Karuppu, the fantasy action film that made Suriya the biggest Tamil box office draw of 2026, began streaming on Prime Video on June 12. The film is now available in its original Tamil and in dubbed Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada versions, roughly four weeks after its May 15 theatrical release.
The numbers justify the speed. Karuppu earned Rs 113.85 crore in India in its opening week alone, crossed Rs 200 crore globally within seven days, and finished its theatrical run at over Rs 300 crore worldwide, with Rs 80.90 crore coming from overseas. It is now the highest-grossing Tamil film of the year and the biggest commercial hit of Suriya’s three-decade career.
Directed by RJ Balaji, the film casts Suriya as Vettai Karuppu, a guardian deity who disguises himself as an advocate named Saravanan to fight courtroom corruption in Chennai. The premise gives Balaji, who also plays the corrupt lawyer Baby Kannan, licence to mix supernatural spectacle with a courtroom procedural. A subplot involving a father and daughter from Kerala who travel to Chennai for a liver transplant and are robbed of their gold provides the film’s emotional core.
Trisha Krishnan plays Preethi opposite Suriya. The supporting cast includes Indrans, who initially hesitated to act in Tamil until Balaji told him his character was Malayali, as well as Natty Subramaniam, Sshivada, and Anagha Maya Ravi in her Tamil debut. The film also features cameo appearances that connect it to Suriya’s Singam franchise, with the actor briefly reprising his role as DSP Durai Singam.
The production carries a reported budget of Rs 130 to 140 crore, placing it among the most expensive Tamil films ever made. S. R. Prabhu and S. R. Prakash Babu produced under Dream Warrior Pictures, the banner behind recent Tamil hits including Kaithi and Maanaadu. G. K. Vishnu handled cinematography and Sai Abhyankkar composed the music, replacing A. R. Rahman who was originally attached to the project.
Critical response was mixed to positive. The Times of India gave it 2.5 out of 5, noting the film works better as a courtroom drama than a supernatural fantasy. The Indian Express awarded three stars and called Suriya’s performance “one of his strongest in years,” though the plot “loses its way” in its second half. The Hindu noted that the “emotional scaffolding withers away” after the interval but acknowledged the crowd appeal of the deity sequences.
Audiences were less divided. Opening weekend reactions highlighted mass moments, powerful background scoring, and what viewers called “whistle-worthy scenes.” The film earned Rs 29 crore globally on its opening day and crossed Rs 100 crore in Tamil Nadu alone within its first week, a benchmark few Tamil films reach in an entire theatrical run.
Karuppu’s arrival on Prime Video adds to the platform’s growing inventory of Indian-language blockbusters. Mohanlal’s Drishyam 3 joins the platform on June 18, and Ali Fazal’s crime thriller Raakh began streaming on June 12 as well. For Suriya, the streaming debut extends the film’s reach into Hindi-speaking markets where his theatrical footprint has traditionally been smaller, and where the dubbed version now competes for attention alongside this week’s new Bollywood releases.
