Karuppu (film)

Karuppu (transl. Black) is a 2026 Indian Tamil-language fantasy action drama film directed by RJ Balaji from a screenplay he co-wrote with Rathna Kumar, Ashwin Ravichandran, Rahul Raj, T. S. Gopi Krishnan and Karan Aravind Kumar. Produced by Dream Warrior Pictures, the film stars Suriya, Trisha Krishnan and Balaji, alongside Indrans, Natty Subramaniam, Swasika, Sshivada and Supreeth Reddy. In the film, the guardian deity Vettai Karuppu disguises himself as a lawyer to fight corruption in a court system that exploits a young girl awaiting a liver transplant. The film was officially announced in October 2024 under the tentative title Suriya 45, as it is the actor's 45th film in a leading role. Principal photography commenced the following month in Pollachi and was completed by early 2026. The official title was announced in June 2025. The film has music composed by Sai Abhyankkar, cinematography handled by G. K. Vishnu and editing by R. Kalaivanan. Karuppu was released worldwide on 15 May 2026 and received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. It performed well at the box office, making it the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2026.