Two weeks to it, and the teaser of Karuppu still lands like a war cry, somewhere back in the mind, doesn’t leave, bold, blazing, and unapologetically raw. Directed by RJ Balaji, this electrifying glimpse sets the tone for a film that promises to be both a cinematic spectacle and a character-driven storm, with Suriya leading the charge in dual avatars that throb with intensity and mystery.
From the very first frame of it, you see the roar coming at you. The voiceover speaks of a deity not to be pacified but feared and worshipped with red chillies, immediately setting a visceral tone. Suriya, clad in pristine white as the lawyer Saravanan, exudes calm power. But it’s the transformation into his darker, more violent alter ego, eyes blazing with rage, that truly sends chills.
RJ Balaji, known for his quick wit and sociopolitical humor, shocks here with a rugged, bloody vision. The wink to Ghajini with the crazy guy is a clever nod to one of Suriya’s triumphs. The frames are evocative, the tension thick, and the background score from Sai Abhyankkar thrums like a time bomb, layering seconds of anticipation, dread, and exhilaration onto every frame.
The film is shot by G K Vishnu, who captures the ambiguity of Karuppu’s world through humble, yet moody, the dark palette with textures of grittiness and grandeur. The action choreography is typically sharp with full-bodied power; each swing of the sickle has a breath and brutal orientation.
Suriya is back in beast mode, and RJ Balaji is all set to redefine his identity as a director with this grand and ambitious, genre-busting film. Karuppu looks tempestuous, emotional, mythically grandiose firestorm of action, and early indications from the teaser signal that the film is hitting harder than anyone expects.
