and explains why he wants to wait before making his planned "God versus politics" sequel. Balaji opens up about his tough childhood with a single mother, his journey from RJ to actor to commentator to director, his admiration for Shah Rukh Khan and Clint Eastwood, and the discipline of waking up at 6 AM after sleeping by 9:30 PM even during a shoot. He closes with a moving acknowledgement that this is the longest English interview of his life and the one milestone he had visualised three years ago when he began writing Karuppu.
#RJBalaji #Karuppu #Suriya
RJ Balaji sits down with Anupama Chopra for a candid, deeply personal conversation about Karuppu, the Suriya-led action drama that has stormed past 200 crore worldwide in just eight days to become the actor's biggest box office success ever. Balaji walks through the 950-day journey that almost broke him — the financial delays, the postponed release, the morning shows that were cancelled, and the tearful apology video that made him a vulnerable figurehead overnight. He talks about how Karuppu was originally written for Thalapathy Vijay, how Suriya entered the project just twelve days after Kanguva's release, and how he made the conscious choice to keep Suriya off-screen for stretches so that Indrans could carry the soul of the first half. Balaji also breaks down the climax sequence he reshot after being floored by Kantara Chapter 1, the meaning behind every "God Mode" and "Naanga Naalu Peru" beat composed by Sai Abhyankkar, and why he insisted on crediting his cinematographer G.K. Vishnu, editor R. Kalaivanan, and the rest of his crew as co-authors of the film.
The conversation moves into sharper terrain as Balaji takes on the critics who have called Karuppu loud, heavy-handed, and old-school, arguing that reviewers are out of sync with the 99 percent of the audience that is dancing in theatres. He draws a pointed parallel to Vijay's TVK victory in the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections, where he says voters were similarly underestimated, and explains why he wants to wait before making his planned "God versus politics" sequel. Balaji opens up about his tough childhood with a single mother, his journey from RJ to actor to commentator to director, his admiration for Shah Rukh Khan and Clint Eastwood, and the discipline of waking up at 6 AM after sleeping by 9:30 PM even during a shoot. He closes with a moving acknowledgement that this is the longest English interview of his life and the one milestone he had visualised three years ago when he began writing Karuppu.
#RJBalaji #Karuppu #Suriya
